Pregnancy Self Care Ideas (For New Moms And Experienced Moms)

You think you’ve got your self-care routine down pat, but you get pregnant and BAM!– everything goes topsy turvy- you’re sick as can be, can’t keep your eyes open past 8pm, you realize how LOUD your other kids are, you kinda want to hide under the covers all day, and for some reason the things you once loved to do no longer seem all that appealing (ex: eating, exercising, laughing?!, dancing in the moonlight?!).

I’m wrapping up this last pregnancy about to welcome our 6th baby into the world and ohhh boyyy do I GET IT. I’m someone who really thrives on routine, which includes scheduling in my own self care routines. But for more than a handful of reasons, pregnancy self care is a wee bit harder to come by. I rarely have it down pat. But again, I’m one of those pregnant mamas that gets rocked every pregnancy.

And if you’re like me, you’re probably reading this post. Because any mom that says “oh I have such easy pregnancies!” can enjoy her eggs Benedict for breakfast, skip googling “pregnancy self care ideas”, and keep on keepin’ on. Well, not me. And probably not you either.

After 6 full term pregnancies, (and that’s a whole lotta months of struggle), I can say I’ve learned some of the best pregnancy self care tips- pregnancy self care routines I’ve implemented myself, or pregnancy self care ideas I WISH I would have implemented.

Easier said than done, I know. But read through the list, pick one, two, or all that you can handle, and do yourself a favor: do NOT forget about your own self care during pregnancy!

*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. All opinions and recommendations are my own.

Pregnancy Self Care Ideas

Positive Self Talk: Be Your Own Cheerleader!

I think one of the most important forms of self care during pregnancy is giving yourself a hefty dose of positive self talk and encouragement. If you are one of the moms that has rougher pregnancies in any of its forms- morning sickness, all-day sickness, chronic pain, SPD, etc. it’s too easy to focus on the negative and feel a sense of doom/depression/anxiety/negativity. Try your absolute hardest to cut yourself some slack and know you’re such a rockstar for making it through a pregnancy- so tell yourself that!

If you feel upset with yourself for gaining “too much weight” for your liking, tell yourself that “I’m an amazing mom for carrying a child, and I have a goal to be my healthiest version of myself after this pregnancy is over!”

If you are in the midst of all-day morning sickness and every sight or smell of food is making you gag, instead of focusing on having 8 more weeks of this to go (which is a brutal countdown!), keep telling yourself “this is TEMPORARY. It will go away. All of this is for a good cause- and I’m a superstar mom for battling through!”

Any positive spin on any pregnancy ailment will help you get through a bit easier. If you let the negative pile up, it’s a slippery slope to a rough 9 months. So be your own cheerleader and help cheer yourself on through this incredible, and incredibly difficult, journey of pregnancy.

EXERCISE

Give yourself that physical and mental release of exercising. Now more than ever, it’s important to keep yourself physically active and mentally balanced while hormones are going CrAzY and your body is going through so many changes.

Exercise may mean different things at different stages of pregnancy and you may need to adjust/lower your expectations, but try to squeeze in what you can: maybe it’s yoga in the first trimester, toning or barre in the second trimester and maybe you’re limited to walking in the third trimester.

Whatever you can do to stay active and healthy- do it- and if you need to hit pause or change your routine, be flexible and understanding of your own physical needs and limitations.

Have “Down Time” (You’ve Earned It)

Go ahead, relax! Incorporate “down time” for yourself (which is especially important if this isn’t your first pregnancy and you already have little kiddos running around the house all day!). Watch your favorite shows on Netflix, flip through those Pottery Barn magazines you’ve hoarded for months, anything that helps you unwind, keeps your mind off of the pregnancy, and gives you that much needed down time.

Take Baths or “Spa Showers”

What better way to incorporate self care during pregnancy than to take a relaxing bath! Once I started taking baths, but I mean really taking baths- lights down, lavender epsom salt, peace and quiet (or my “calm” playlist on Spotify), I felt like I never knew that this piece of my life was actually missing, but it certainly was. A good bath feels like it melts your troubles away. Plus, it’s really beneficial for all of the aches and pains during pregnancy (another reason I always add epsom salt to the bath).

If you’re not a bath person, only have a shower, or maybe just don’t have the time, take your showers up a notch by creating a “spa shower”- add something a little extra to make it more relaxing. Maybe it’s lowering the lights and putting on calming music. Maybe it’s using your favorite scented body oil or body scrub.

For me, I love the Pacha Soap Co Whipped Soap & Scrub in lavender, vanilla almond, or coconut papaya (often sold out on Amazon, but Whole Foods always has them in stock!), and I’ll massage it into my upper back/shoulders and lower back EVERY SINGLE SHOWER to give myself a little mom self care (pregnant or not). It’s only for a minute or 2, but it’s something I can rely on doing every day that prioritizes a self care routine that never gets skipped (even if I can’t get to any other forms of self care in a crazy busy day with all these kids!).

Keep Up Your Pretty Self

There’s something about doing some light and fresh makeup, or wearing something you feel confident in, or popping in a cute headband that makes many moms (me included) feel more “put together”. I include this as a part of my pregnancy self care routine because it’s one little step in making me feel “better” about my appearance when there’s already a whole lot changing- especially in the first trimester when I’m pretty sure my all-day-morning-sickness-induced natural skin tone is “sickly green”. I’m not going for the Kermit look.

Quality Time With Your Spouse/Partner

Sure depending on your level of prenatal rage, you may look at your spouse, snarl, and think: “YOUUU. You did this to me.”. But deep beneath those hormones, is the sweet bond that brought you together! Spending quality time with the one you love is a great way to cheer you up- and having that close connection will be like a big warm hug during these long 9 months.

Quality Time With Friends (Especially mom friends)

Just like quality time with your spouse, spending quality time with friends will also be a like a big warm hug for you during these 9 months. (Especially if they’re mom friends!). I have found one of the best pregnancy self care tips I can give is to talk and connect with other women who have been pregnant before. Every friend of mine that has been pregnant before has had their own story/struggles/advice, and it’s amazing how much you connect, relate to one another, and learn from each other once you’ve been through a pregnancy and motherhood.

I honestly don’t know how I would’ve made it through this last rough pregnancy without the incredible support from my other mom friends (and my husband!)– lean in to those that’ll support you and cheer you on!

Get A Massage

Treat yourself to at least one prenatal massage!

Create Postpartum “Goals”

When you’re pregnant and not feeling like yourself physically or mentally, sometimes it can get very challenging to accept that you may not be able to do the things you once loved- but it’s temporary! One piece of my pregnancy self care routine is to create postpartum goals of the things I’d love to do when the pregnancy is over: for example, getting back into shape, planning out my postpartum workout routine, writing out what meals I’d love to cook, new recipes I want to try, etc.

Since this is baby #6, and I feel like I naturally “slip” in the mom department when I’m pregnant, I think of the “fun stuff” I’d like to do with my older kids once I’m not pregnant anymore: horseback riding with my oldest daughter, skiing with my oldest son, etc.

This really helps me remember that pregnancy is temporary, the struggles of it are temporary, and the hormonal changes are temporary. Which leads me to my next tip for pregnancy self care:

Know The Difference Between “Pregnant-Me and Real-Me”

Again, sometimes the best self-care during pregnancy is a mental game. When hormones are all over the place, and you are more anxious, irritable, depressed, what have you, it’s easy to fall into the trap of getting down on yourself and wondering “what happened to me?!”.

If this isn’t your first pregnancy, and you have multiple kiddos running around at home, I can’t tell you how many moms have opened up to me about struggling during pregnancy feeling like “the worst mom”. You may be super impatient with your kids, or the things you once thought were sweet that they’d do now annoy the crap out of you!, etc. Take it easy and remember the difference between “pregnant-you” and the “real-you”. You are NOT the worst mom, but you ARE dealing with a lot, handling a lot, and struggling through a lot. The hormones don’t do you any favors. So take care of yourself mentally by telling yourself that there IS a difference, and again, this is TEMPORARY.

Have Distractions

Especially if you’re in a rougher stretch of pregnancy, sometimes the best self care can be having distractions: good music, favorite shows, super early bedtimes (which help to make the first trimester fatigue and morning sickness end sooner!), getting out into fresh air, etc.

Babymoon (Or Staycation) (Or Date-Night-In)

If this is your first pregnancy, book a “babymoon” vacation during your second trimester when you’re feeling your “best”! When I was pregnant with our first, back in 2013, my husband and I took a babymoon trip to St. Martin & Anguilla and it was the nicest self-care idea we could have implemented during a pregnancy. Get on a beach, relax, have quality time with your spouse, read, and enjoy your last vacation before the baby arrives.

If you already have kids, then you can laugh at the thought of a babymoon because you definitely don’t have time for that now! But a mini staycation could be doable- can you stay in a hotel nearby for a night? We’ve never done the staycation, but we often do date-nights-in at home- get the other kids down to bed early, get a really nice dinner to have at home, etc. But do something that feels a little more “special” and a break from the norm.

Alone Time

Especially if you already have kids at home, alone time is extremely important in any mom self care routine, pregnant or not. You’re devoting so much of your life to your littles, that it’s important to recharge, have some quiet time, and hear yourself think. And if this is your first pregnancy, soak up that alone time now because things are about to get WiLd!

Lower Your expectations

I have fallen guilty to the trap of thinking “I’m not accomplishing enough” or “I’m falling behind in x/y/z” when I’m pregnant, and I know so many moms that feel the same. When you’re super nauseous all day, or having major aches and pains, it’s very difficult to “keep up” with everything in the day to day.

If you fall behind with laundry, that’s okay. If you can’t cook like you used to, that’s okay. If you can’t be as social, that’s okay. Lower your expectations, and know that it’s okay to do so.

Treat Yourself

Nothing like a nice reward for yourself! Treat yourself to something special- maybe you buy yourself something really nice at the end of each trimester? Maybe get yourself something small at the end of each pregnancy week? Once you love food again, maybe have a special day each week where you get your favorite meals? Those little rewards provide the motivation you may need to help yourself get through those 40 weeks, give or take.

Take Your Prenatal Vitamins

Drink Plenty Of Water

Get Fresh Air As Much As Possible

Nap/Rest When You Can

You’ve Got This!

As I’ve mentioned before, a lot of self care during pregnancy involves being on top of a mental game. Telling yourself encouraging things, lowering expectations, being proud of yourself, and also knowing the difference between pregnant-you and not-pregnant-you.

If you feel like you’ve lost a bit of yourself, or a lot of yourself, or you’re feeling “off your game”, remind yourself that things will settle eventually, your joy will come back, your body will recover- and things will be even better with a sweet baby to love.

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Pregnancy Self Care Ideas (For New Moms And Experienced Moms)