So many of the “wellness trends” that I love to partake in are essentially off limits during pregnancy. Hot saunas, cryotherapy, colonics, the v-steam, experimenting with different herbs and supplements, high-intensity workouts (depending on your doctor and pregnancy), etc. So what is a wellness junkie like myself supposed to do during pregnancy to keep up with her passions? Here are some things that I’ve been doing that are pregnancy approved:

1. Meditate

I take my meditation practice pretty seriously. I do TM which is generally done twice a day for 20 minutes, morning and afternoon, BUT while you’re pregnant you have the sign-off to meditate as much as you like. I found a lot of comfort in my practice, especially in those early months while I was really ill. It gives me lots of energy, helps clear my mind and calms me down when I get into a worry pattern – all things that are excellent for the baby. I also like to use the end of my practice as a time to manifest. I manifest on what I want my birth to be like, what kind of mother I aspire to be, and put all the good thoughts that I’m hoping for into the universe.

Bonus: if you were ever curious about floating mediation, perhaps pregnancy is the time to try it? I like pause float in Venice if you’re LA based.

2. Woo-woo

Things like crystals and reiki were not something I was super into pre-pregnancy, but since my options of experimenting were limited, I gave both of these a try. I worked with a reiki master to help “clear my energy” and she also coached me on ways to not absorb other people’s energy (something I struggle with). I also picked up a few crystals at a craft fair and I’m not totally sure that they do a whole lot for me, but I like thinking that carrying them with me does in someway.

3. Nest

A big trend in wellness in 2017 was nesting instead of going out, choosing self-care over obligation. I fully submitted to this and spend A LOT more time at home resting, reading, doing beauty treatments, getting at home massages and you guessed it, organizing/purging/decluttering! That thing they say about pregnant women becoming obsessive organizers is actually true.

4. Self care

Pregnancy is the perfect time to INDULGE! And I’m taking this pretty seriously (HA!). I go get those massages, tuck into a facial, visit the prenatal chiropractor, soak in a warm tub, etc. It really makes a huge difference on the way I feel because pregnancy isn’t easy on our bodies. Plus, we deserve it! We’re growing a human life!

5. Shake up the workouts

I LOVE LOVE LOVE high-intensity workouts like boxing, spinning and circuit training, but that type of exercise didn’t feel right during this time. Instead, I’ve taken up yoga, went back to pilates, hike a lot more, and spend much more time stretching and foam rolling to help for delivery. It’s been a nice change to my usual burn-out-hyper-physical calorie burns. More about my pregnancy workout routine here.

6. Get clean

A lot of my friends didn’t care much about using toxic cleaning and beauty products UNTIL they became pregnant. Pregnancy is an excellent time to clean up your act and limit the toxins in, on and around your body. I’ve been passionate about this stuff for years, but given that I’ve had more time, I’ve dived even deeper into this world – not only for my products but for the babies’.

7. Hyper-functional pregnancy diet

So much of my diet before being pregnant was centered around being fit, feeling energized and packing in the nutrients. With a baby it’s a little bit different. I’m still focused on making good choices for my weight and want to feel energized and obviously want to pack in nutrients, but what I need now is very different than when I’m not carrying. It’s been fun to learn more about what helps me and the baby food wise while on this journey – I’ve written more about this here.

What about you, what have you added to your wellness routine while pregnant that’s fun?