I have just had my fourth baby and she is beautiful. “4th?” You say. Yes! I have 4 children. It’s hard to imagine right? I never thought I would have 3, let alone 4 and my husband and I go from a mixture of feelings from, “Wow, can you believe we’ve created 4 beautiful children?” To “What were we thinking? Why are we so stupid?”
We love them all so much, they are all so different in their own little quirky ways. We are excited for them to have each other growing up and create this fun life of absolute chaos together. But let’s be real, it is serious hard work. Reality is that I have been pregnant or breastfeeding for the past 8 years and that in itself is a thought that is absolutely crazy. Coming into my 4th pregnancy, I knew I had to aim for strong so that my body would survive it. Each pregnancy takes its toll on us as mums and there’s no option for me other than to look after myself mentally and physically in order to be the best mum I can be.
Here are 5 simple things that I’ve been doing to stay strong while pregnant and survive breastfeeding for the 4th time.
1. Walking
Walking is something simple that most can do. We just need to get outside and go. I love walking as there is no real excuse not to and it works for fitness, posture and mental health. You can put your toddler in the pram and stroll, breathing in the fresh air like you’re by yourself. Or get your big kids on the bike track and walk behind them as you let them lap you. I make walking a priority as it’s manageable and there aren’t any high expectations.
2. Drinking aquamamma®
I call this one a mum drink for the daily marathon. It is so important to stay hydrated both during pregnancy and breastfeeding, but it’s not that easy to drink enough water in the day. I am one of those people that is busy and forgets to actually drink until I’m totally exhausted and thirsty towards the end of the day. This is why I love aquamamma® as it tastes delicious so it’s super easy to drink and it contains electrolytes and vitamins formulated specifically for pregnant and breastfeeding mums as, get this, it’s created by an obstetrician. It’s also low in sugar and calories so it’s a win win.
3. A Yoga Class
Yoga is so great for pregnant mums. It’s both strengthening for physical fitness but also great for stretching out all those places that we don’t stretch through this time in our lives. I seem to hunch a lot as a mum; whether picking up a child, cuddling or breastfeeding, my back suffers and I find yoga really great for twisting back the other way. I also love it as it strengthens my mind too and it gives me time out from the daily grind. If I can’t get out, I use a DVD when the kids go to bed.
4. Do Pelvic Floor Exercises
It’s funny that I never really focused on doing the exercises as everyone recommends the first few times round but I think as the pregnancies pass and the more stories you hear, the more scared you are of what can happen if you don’t just do simple exercises. It’s so easy; in the car at the traffic lights, while you’re brushing your teeth. Just do them, it’s not worth it not to!
5. Seeing a Chiropractor
Our backs are so important and as I’ve mentioned, we really don’t usually look after them as mums. Finding a good chiropractor and visiting them regularly is really important as they can check how our bodies are going and set us straight when we need it, so we can stay strong.
So that’s it from me. What do you do to stay strong during pregnancy and or breastfeeding?
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