Contents:
- Medical Video: What to Expect in the 1st Trimester: Q&A with Belly to Baby
- 1. Massage your stomach
- 2. Swim
- 3. Sing and talk with your baby
- 4. Soak warm water
- 5. Take yoga classes for pregnant women
- 6. Practice hypnobirthing
- 7. Save your baby's ultrasound image
- 8. Help your partner to bond too
- 9. Take a walk
- 10. Respond to your baby's kick
Medical Video: What to Expect in the 1st Trimester: Q&A with Belly to Baby
Pregnancy is the beginning of a loving relationship between you and your baby. The early weeks of pregnancy sometimes tire and give you pressure. But as your pregnancy grows and your stomach starts to grow, you will begin to feel like a mother.
To help you prepare for this new life, take a little time to connect with the baby in your womb. Check out the following 10 tips about how to strengthen your relationship with your little one in your stomach.
1. Massage your stomach
A calming way to form bonds with your baby is to give oil to the stomach and massage it slowly. Many women use oil and cream to prevent stretch marks. Actually there is no evidence to show that moisture can eliminate stretch marks, but there is no harm in giving a cream or oil to calm your baby. Another plus, your skin will remain smooth and supple.
Aromatherapy massage is a good way to pamper yourself and take the time to think about your baby or talk to him. Try adding one or two drops of lavender, orange, or rose flower oil (can be used after the first trimester) into regular sequence oil.
Ask your husband if he wants to massage you. This might help him build a bond with you.
2. Swim
One good way to relieve your feet while thinking about how it feels to be a baby in the womb is to swim. Swimming is not only a safe sport, swimming also gives you the opportunity to feel the state of your baby who is currently floating in water (amniotic fluid).
No matter how big your stomach is, water can provide support for accommodating your weight and providing calm before the end of your pregnancy. You can also take aquanatal classes where you have the chance to exercise while looking for new friends.
3. Sing and talk with your baby
Your baby's hearing is always developing. Starting around the 23rd week, your baby can hear the heartbeat and the rumbling of your stomach. He also begins to hear sounds coming from outside your uterus.
Your voice can help him immediately form a bond with you after he is born later. There is one theory that says that a baby's hearing is well formed from the uterus to help him form a bond with you even though he is not yet born. After being born, your baby may also pay more attention to your voice than other people's voices.
Talking and singing to your baby will be more fun if you know that he can hear it. You may feel a little embarrassed at first because you feel like talking to yourself, but over time you will get used to talking to your stomach instead.
4. Soak warm water
Soaking in a tub of warm water is one way to relax. This activity also gives you the opportunity to take time and pay attention to your baby. You may want to soak for a long time, but make sure the water isn't too hot when you get into the tub.
Lie down, take a deep breath, calm your mind and imagine your baby. Try a few minutes to imagine yourself carrying your little one. Imagine apparently and what you might say to him.
If you have reached the second trimester, your baby may tell his presence by making small kicks when you stop moving. During the day you may be too busy to feel the baby's movements. Spend a little time in the afternoon or evening, while soaking in the tub, and focusing on the baby's movements and kicks.
5. Take yoga classes for pregnant women
Prenatal yoga classes are a good way to relax, appreciate the hard work that your body does and focus on growing babies.
If you have never participated in yoga before, it's OK if you are just starting out during pregnancy. Yoga postures for beginners are usually very easy. The best time to start yoga is pregnant during the second trimester, after the 14th week.
You will learn the basics of light stretching and breathing techniques that can help you during childbirth. Prenatal yoga can help you calm your mind and nourish your body and help you feel a connection with a baby in the womb.
Or, you can do yoga yourself at home with a guide to yoga videos on the internet or yoga DVDs.
6. Practice hypnobirthing
This childbirth class uses hypnotherapy techniques to help you focus on your baby and body as a way to deal with childbirth. Hypnotherapy techniques can explain to you about ways to deal with pain during the birth process. You need to pay to take this class, but you will understand the self-soothing techniques you learned in class and can help you feel the connection with a baby in the womb.
7. Save your baby's ultrasound image
Your baby's first ultrasound image stored on a cellphone or taped to the refrigerator is usually a reminder that your stomach is home to your little one.
Your first ultrasound scan may be done around 10 weeks to 13 weeks plus six days of pregnancy. Not all hospitals will offer the results of a scan to take home, but just ask if you can ask for one, because the scanned photo can help you visualize the little baby that is developing inside you. If your hospital does not offer this service, you might be able to pay to do a personal scan instead.
You might wonder if your baby is a girl or a boy, but you can't find out at this stage. You may be told about 18 weeks to 20 weeks plus six days of pregnancy.
You can also manage to use a 3D or 4D scan at the end of pregnancy. These results can give a clear picture of your baby's figure.
The best time to do a 3D or 4D scan is between 26 weeks and 30 weeks of pregnancy. A personal scan can be very expensive but it might be worth it for you to finally be able to see the appearance of your beloved little one.
8. Help your partner to bond too
Most expectant mothers experience early symptoms of pregnancy. These symptoms are a physical warning that you are pregnant and help you build a bond with a baby in the womb from the beginning of pregnancy. But for your partner, it's not something in common. As your pregnancy grows, you can help your partner build close ties with the baby.
Help your partner to feel the baby's movements. Tell him that from the 23rd week, your baby can hear sounds coming from outside the uterus. Invite him to speak and read to your stomach. This will help your baby get used to his father's voice.
Invite your partner to attend prenatal classes with you so that he knows what can be done during the birth process.
Raising a child is teamwork. If your husband is willing to help with homework, provide your bath water or go buy the snack you want, both of you will feel that you are pregnant together!
9. Take a walk
Take your time for a walk. A walk gives you space to think about your baby. You can also talk to your stomach while walking.
If you are not very active before becoming pregnant, start slowly. If you are used to walking, you can walk faster for 20 to 30 minutes. You can alternate between walking fast for a few minutes by walking slowly for a few minutes afterwards.
10. Respond to your baby's kick
You will begin to feel the movement of the baby in the 18th to 20th week if this is your first baby. Feeling the baby's movements will give you confidence that he is growing in your stomach.
By responding to his kicks, you seem to communicate with him before he is born. And you can do it wherever you are. Wipe your stomach and you may feel the kick. Nothing is more fun than feeling your baby responding to your touch for the first time.
READ ALSO:
- List of Foods to Avoid Pregnant Women
- Is it true that pregnant women should often drink young coconut water?
- Meaning of Cravings: Is it Really a Nutrition Request from a Baby in West Java?
