What a Day in the Life of a 9-month-Pregnant, Full-time Employee Looks Like
Implementing a routine that focused on my health and wellness had almost immediate effects on my well-being.
I was surprised by how much anxiety I had at the beginning of my pregnancy. My anxiety mostly stemmed from second guessing everything I did and the effect it would have on my growing baby. It felt like everything I did came with a pang — from what I ate, to how I exercised to even how I got out of bed. Implementing a routine that focused on my health and wellness had almost immediate effects on my well-being. It helped me engage in beneficial habits, create structure and declutter my brain.
Here’s what a day in my pregnancy life looks like:
6:30 am: wake up
6:30 - 7:00 am: read — right now I’m reading “101 Essays that Will Change Your Life”
7:00 - 7:15 am: let our dog out and feed him; have some hot water with lemon
7:15 - 7:45 am: Melissa Wood Pilates video; finish with forward leaning inversion
7:45 - 8:15 am: my favorite meal of the day — breakfast! I typically make a parfait with Siggi plain Greek yogurt, blueberries, bananas, strawberries and granola and poor myself an ice coffee with Stok unsweetened and Silk soy milk; this is also when I take my prenatal vitamin and my iron vitamin for my anemia
8:15 - 8:45 am: shower and get ready for work; even though I am working from home I always change into clothes other than lounge wear because it makes me feel better. During the summer this typically meant flowy dresses for my growing belly
8:45 am - 9:00 am: meditate, I use headspace and it really helps me reframe for the day ahead
9:00 am: begin work
10:30 am: mid-morning snack — usually toast with jam and a side of berries
1:00 pm: lunch break; I typically like to keep it light so I have the energy and stamina needed for the remainder of my day. Some of my favorite meals include: avocado toast and scrambled eggs, pb&j on whole wheat; tomato, avocado, pasteurized cheese (my favorite is Irish cheddar) on an open-faced sandwich, or a fiber rich cereal with fruit
2:00 - 5:00 pm: finish work
5:30 - 6:00 pm: pregnancy girl walk (my take on the hot girl walk); I look forward to this time alone so much. I pop in my headphones and listen to a podcast - my current favorites are Skinny Confidential, Highest Self Podcast, and How I built This with Guy Raz
6:30 pm: dinner - I love eating around 6:30 or earlier if I can because I hate going to bed too full, especially these days when I’m already feeling pretty full. Most days we keep it simple, lightly breaded chicken (baked) with a pasta and/or veggies plus a salad to begin, other days it’s two slices of pizza. These days we (the baby and I) lean into cravings
8:00 pm: wash my face, apply The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension for my mask-ne I found this to be the best substitute for my acne spot treatment while I’m pregnant, and finish with a face lotion — for me that’s Aquaphor to combat my dry skin
8: 15 - 9:00 pm: read
9:00 - 10:00 pm: watch whatever show is on Bravo that night, love me some housewives of course
10:00pm: sleep (before I wake up in the middle of the night to pee)
Not everyday looks like this but most do and I’ve found so much comfort in this routine during a time when everything is new and unknown. I’m all for the promotion of self-care and creating positive habits and having a routine creates an atmosphere for both. It’s important we make time for what makes us happy.