How to care for our mental health during pregnancy.

Por Lupita MX Life | 20 de marzo de 2020

This pregnancy has been stressful, emotional and overwhelming. I am typing this blog post as we are in quarantine due to the coronavirus crisis. With so much uncertainty, news coverage and social media, I realized now more than ever how crucial it is to care for our mental health during pregnancy.

My outlet is the gym. I love to work out.

“Me time” is sacred because it’s when I’m able to release my emotions. If I am stressed, nervous, anxious, angry, sad, or worried, I exercise and enjoy a good Netflix show or listen to music. If I am in a great mood, my workouts intensify and I have a lot of energy to release. For that period of time, I don’t want to be bothered. I don’t have a workout buddy nor do I go to classes because I like to be alone. I want to clear my head or not think at all. Working out is what keeps me sane and makes me happy.

Entrenamientos de 15 minutos para no salir de casa

Throughout my pregnancies I workout daily

(check out my previous post “Healthy Pregnancy”). I modify my exercises. I don’t over exert myself. I don’t push myself too hard and I consult my doctors. There are days when I’m extremely tired or not feeling well so I’ll take the day off. It’s ok to not want to work out some days but you have to self motivate to get off the couch. I feel like such a badass when I’m at the gym. People just stare at me. I feel like I set an example for women. Being pregnant is not a disability and it doesn’t mean you can’t exercise, on the contrary, you should stay active.

So during this quarantine, not being able to go to the gym, I started to loose it so I been going on walks

I am happy to get fresh air and get my body moving. I encourage moms and pregnant moms to please take care of your mental health. You need to find something that allows you to check-in on your emotions and release those feelings. As moms, we put ourselves last. We organize our kids schedules but never fit in time for ourselves. Repeat after me: kids need a happy mom. It might seem selfish or impossible, but it’s extremely important to handle our mental health because if we bottle it up inside, we may explode and lash out on our loved ones.

Cómo deshacerte de la ansiedad sin morir en el intento

During pregnancy we focus on everything but our mental health.

We shop and set up the nursery. We go to our doctor appointments, attend birthing classes, read, research, download apps and join online chat groups. Pregnancy is overwhelming. If you’re a first time mom, you’re terrified because you have no clue how much your life will change. If this is your second, fourth or even fifth pregnancy, you have to prepare your children and household for this new addition. Again, we put ourselves last. Our time and energy is consumed with a million things but we can’t take the time to deal with our mental health. We blame our emotions on the hormones (which is partially true), but it’s also due to the fact that we don’t care for our mental health.

I urged you to find an outlet that makes you happy. If you suffer from severe anxiety or depression and find that your mental heath is taking a toll on you and you’re not able to cope on your own; please talk to your health provider. Please speak to your doctors, family, friends, partner or anyone you are comfortable speaking with. Please get the help you need and don’t feel embarrassed, shy or scared. Let’s encourage, support and help each other.