How to maximise your energy during pregnancy
In this article I share the things that have helped me maximise my energy during pregnancy. The reason I decided to write this post is simple — never have I been as tired as during pregnancy. Sleep is off, you’re not as physically agile as usual and you’re constantly hungry (and not really hungry for celery sticks, if you know what I mean…). But luckily it is possible to influence your energy levels to some extent, even if you can’t control them entirely.
During the three trimesters I’ve noticed quite some fluctuations in my energy levels where they were pretty much non-existent from week 6–10, really high during trimester two and dipped again in the third trimester. So I’ve had the chance to try quite some tactics during my nine months of pregnancy.
The tips I’m about to share are all good to follow at any time — but to me these have really been key for the time since Mini’s inception. They’re no miracle pills, but they definitely do work.
Physical activity
Physical activity always gives me an energy boost. And especially so during pregnancy! The only problem is that I’m much less eager to go out and exercise now than usually — it’s simply a little heavier with the added weight of carrying this extra person.
I have primarily been taking long walks in the forest with Taro (the dog) during this pregnancy, but proper excercise works even better the times I’ve gotten around to doing it! Options I’ve enjoyed have been to visit the outdoors gym (hello pandemic) and prenatal yoga. And during the summer an absolutely fantastic activity that’s brought me a ton of energy has been the morning dip in the lake next to our apartment. Few things are as refreshing as starting your day with a dip in the blue!
Eating good, nutrient-packed food
This one is super important, but also really easy to fall off the wagon on, since pregnancy tends to make you (or at least me) crave so much more carbohydrates than usual. My best remedy for this is to not let yourself get too hungry — that’s at least when I make all my worst food choices. But when you learn your new pregnancy patterns and realise you need to stash your energy levels up (with food) much more frequently than usual you can also start becoming proactive about your food intake. So make sure to have some good snack options at hand — my go tos are avocados and canned mackerel (in tomato sauce — so delicious!). So you can have these (or your preferred snacks) at hand whenever you start feeling that nagging sensation of hunger deep down. Keep much more snacks on hand than usual!
Spending time outdoors
Some days, especially when pregnant, you really just want to spend on the sofa. But I’ve realised I feel so much better when I actually force myself to go outside and get some fresh air and daylight. This is true when not pregnant as well, but it’s even more accepted to be sofa ridden once you’re pregnant. But don’t fool yourself — the couch most likely won’t give you much energy (unless you actually nap), while fresh air and sun on your skin most certainly will. Try it.
Making sure to get the sleep you need
I find sleeping superhard in this new body — and being pregnant over a very hot summer surely didn’t help. Well well, there’s not much more to do than to prioritize sleep as much as you can. So no bright screens before bedtime, no big meals close to bedtime, and a cool temperature in your bedroom and you’re a good bit on your way.
Luckily I’m a good napper, so I’ve been utilising naps for those nights where my sleep’s been too short or otherwise disturbed. I like to keep my naps quite short (20–30 minutes), and I usually take them before 16.00 in the afternoon — that way I’m confident they don’t disturb my sleep the following night.
Keep some flexibility in your schedule
This is something I come back to in many of my posts (for instance this one where it’s on the topic of planning your vacation), but it’s important: don’t plan your days with too many activities! Being on a crammed schedule can be really stressful if your energy isn’t where you want it to be — but on the other hand you’ll of course want to plan things as well. Tricky. What I found to work the best is to plan moderately, but make sure to keep some space in your calendar each day for downtime and relaxation — and hey, if you’re really energetic you can always fill those gaps up with whatever it may be you want to do at the moment.
Try a pre-natal supplement
Preferably your able to meet all your nutrient needs from your diet. But if you still feel tired even though eating a nutrient packed diet it could be worth giving a pre-natal a try. I used this one from Thorne Research during my first and second trimester and liked how it made me feel. One caveat though: I was not able to stomach these pills before lunch, so my recommendation would be to take them with dinner. You also don’t have to follow their recommended dose, unless you know your deficient in something. I myself took two pills a day instead of the three they recommmended and felt great in doing so (I had these pills more as a back up while I wanted my ordinary diet to be what supplied my nutrient needs).
Sometimes, you just have to accept you’re pregnant, and that it’s normal to be more tired than usual
Let’s be honest — I’ve found all the tips above super helpful. But that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been moments where I’ve felt completely exhausted. And the sooner you accept that you’re not in complete control of your energy levels at all times the better, because it won’t make those tired moments such a struggle.
Being pregnant is a new and heavier state than your body is used to. Be kind to yourself and also take some time to wind down when your body tells you to.
Originally published at https://nickilina.com on September 17, 2021.
