Self-Care for Pregnant Mothers In St. George, UT

The Birth Village is very excited to have Melissa Spaulding, a Licensed therapist specializing in perinatal care and helping women overcome depression, anxiety and trauma, as a guest today on our Blog to give us Self-Care for Pregnant Mothers St. George UT. We’re so thankful for her expertise and great insights!

How to Overcome Barriers and Find Restorative Moments During Pregnancy & Postpartum

Pregnancy is a time of incredible change, both physically and emotionally. In Southern Utah, pregnant moms face additional challenges. Depending on your community, religion (or not), age, or cultural background you may feel socially isolated. Proximity to extended family may limit the support available to you or access to more hands “on deck”. And with our unique desert climate, expecting mothers face the added challenge of staying comfortable during hot, dry summer months.

In addition to all of this, if you’re pregnant, you’re likely balancing excitement, anticipation, and perhaps a little worry as you think about how best to care for yourself and your growing baby. Whether this is your first child or your fifth, every pregnancy brings with it a new and unique set of challenges and opportunities. At Guided Wellness Counseling we support ambitious women to overcome depression, anxiety and trauma.

My team and I know first hand the many unique life and mental / emotional challenges women face during pregnancy and postpartum. During this season of life self-care can feel like a luxury or even an extra burden, especially when physical fatigue, emotional demands, and social pressures make it difficult. This blog will help you break down the most common barriers to self-care and offer small, effective practices that make self-care feel easy, impactful, and, most importantly, possible.

GRAB YOUR FREE SELF-CARE PLAYBOOK HERE

The Top 3 Barriers to Self-Care and How to Overcome Them

How Should I Take Care Of Myself Physically While Pregnant?

Between pregnancy-related aches and the intensity of hormone changes, many pregnant women experience profound fatigue. When you’re feeling low-energy, it can be hard to find the motivation for self-care routines, even when you know they’re helpful. What you need right now are simple self-care strategies for fatigue. The goal here is to find self-care activities (including rest) and strategies that don’t require more energy from you.

Mindful Micro-Breaks:

Self-care doesn’t have to mean long, complex routines. A few minutes of focused breathing or gentle stretching can help ease tension and refresh your mind and body. Try taking short “micro-breaks” throughout the day using deep breaths or a simple hand massage. These practices don’t take long but can help renew your energy and calm. The goal here is not to reduce every ounce of stress you’re carrying and get yourself in peak emotional condition. Rather, it’s to connect to your body, come back to the present moment and keep yourself in good working order.

Tracking Energy Peaks:

Throughout your pregnancy, you may find that your energy levels shift at different times of day. Maybe you feel most energized in the early morning, or perhaps you have a short burst of energy after lunch. Use these “peaks” to fit in a small self-care activity like writing a journal entry, stepping outside for fresh air, or listening to a favorite song. Further, pay attention to any of these activities that result in you having more energy. You might find that dancing to a single song in the kitchen or a brief walk outside wake you up and lift your spirits for the half hour that follows – score!

And here’s a quick self-care tip for physical and emotional fatigue. If you’re feeling depleted, give yourself permission to rest as a form of self-care. Rest isn’t “unproductive”—it’s exactly what you and your baby need. Be open minded to many different forms of rest in stead of defaulting to “vegging out”. Consider a nap, guided meditation, progressive muscle relaxation or a warm shower in a darkened bathroom can offer you the rest you seek.

What Is Some Good Personal Care During Pregnancy?

For many women, pregnancy brings an even greater sense of responsibility. This sometimes leads to feeling guilty about taking time for self-care or the ways in which you take care of yourself (or dream of taking care of yourself). Society often tells mothers that “good” mothers are self-sacrificing, but this view can lead to burnout. In fact, the time you spend on self-care benefits your entire family by making you more resilient, balanced, and ready to be present for the people you love.

It’s time to practice reframing self-care as essential, not extra. Taking care of yourself now means that when your baby comes into the world you are already in the practice of adjusting your self-care routines. You’ll be in better touch with your mental and emotional health, therefore better positioned to sense changes in your mood and functioning or detect the onset of post-partum depression, anxiety or rage. Let’s discuss a few steps you can take to reduce your guilt and the pressure you feel to prioritize others.

Self-Compassion Exercises:

Reframe self-care as a necessary part of being a great mom. Take a moment to remind yourself (or put a card on the fridge that reads): “Taking care of myself helps me take better care of my baby.” Or try looking in the mirror “Every day I am learning to take better and better care of myself.” Simple affirmations and self-compassionate reflections can help ease guilt and remind you that self-care is part of healthy caregiving.

“Me Time” as Family Quality Time In Your Southern Utah Home:

Self-care doesn’t have to be separate from family care. Practicing self-care can be a shared experience. Try creating family experiences that also reduce your workload or stress. For example, take a night off cooking a “real” dinner and have frozen waffles with fruit for dinner every Friday. Or loosen up your screentime limits and begin a family movie night. Tip: My kiddos have loved watching old black and white Lassie episodes (you can find them on YouTube).

Believe it or not, being mindful of your needs can also make you a more compassionate parent. Truth be told, there have been many moments when my baby girl or child has been having a complete melt-down and I’ve looked at them with great care and thought “That is exactly how I feel when Starbucks gets my order wrong… I see you honey. We’ve got this.” Connecting with how it feels to be disappointed when you don’t get what you want / need will increase your patience with your children.

GRAB YOUR FREE SELF-CARE PLAYBOOK HERE

How To Take Care Of Yourself During Pregnancy With A Lack Of Support

Without a strong support system, even basic self-care can feel like a challenge. Isolation, distance from family, or limited resources can make self-care feel like just another task.It’s time to get creative as you consider ways you can support your mind, heart and body during pregnancy and postpartum. Whether your baby will arrive in 8 months or has been around 8 weeks, it’s never too late to build a supportive routine and tap into community resources. And I encourage you to look in unconventional places. For example, several local gyms and community centers have drop-in day cares… and no one said you had to work out while you were there! My husband often encouraged me to go to the gym just for childcare, and then have a much needed hour-long phone call with my best friend! Let’s talk about a few more options at a high level:

Leveraging Community Support in Southern Utah:

Look around for resources that can support you. Whether it’s local family and friends or virtual support groups, there are people who would love to help. Don’t hesitate to ask for specific help, like having a friend drop by with a meal or finding someone to join you in a relaxing activity. Honestly, I enjoyed going to the gym just to be around other adults (even if I didn’t actually talk to anyone) – it helps me to do an activity I enjoyed before I had children.

Creating a Simple Routine During Pregnancy and Postpartum:

When support is limited, a consistent and simple self-care routine becomes even more important. Something as small as five minutes a day to jot down thoughts in a journal or practice gratitude can help create stability. With consistency, this routine becomes a steady source of comfort and grounding. I love “The 5-Minute Journal” (which can be purchased online) for its consistent and brief prompts.

Free, Easy, Quiet Places In St. George, UT:

These spots are often overlooked and may be a little unconventional, so bear with me. But when you are a mom (first time or otherwise) you have to get a little creative in finding quiet time and taking advantage of when your baby is sleeping. With this in mind, “coffee corners” at the grocery store are a great place to sit for a few minutes if the baby is sleeping in the shopping cart (and the Harmon’s in Santa Clara has a lovely second floor balcony). Going to the gym, simply to shower and shave your legs without interruption can be bliss. And learning to baby / toddler wear so you can get into wide open spaces like Snow Canyon and Zion National Park can be life changing.

Self-care routines can be as small as one page in a journal or a few breaths. The key is consistency, so you don’t have to rely on willpower alone when energy is low. I kept snacks, knitting and a book in my car so that if my baby fell asleep on an outing I could use the time to relax, read a chapter or two, or work on a long neglected project.

Therapy as a Lifeline of Support For St. George, UT Moms

Therapy during pregnancy and postpartum offers not just relief but renewal. It’s a powerful investment in your mental and emotional health, allowing you to better care for yourself and your family. By making therapy part of self-care, you set a foundation of strength, self-awareness, and support that can carry you through early motherhood and beyond.

Now you know what to do for self-care, but how do you do it?

This is what we address in weekly counseling sessions with our clients. Low-self worth, poor boundaries, people pleasing and so much more can make a regular practice of self-care difficult to identify (or reinvent), implement and practice with consistency.

Therapy can help and you can start with a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation. During this call we’ll explore your goals for therapy, answer any questions you have and custom match you to one of our therapists based on your needs and vision for the future. You can call or text (435)767-1424 anytime for your free consultation.

To celebrate your commitment to better self-care I’d love to send you our free pdf, “The Self-Care Workbook: How Busy Women Can Radically Reduce Their Overwhelm With Better Self-Care.” You’ll learn exactly what self-care to do, how much and what self-care actions you may be ready to outgrow. I’ll also include two bonus sections to address common barriers to truly impactful self-care and an extra 5 tried and-true tips and tricks to making self-care as easy and effortless as it can be! I am wishing you all the best self-care for your motherhood journey.

GRAB YOUR FREE SELF-CARE PLAYBOOK HERE

-Melissa, Licensed Therapist

guidedwellnesscounselingut.com

The Birth Village is so grateful to Melissa for sharing her amazing tips for Self-Care for Pregnant Mothers St. George UT! Doing self-care for ourselves can be hard sometimes but so important. We need to care for ourselves before we can care for others!

Want to read more amazing tips? Check out our other blog posts: Preparing for Labor and coping strategies, or Creating your Dream Birth team

You can also check out some of our local resources, including in person classes, on our Resource Page