Pregnancy: Is that bun in the oven not letting you sleep?
OK…. I’m a mom with 3 kids (all 3 years apart), and I completely, and 100% understand that this time can play havoc on your body.
During my pregnancies I would vary between being so sleepy I could hardly keep my eyes open, to waking every few hours, not being able to get comfortable and not being able to enjoy a deep, decent night’s slumber.
And then once you’re a new parent and your cutey, cute, little bubbalicious (aka baby) arrives, you still cannot get a decent, uninterrupted nights sleep. Why oh why? Oh why? Oh why?
I totally feel for all of you new mommies and daddies out there. This period in our lives are tough. The lack of sleep makes this even tougher. Something we all have to remember is that this is a phase and while it may seem like this is our lives forever and ever, it’s not. It’s a phase. We just need the tools to help us adjust to this phase.
The fact that our bodies can produce a human life completely amazes me. And I totally understand that living in this go, go, go world, we can tend to forget this and go with our day to day lives. Ok, I’m not saying I have the magic wand that I can wave that will make your sleep interruptions come to a halt, but I do have some tips that may help you during this period.
Pregnancy & Your Sleep:
Our bodies we really are running an amazing machine where everything sync’s together perfectly and works in harmony. And during pregnancy, the greatest changes occur within our first and and third trimesters.
During our first trimester, we have a surge of progesterone (sleep inducing hormone) and we feel incredibly sleepy. Your body is doing a very important job here, she is creating the placenta which feeds your baby, and creating, feeding and nurturing a new life can be exhausting. So be kind to yourself and sleep as much as possible.
During our second trimester, our beautiful babies are growing, you may be noticing subtle changes, but overall your sleep patterns return to a normal level. My second trimesters were always pleasant, my nausea stopped (except for my middle child.. I was throwing up until delivery with him), but overall my body started to flow in a gentle rhythm.
During our third trimester, sleep troubles can start from our belly getting bigger and placing more strain on our back, pelvis and legs. Anxiety may start to kick in. And other hormones are release within the body to prepare itself for delivery/ labour. I delivered all three children in the heat of summer, so I found getting comfortable, being hot, and always needing to get up in the middle of the night to pee, a regular sleep disturbance.
Some tips for pregnancy:
- Make sure prioristise as much sleep as you need. Don’t skimp on this.
- Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day and cut back a few hours before bedtime (to prevent middle of the night toilet visits)
- Eat plenty of fresh raw fruits, vegetables and nuts. Not only will you be a glowing goddess, your body will be able to digest food easier and your baby will be humming in delight at this delicious nutrient rich food. (Food)
- Avoid spicy foods to control heart burn
- Sleep on your left side to maximise blood flow to your fetus
- Stretch your body with slow walks, pregnancy yoga and breathing exercises
- Invest in plenty of pillows or a pregnancy pillow to prop up all around you to make yourself feel as comfortable as possible.
- Sleep as much as you can because as soon your little bundle of joy arrives
And aside from being well rested during your pregnancy, another important reason to get plenty of sleep during your pregnancy is that according to the National Sleep Foundation Study, women who got fewer than 6 hours sleep per night had longer labours and increased risk of cesearean, compared with women that enjoyed a deep, relaxing sleep every night.
Resources:
http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-topics/pregnancy-and-sleep
