5 Ways to Rock a Healthy Pregnancy

Welcome! I’m glad you are here, and I’m so excited about your new little one on the way. Whether this is your first child or your eighth, the fact that you are here means that you are already planning on the best start for your baby. And hey, being able to fit back into your pre-pregnancy jeans more quickly is a great bonus, too!

So how do you make sure you are taking good care of your baby right from the very beginning? Well, I have something very exciting to share with you today. Nope, I’m not pregnant (phew!), but the lovely Ashley, who writes over at Whole Foods, New Body, is adorably pregnant. Her blog is full of Real Food recipes, tips, and tricks, and you definitely need to check it out.

I adore Ashley, and I know you will, too. Come meet her, and find out how she made her third pregnancy her best one yet!

Hey Everyone!! I am Ashley from Whole Foods New Body! Emily was nice enough to ask me to do a Blog swap with her today to talk to you guys about 5 Ways to Rock a Healthy Pregnancy. This is a subject very near and dear to me right now because I am pregnant with my 3rd child! 🙂

To get things started….let me first say this….I am far from perfect and I don’t think perfection should ever be your goal when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. I try to live my life according to the 90/10 rule. 90% of the time I eat very clean, healthy foods and try to be as active as I can. That leaves 10% for a little wiggle room for a splurge or treat every now and then! This is my lifestyle. Not a diet!! By giving yourself that wiggle room….you are more likely to stick with living a healthier lifestyle.

My first pregnancy was NOT very healthy. I started out at an unhealthy weight and I ate pretty much whatever I could get my hands on. I definitely enjoyed the whole “eating for two” logic and it showed!!

I had a ton of swelling, dizziness, lethargy, aches, and pains and was fairly miserable the whole time!

Luckily, after I delivered…I kicked into weight loss mode and I lost over 50 lbs. Now I didn’t do it the healthy way. I restricted my calories to a ridiculous amount and the weight came off. No…I didn’t feel good and although I was at a healthier weight…I was miserable.

Fast forward to my second pregnancy, I did much better this time around but I wasn’t active and I wasn’t eating healthy. The only thing that made this pregnancy better was that I started at a healthy weight.

Now let’s talk about where I am now!

Over the past year and a half I have completely changed my mindset on healthy eating. I no longer restrict calories, I added fitness into my life and I cut out processed food and added REAL food to my diet. What a huge difference this has made in the way I feel!! When I found out I was pregnant with baby #3…I knew this pregnancy would be different. I wanted to nurture my body with healthy food!!

Let me give you some tips on how I have done this:

5 Ways to Rock a Healthy Pregnancy:

1. Aim to eat “healthy” Monday through Friday. I actually eat healthy 7 days a week but Monday through Friday I limit the splurges and focus on eating right. When I say healthy….I mean 5-6 meals a day packed with fruits, veggies, lean protein, whole grains and healthy fats. A typical day for me starts with homemade (not instant) oatmeal; plain Greek yogurt and fruit for snack; eggs, avocado, and Ezekiel bread for lunch; fruit and nuts for snack; and a healthy homemade dinner with lean protein and veggies. I may have a couple squares of organic dark chocolate after dinner as well (downloading the PDF report below will give you some great foods you can add to help with this first tip).
2. Allow yourself a couple of “splurge” meals a week. I usually allow these on the weekends. When I say splurge…I don’t mean go crazy!! My typical splurge meal is take out. I still try to aim for lean protein and veggies but I may get dessert or an appetizer as my treat for the week. I don’t feel guilty about these meals because I know that 90% of my week has been packed with healthy, REAL foods!
3. Drink a LOT of water! Most of the time when I think I am starving…..a large bottle of water will do the trick. Staying hydrated makes a huge difference in how I feel during the day!
4. Add fitness in whenever you can! I don’t do the same workouts now that I did before pregnancy but I do try to add in prenatal yoga/pilates and I walk as much as I can.
5. Keep an eye on your weight gain. Don’t obsess and don’t weigh yourself every day. Just weigh yourself weekly and keep track of the weight you are gaining. I am right on track to gain about 30 lbs. this pregnancy which is what my OB/GYN considers healthy for me.

You can totally do this! There are just a few more things I’d like you to keep in mind…

Pregnancy is not an excuse to eat twice as much or to eat terribly. Eating healthy and being active will make your pregnancy SO much easier! Trust me on this! I have had a lot more energy and had far less symptoms this time around.

Thank you so much, Emily, for allowing me share my tips for having a healthy pregnancy! Feel free to check out my blog for meal ideas, clean eats and healthy recipes!

Thank you for such great info, Ashley!

This is a great exercise routine for when you are expecting, from one of my favorite ladies: