Pregnancy & Veganism

My life seems to be all about change at the moment, and while some of those changes have been heartbreaking, there are some exciting ones also.

Pregnancy. Yes you read that right. I’m expecting my forth child on Aug 17th. It’s took me a while to come to terms with this surprise on top of everything else in my life, but I’m pleased to announce I’ve hit that glowing stage. (Whatever that means) For me it mostly means I’m no longer rocking in a corner, puking, and I have some energy!

I’m not actually one of those people who love being pregnant. Cu-dos to those ladies, I salute you! Yet this pregnancy hasn’t been as bad as previous ones. Maybe this baby knows I’m already at my limit of crap at the moment lol

Yet that is the thing about limits isn’t it… Just when you’ve reached it, when everything seems out of control, somehow some hidden reserve appears and gets you through. I have surprised myself in recent months. My tolerance of bullshit (excuse my french) is quite high.

Here are a few tips that I feel has helped me to get through:

1. My amazing friends and family. It’s okay to ask for help.
2. Writing – Even though actually writing fiction for me has been difficult, it doesn’t mean there aren’t words trapped inside wanting out. I have pages of emotions scribbled into notebooks, sometimes it’s good to get these feelings out. But I have also found it useful to write 3 things I am grateful for that day, or that have made me happy. Whether it be the sweet smile my children gave me, or my gram washing the sink full of pots. Sometimes when life is hard we forget the little things, and I have found it is these little things that matter most.
3. Mindfulness – I downloaded the app; Headspace, which has really helped me take some time out of my week to meditate and reflect. I also have been trying to keep up with yoga a few times a week, even if it is just ten minutes of relaxation poses and deep breathing. (This is also useful for pregnancy and labor too)
4. And lastly Healthy eating. Which leads me to the other word in my blog title; Veganism. I have always been of the mind; you get out, what you put in, and have been on the wholefoods lifestyle for a good few years now. Yet when I fell pregnant just the smell of meat made me want to throw up. As a family we only ate organic meat a few times a week anyway, but overnight I gave it up. My dairy and egg consumption was already relatively low so to change to a fully plant-based lifestyle (I use the word lifestyle and not diet because I think the word diet makes people think of restriction and I by no means feel deprived. I eat whenever I’m hungry and in abundance)  has been rather easy.

Now I’m not suggesting everyone gives up animal products – though this would be awesome 😉 It has just been a natural progression for me and the more I educate myself, and the longer I’m on a plant-based lifestyle, the better I feel; even pregnant! (More on this subject to come)

But in the meantime if you are interested in learning more. I recommend these documentaries:

• Cowspiracy
• Forks over Knives
• What the health

That’s it for now. I’d love to hear how you’ve coped through hard times in your life, so please comment below or get in touch via social media. Until next time, this single mother of 3, soon to be 4! Is going to keep on keeping, and hoping for brighter days ahead. XO

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