New Year, New You?

Thursday 3rd of January 2013 | Category: Pregnancy News | Written by: Siobhan Thomas

Well I think that goes without saying as a pregnant woman! With a baby due to arrive at some point in 2013 then without question you will be a different person before the year is over. But what about the age old New Year's Resolutions? Do they still apply?

Can you really have any New Year's Resolutions when you're pregnant?

At this time of year the subject of New Year Resolutions crops up all the time, but bring a pregnant woman into the mix and you're likely to hear something along the lines of 'Oh, I guess it's a bit different for you, you can't really have New Year Resolutions when you're pregnant'. A commonly held viewpoint, but they're totally wrong!

Top New Year's Resolutions and why they still apply to you!

Losing weight

Pregnancy is hardly renowned for its supermodel effects on the body, but you are at least guaranteed some significant and rapid overnight weight loss at the birth! Taking into account the weight of the baby, the placenta and amniotic fluid you can reasonably expect to lose between 10-12 pounds through the birth. Shifting the rest of it might be a hard slog but that's not a bad start to the process!

Getting Organised

Getting on top of your 'to-do' list before the baby arrives is really important so take advantage of the New Year as an excuse to get organised. Get those niggling repair jobs sorted that have been on your mind for months, sort out your wardrobe (if your baby is due in August you probably won't want last year's bikini until 2014), make a plan for your maternity leave and start thinking about jobs that you can do now in order to ease the pressure on yourself after the baby arrives. If your baby is due soon then get cooking easy freezable meals in big batches and start stocking up the freezer. Wholesome home-prepared meals will be better for you after the birth than ready meals and takeaways but preparing them might not be as easy with a new baby to care for!

Spend Less, Save More

Having children is expensive, but if you manage your spending well with a little one then you can save yourself a lot in the long run. Nobody needs a top of the range designer pram, rocker, highchair, monitor and car seat. Do your research before shelling out hundreds of pounds on items you might not use much or your baby might outgrow quickly. There is a big market for second hand baby items these days, after all they are used for such a short period of time. Often these items are sold in excellent condition at a fraction of their original price, so they are worth looking into. Get other people's advice as to what is worth the extra spend. For example, some babies don't take well to swaddling so don't buy 5 swaddling blankets now, get one and buy more if you need them. Moses baskets are another item that some families use a lot, others say they only used for a couple of weeks - all these things are worth considering when planning your purchases.

Enjoy Life to the Fullest

A popular resolution that definitely includes new parents-to-be! Of course pregnancy and childbirth bring their own challenges, and anyone who says that caring for a newborn is easy is telling an untruth! However, nothing compares to the pleasure and enjoyment of bringing your own child into the world and starting life as a new family.

Stay Fit & Healthy

If you've been a couch potato throughout pregnancy then this probably isn't the year to run your first marathon but that isn't to say that you can't get fitter and take more care over your lifestyle. Make an effort to take more exercise, whether that means walking a journey that you usually drive, or taking yourself swimming once a week, it all makes a difference. Be honest with yourself about the amount of sleep you're having, your diet and your stress levels and do all that you can to improve them if you need to.

Learn Something Exciting

2013 might not be the year to learn a new foreign language or sign up to do any academic qualifications, but one thing is for sure, there will be a serious learning curve to face after the baby is born - particularly if it is your first! Don't put yourself under unnecessary pressure buying parenting books and DVDs. All these things are available from the library should you need them. Buy just one if you feel you really want one but take advantage of the internet too. Visit babies.co.uk to read articles on feeding and changing babies and to hear what other mums are talking about in the forums, to help prepare you for what to expect.

Quit Smoking

Hopefully you are off the cigarettes if you are pregnant, but for some of us old habits die hard. Make it your objective to stay off them for good now and don't slip back into your old ways after the baby arrives.

Help Others

You might not be the best candidate to volunteer to take a group of children rock climbing or to go litter picking in the rain but you can still make non-selfish resolutions whilst being pregnant. You are about to enter a stage in your life when you will thank your lucky stars more than ever before for the fact that you live in a developed country with sound healthcare and infrastructure. Simultaneously your eyes will be opened to the rate at which babies grow out of perfectly good clothes, toys and feeding equipment. There are charities that will gratefully accept donations of anything from second hand baby grows to used milk bottles, so make it your plan not to let your unwanted items go to waste and find a charity that you think can benefit from your used items.

Fall in Love

Well this one's easy! Even the most heard-hearted unsentimental women out there will be forced to agree that no love can surpass the love that you will have for your children. So that's one new love guaranteed this year!

Spend More Time with Family

Well you're about to make a new addition to the family and actually, unless distance is an issue, most people find that the arrival of a child brings a family closer together naturally. Of course there will be a rush of visitors in the early days, but going forward most grandparents want to spend as much time as possible with their grandchildren and family get-togethers get a new lease of life with a new baby on the scene. So plan to take advantage of your new excuse to spend time together and also of the extra helping hands that come with it!