Be Strong, Inside and Out

• Practice visualizing a healthy body.     • State a daily affirmation.     • Papaya, organic milk, and honey naturally help with heartburn.     • Make stretching the focus of your fitness routine this trimester.

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here’s nothing quite like the magical, mystical weeks of the third trimester. Afraid, exhausted, excited, with your due date just around the corner, you’re eager to hold that baby in your arms - and probably nervous about giving birth, being a good mom, and getting your figure back. Let me start by saying this: I hear you. I validate you. Everything you are feeling is normal. No matter where your head goes during this time, give yourself permission to feel all your feelings - good, bad, or indifferent. Your emotions are your higher self trying to tell you something. Allow yourself to be who you are and where you are. To help you embrace the changes, I’ve put together some mental, nutritional, and physical pointers to get you feeling strong inside and out.

Mental Fitness: Visualize and Affirm
Sure, your imagination can be a source of fear, but it can also be the remedy. By harnessing the power of your thoughts and practicing visualization techniques, you can make your mind work for you, not against you.

It’s simple: Create a picture in your mind of your healthy, strong body moving effortlessly through your birth plan. Imagine yourself holding your baby in your arms for the first time. Spend five minutes each day concentrating on this image, truly believing in it as if it were already a reality. Be detailed and comprehensive, and be sure to include your emotional wellbeing in this vision as well. Visualization works because your brain can’t tell the difference between a real event and an imagined one. So by using your imagination, you can create positive experiences that improve your self-image and your skills, help you release worry, and realize your goals.

An affirmation is simply a statement, directed toward yourself and confirming what you want to happen. A daily affirmation is a powerful tool for a self-empowered and fulfilled life, directly affecting your conscious and subconscious mind and thereby helping you to transform negative belief systems into positive ones.

State your affirmations in the present tense, so that your mind knows what you want to achieve is already happening. Instead of saying, “I would like to be comfortable in my body” say, “I am comfortable in my body.” Your affirmations must also use positive words. If you say, “I will not suffer during labor,” your mind registers the word suffer and will do its best to create situations of suffering. Instead say, “I am strong and powerful. My labor will go well.” By practicing these affirmations regularly you will create a climate ripe for positive outcomes. (Go to our home page and sign up to receive daily pregnancy affirmations in your e-mail.)