New Year’s resolutions were made to be broken right? We’re betting, like the rest of us, you’ve already backtracked on a few. Well don’t go worrying about this for the next few months – why not introduce a few small, pregnancy-focussed, New Year resolutions that are much easier to achieve.
Ditch the year-long resolutions that are just too much stress right now and pick a couple of easily achievable pregnancy New Year’s resolutions from our top 10!
1. RELISH EVERY DAY.
Appreciate every moment of your pregnancy (yes even the sleepless nights, backache and evenings out when you have to lay off the booze). After all this is the time to start bonding with that little life you’re growing inside – every kick counts! You’ll look back on these nine months and wonder where time has gone – so why not cherish every moment – after all, each day is another day your baby is getting ready to join you in the world.
2. EAT A BALANCED DIET
The food you eat is really important during pregnancy - the healthier you are, the healthier your baby is too. Knowledge is power – so why not make it a key pregnancy New Year’s resolution to gem up on which food groups are important to focus on during these next few months.
Key to a balanced diet during pregnancy are protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy types of fat, vitamins and minerals and plenty of fibre and fluids. Find out more in our previous blog: Pregnancy diet: Best and Worst Foods in Pregnancy.
If you find there’s a time of day you feel particularly prone to splurging, try to keep busy during this period, or pre-prepare healthy snacks to get you through!
3. TAKE A NAP
There’s something about January that leaves everyone feeling tired, lethargic and a little blue. And this might well be exasperated by the disturbed sleep you could be suffering from right now. Well, there’s no better excuse for a catnap than being pregnant – so we suggest you make it a top New Year’s resolution to grab yourself a quick power-nap every day.
For tips on how to sleep better at night, head over to our recent blog
4. GET ACTIVE
December was probably a time to let your guard down and treat yourself to a few extra chocolates, mince pies and other Christmas goodies (yeah, we skipped the bit about bubbly – that’ll have to wait until Christmas 2022).
And the last couple of weeks have been all about getting your head around the end of the festive season and embracing the New Year (after all, even in these challenging times you’ve got the excitement of your baby to look forward to this year!). So that means now's the time to kick start your 2022 workout routine.
Sounds miserable right? Wrong! With top pregnancy fitness tips from our very own exercise expert Tash Brown, we’re sure you’ll be ready to snap out of the January blues and get yourself back into shape in no time. With fun, easy-to-follow exercises designed for every trimester, Tash’s free workouts are exclusive to Secret Saviours. Click here to see our trimester specific exercise videos and get active during pregnancy.
5. SORT YOUR FINANCES
Now that the festive holidays are over, one of the best things to do before the baby arrives is to sort out your finances. We know, it’s boring, right? But you will need to divert a good portion of your finances to the practical side of childcare (not to mention the fun bits) so it’s important to work out how much money you have and how much you’ll need when your baby arrives. You may even find you'll have to make allowances to keep everyone in your house clothed and fed.
We suggest you open up a savings account and make it one of your top pregnancy New Year’s resolutions to stick to your new budget.
6. PLAN REGULAR FUN DAYS OUT WITH YOUR PARTNER
Life’s about to get busy. Having a child is a physically strenuous experience that can take a lot out of you. You’ll need to make sure you give yourself enough time to recover during those first few months too. So, we suggest you make the best of your time now and make it a New Year’s resolution to have regular fun days out with your partner. After all just because you can’t share a bottle of bubbly, it doesn’t mean romantic days out are dead!
And of course, there's no better time for a babymoon! Why not start 2022 with a weekend getaway, a take a trip down memory lane or that holiday you’ve been unable to take during the pandemic.
7. DECLUTTER YOUR HOME
If there’s a time this should be one of your key New Year's resolutions it should be now! Baby gear takes up so much space! We suggest you tackle one room at a time – and sort out your belongings into “keep” “chuck” “charity”. Be brutal – you’ll be so glad you were once your baby is born. You might even find decluttering your home fun and cathartic!
8. KEEP IN TOUCH WITH FRIENDS
This couldn’t be more important than now! With nearly 2 years of the pandemic behind us, it’s been hard for everyone to stay as connected as they’d like. It’s even easier for socialising to fall by the wayside when you’re pregnant, so make it a pregnancy New Year’s resolution to see your besties at least once a week!
9. STAY POSITIVE
Add staying positive to your New Year’s resolutions when you’re pregnant. It’s important to keep telling yourself that you’re doing really well. Do this every day and you’ll soon feel ready to take on the world!
We know, with the uncertainty surrounding covid restrictions it can be hard, but being strong and happy is better for your immune system and will help prepare you for the early months of motherhood too.
Another top tip is to share your positive feelings with family and friends – why not all reap the benefits of this pregnancy New Year’s resolution?
10. LOVE YOUR BODY
Last but by no means least, make it a pregnancy New Year’s resolution to love your body . After all it’s growing a new little person – how amazing is that?! Find at least one thing that you’re super confident about with your changing body and accentuate it to the max. Maybe it will be your beautiful bump, or your thick, shiny hair. Or it could be those surprisingly long fingernails or even your new cleavage!
Don’t forget to look after your pregnant body during these precious months. Choosing to prevent stretch marks now is a decision that will affect you for life. Our 3-step stretch mark prevention system will give you an 82% chance of coming out of pregnancy stretch mark free. If you haven’t already, why not grab yours now!