Pregnancy holds its own set of challenges for sure – there’s morning sickness, gassiness, ache and pains, and of course, an increasing waistline. Despite all of these factors, pregnancy can turn out to be one of of life’s most fulfilling adventure if you allow it to be. You’ve heard it being said before, that feeling happy is a choice, but it’s not always easy for everyone. So here, we share some secrets on how to remain positive and cheerful during your special nine months.

Take a closer look at your health

It’s a scientific fact that it’s easier for healthy people to feel happy compared to unhealthy people. Hence, with this in mind, it makes sense to deduce that things can only get better when you do, healthwise.

Take a closer look at your lifestyle and decide for yourself if you’re eating the right foods, having enough exercise, getting lots of fresh air and also, if you’re surrounding yourself with positive vibes and positive people. Also, being active always does more good in any situation compared to being sedentary.

The thing is, with most pregnancy, it’s easy to fall into the trap of laziness following physical and hormonal changes, and this in turn actually affects your mood and how you think (read: moodiness, feeling down, etc.). The good news is, a healthy lifestyle will help create (or jump-starting) a healthy mind set, so try making a conscious attempt to follow a healthy routine of safe exercises and and also, switch to the healthiest diet you can manage.

Be diligent enough to see this through for at least two weeks come what may and you’ll be watching your mood improve by leaps and bounds. In time, you’ll be able to regulate your thoughts and moods and veer them towards a more positive side, creating a happier, healthier you!

Be kind to yourself

Seriously, there simply can’t be a better time to do so, so rest all your worries and indulge in some lavish self-pampering. Make a series of appointments for some prenatal massages (with your doctor’s approval, of course!), and make it a point to keep those appointments!

It’s your right to look and feel your best, so go for it. Our only advice here is to do some prior research to seek out massage parlours that offer safe prenatal massages administered by trained staff and also, ensure that they use products that are safe to be used on your pregnant body. Once these are sorted out, you can lay back and enjoy these blissful, mood-enhancing moments!

Stay away from bad vibes

Constantly being in the company of negative-minded individuals who have nothing but bad tidings to offer spells disaster for your pregnancy well-being. The same goes if you find yourself being in an environment that is laden with hopelessness and negativity.

Sooner or later, all that negativity is bound to rub on you, and that goes against the aim to stay happy and stress-free. Make this effort to weed out negative company for the sake of your pregnancy and your baby’s health too, for it’s been proven scientifically that prenatal stress affects the wellbeing of unborn babies as well as their moms.

Keep cool and calm in times of distress

Keeping your cool can be challenging at times, especially when you have to contend with mood swings, morning sickness, an expanding waistline, etc, and while it’s all too easy to blame everything on your pregnant state, it’s never alright to treat others badly on impulse.

Always remember that for your part, even the smallest of issues can seem bigger than they are due to your naturally increasing sensitivity and mood swings. While keeping calm and letting these feelings ride out and fade off is more difficult than say, lashing out at the spur of the moment, remember, it will save you from having to deal with the guilt of having treated others, including a loved one, badly.

Be open to receiving help

There’s something about pregnancy that makes women feel like they have to somehow prove their worth to the world, and we’re yet to find out why! We do know however that this kind of self-burdening is of no benefit, and it can be quite a strain to a pregnant body to be pushed beyond its limit.

So, ask for help when you need it and also, avoid declining offers from others who may want to lend you a helping hand with carrying stuff, cleaning house, giving your other children a bath, grocery shopping, etc.

Love who you are

Nothing beats the feeling of being contented with who you are as a pregnant woman, as opposed to yearning to be in someone else’s shoes! The little one growing in your womb is 100% dependant on YOU and no one else, so that already makes you special and important.

No matter what your situation is in life, e.g. you’re having a challenging pregnancy, you’re a single mom, etc, the fact that you’re carrying an innocent baby and about to bring it into the world despite what life has thrown to you is reason enough to hold your head up high as a responsible, loving human being, so be proud of yourself and let go of any yearning to be as lucky or as rich or as famous as anyone else.

Immortalise this special experience

Some people like keeping a diary to have a written record of how their days went. If you don’t happen to fancy keeping a diary, you can still immortalise some precious moments of your pregnancy via a scrapbook.

It’s way more exciting than a diary, for one, and you can scrapbook almost anything you fancy from your test kit with the positive sign, the receipt from the celebratory dinner you had with hubby when you first found out you were pregnant, photos of your first ultrasound, and practically anything else that you can stick/attach to your scrapbook!

Choose a book with strong, thick pages that will not tear easily. Look around for a design which feels right for you, one which you will feel inspired to use and fill up with all sorts of memorable stuff. Keeping a scrapbook is exactly the kind of stuff worth engaging in, for sometime in the future, when your child is all grown up, you’ll be able to look back fondly at some of these cherished moments in your life!

Make more friends

No one is so rich as to not need a friend or two. Furthermore, in this age of scattered families, you may not have that many relatives close by to reminisce with. If you are lucky enough to have friends who are not pregnant yet are able relate to every single thing that is happening in your life, count your lucky stars! If not, getting to know other mums-to-be can be a great way to get some support and share your experiences.

Try signing up for an antenatal class or even a yoga class for pregnant women. You’ll surely get to meet many others you can relate to, share ideas, exchange tips and basically just chill out with.

Ignite some romance

Once pregnant, many women seem to think that they’re physically not attractive enough to initiate anything romantic with their partners. Mostly, it stems from their own self-consciousness about the changes taking place with their bodies and how different they look compared to when they were not pregnant. Interestingly enough though, most men seem to think that their wives look most adorable when they’re pregnant, regardless of their expanding waistlines and all!

Now, while we’re not hinting that you wait half-naked for hubby to return home from work (but hey, if you feel like it, go ahead!), it’s good though to try to keep romance alive even though you’re preggers. The idea is to be able to spend some quality time together. Plan a lunch or dinner date for the two of you once a week. Doll up specially for the occasion and pay your spouse all the attention you can, for it’ll be a tad difficult to do so when your bundle of joy arrives!

Have photos taken!

Having some professional photos taken of the ‘three’ of you will provide some lovely keepsakes of your pregnancy. You can also have pictures taken of your growing belly, either once a month or once a trimester. Tip: Take the pics at the exact same angle every time to see the changes taking place.

How wonderful to be able to share these with your kids and other family members someday in the future. Alternatively, if you can afford it, have a portrait of you painted in your most gorgeous maternity outfit and you’ve got yourself beautifully captured in art.