Surviving Winter While Pregnant

Belly itchy? Feet swollen? Coat doesn’t quite fit around you? There are a few simple steps you can take during the winter to make winter pregnancy easier.

Health

Nutrition and Rest. I cannot over-stress the importance of good nutrition and plenty of rest during pregnancy. They are always important, but the implications during pregnancy reach beyond you to your child, and it is worth the extra effort to keep yourself healthy. Keep taking your prenatal vitamins, get some sunlight (Vitamin D), and eat winter vegetables, including high-nutrition leafy greens like kale. Good nutrition and good sleep will put you in a better position to fight off winter colds and flu.

Skin. Stretching your skin over a big, pregnant belly can make you dry and itchy during any season. During winter, your skin can feel dry all over. Be sure to drink enough water and moisturize your skin on your belly, face, feet, hands, elbows, and everywhere you feel dry. Pay attention to your trouble spots—if you can see them.

Feet. Along with the dryness, your feet can get swollen during pregnancy. It’s even worse in winter when your feet can get so cold. Keep them covered and keep that circulation going. Elevate your feet regularly. Scrub them a brush or a rough cloth when you bathe, or ask your husband to scrub them if you have a hard time reaching. Get a massage. This is a great time for your husband to learn the basics of massage or reflexology.

Clothes

Shoes. You’re carrying more weight than you are used to, your center of gravity has shifted, and the ground can be slippery. It’s a bad combination, and this is no time for fashionable heels. Go for practical (yet adorable) shoes with soles that will keep you steady on the ice. Then, avoid the ice.

Coat. Depending on where you are going, you might be able to get away with wearing your husband’s winter coat. That’s what I did as my pregnancy started to show one winter. If you need to maintain a professional look, though, you may need to go for the maternity coat. There are a lot of beautiful styles available. If you are a handy seamstress, you can even find great patterns for maternity coats. When I was pregnant with my second child, I didn’t find a look I wanted, so I made a pattern for a maternity coat with a matching coat for my 2-year old daughter, which helped her feel very special despite all of the focus on the coming baby.

Winter Shopping Deals

Baby clothes. If you don’t mind buying clothes for the baby before the birth, you can get some great deals on baby clothes for next winter at end-of-season clearance sales.

Fitness deals. January is prime time for fitness club deals. If you need that extra boost to keep your pregnant self in shape and keep working out, take advantage of the offers you will find. This helps after the birth as well. If you already have a membership and a habit of working out, it will be easier to get back into shape.

Relationship

Get away. If this is your first child, think of these months as your last chance to get away with your husband for a while. Even if you leave a young child with grandparents for a weekend, it’s worth the time to get away, take a deep breath, and focus on one another for a bit. My husband and I went for a weekend of massages and ridiculously elaborate meals at a little Ontario resort a few months before my first child was born. You might want to consider going south, though. As a matter of fact, grab a bikini, head way south, and show off that gorgeous round belly on the beach. Why not? Warm your feet up, get some rest, and spread some happiness to your growing baby all at once.

Image © Macsim | Dreamstime.com