Growing a human is a lot of work! Hell, living is a lot of work. Everyone needs breaks and ways to keep themselves happy, healthy and loved! My favorite hobby is self-care. Not only does self-care give me something to look forward to while sober and growing larger, but it keeps my body feeling amazing so I can continue to be the best fitness instructor, mom, fiancé and boss babe ever! During my pregnancy with Ruby, I did lot of self-care including daily fitness and naps, bimonthly acupuncture, chiropractic care and massages. I ate as healthy as possible while sprinkling in a few extra sugary treats. Toward the end of my pregnancy I ramped up some bonus self-care for pampering because I knew my days alone were coming to an end.
Fast forward and I’m pregnant again with a little less time but a burning desire to repeat a healthy AF pregnancy! As soon as I found out I was pregnant, my good friend and owner of Waconia Women’s Health, Stephanie Braunwarth, said she wanted to see me weekly for first trimester acupuncture support! I didn’t argue, I love her services! Each week I see Steph for needles and a 45-minute nap. It’s heaven! The needles in my stress points hurt like a bitch, but I think I’m kind of a wuss or just really stressed. The benefits from her services are endless but the biggest one I notice is my sleep. It’s so much better than before and I wake up totally rested.
Stephanie Braunwarth L.Ac, Dipl, C.H., FABORM Dr. Emily Bottoms, Waconia Family Chiropractic
While my belly seems to be growing much quicker than round one, I experienced some pains in my hip flexers early on. I immediately booked a session with Emily Bottoms, owner of Waconia Family Chiropractic. She got me in quickly, and started adjusting me and my changing body! I saw her during and after my first pregnancy, and she knows how badly I want to have a vaginal birth again. During her adjustments, she practices the Webster Technique. I’m not really sure what that means but something with baby’s head down, need for vaginal birth! Cool, whatever you say Doc! She keeps things loose as a goose!
Working out daily is super important to me! Not only is it my livelihood, but it’s my biggest passion and drug of choice! It keeps me mentally stable and happy. This body gets sore and massage is what keeps those muscles feeling their best! I see both Elissa Crown at Balance Life in Waconia and Christina Kamla, owner of Healing Hands Massage in St. Bonifacius. These ladies are amazing. In my opinion, massage is the most relaxing thing ever! 90% of my creative planning for my business comes in while completely relaxed getting my sore AF muscles rubbed out. Shouldn’t this be a tax write off?
Elissa Crown, Balance Life Christina Kamla, Healing Hands Massage
Since I’m on a 9-month sabbatical from drinking, I’m a little emotional missing out on my Happy Hour dates. If you’ve read by self-care (pre-pregnancy blog) you know my favorite self-care is a glass of wine or two. To replace this form of self-care, I still tag along to HH or celebrate by having another water or maybe an iced tea but you better believe mama is having a snack! During my pregnancy, I’m replacing Happy Hour with cooking, eating, creating and trying all sorts of things I typically wouldn’t eat “unpregnant!”
Pregnant or not, self-care is a little reward for doing the best you can in this life! If you want to LIVE IT UP, I suggest you find ways to keep your body healthy, happy and loved! Let me know your favorite form of self-care by commenting on this post!
