Heinz - Tinytums

Your time

Being pregnant may have its drawbacks but it also has masses of perks – not least of which is your new baby to look forward to.  For nine months you have the excuse to eat what you like, be wildly emotional and refuse to do anything you don’t fancy because you’re too tired.  Sounds great?  Here’s how to make the most of it.

Prepare to snack
Carry healthy snacks with you – to stave off morning sickness, to stop you succumbing to the temptation to snack on king-sized chocolate bars and to help you deal with the need to eat little and often at the end of your pregnancy.

Glamour gear
Modern maternity wear means pregnant women are no longer forced to endure the humiliation of the floral tent dress.  But will your body produce the perfect bump to go with the latest pregnancy fashions?  For a few months, probably, yes.  But there will come a time when you’ll understand why trousers with built-in stretch panels truly are a fantastic invention – and why celebrity mums disappear from the public eye once they reach the last two months.

Stressed out
Several studies have found a link between stress and healthy development of babies – although it takes high levels of stress to have a significant impact.  Nevertheless, it’s important to relax and look after yourself.  Take up that offer of relaxation classes from your midwife, swap weekend chores for regular, stress-busting exercise.  Go to bed at 9pm if you feel like it.  Say no to extra projects or additional shifts at work.  Above all, slow down.

Stretch marks
The official line is that nothing can stop stretch marks.  These reddish streaks, usually on the tummy, are caused by changes in the skin brought about by pregnancy hormones.  Whether you get them or not depends entirely on your body, but if you do, don’t worry eventually they’ll shrink to barely noticeable silver lines.  That said, there’s no harm in lavishing lovely potions on your swelling tum.

Nesting
Towards the very end of pregnancy, you may inexplicably get the urge to clean your home from top to bottom, rearrange your kitchen cupboards and sort your DVD collection alphabetically.  This is called ‘nesting’ and means you’re close to having your baby.  It’s natural to want to do this but you do need to save some energy for labour so why not ask your mum or girlfriends to come and help.   Enjoy the results too, as it could be the last time your home is clean and tidy for years.