Confidence during pregnancy can be so tough. You may have worked super hard to get pregnant and now everyone is commenting on everything you do or every change your body is making. From the size of your bump to the way you carry, it’s easy to have your confidence chopped down. The good news is, as you live with yourself daily and go about your day to day for 9 months, you have the power to boost your confidence during pregnancy.
My friends will attest to this, I’m the type of person that will speak something over myself long before it occurs. From the type of birth I’ve wanted, to the type of car I’ll have, I don’t even have to know how I’ll get it before I’ve made up in my mind that it’s mine to have. My pregnancy was no different. More than anything, I wanted to be pregnant, but I’ve always spoken a home birth/midwife situation over myself and behind closed doors, I’ve always said I would have a one of a kind pregnancy, that it would be supernatural. I’ve always believed that God would give me the ultimate favor to have an easy pregnancy, no sickness, no major ailments that people tend to deal with or project on other mamas and mamas to be.
I’ve always believed that I would be the exception, that I would love pregnancy and that it would just be a different perspective and view for someone looking in. That said I would say I’ve been pretty confident during pregnancy, but things like what to wear and how to keep myself up in a way that feels good for me at this stage in life can make things tough if you don’t have a method for keeping your confidence and mood up.
All that said, let’s get into how to boost your confidence during pregnancy.
How to Boost Your Confidence During Pregnancy
Get Active
As a mama to be, who works from home, it has been super important that I stay active in some way, shape or form. At first I was doing the most, jump roping and running and just really trying to get ahead of myself as far wanting to be in a healthy condition, but as I got farther along and really learned my body, walking became more than enough for the both of us. Unless you’re physically unable or on bed rest, you can easily boost your confidence during pregnancy by being active and finding an activity that works for you and makes you feel good after the fact.
You may be a little sore and a little extra tired, but as you move further along in your pregnancy, your body and baby will really thank you. You don’t have to go all out and lift weights or do the most, you can find a 5 minute stretching routine, take a brisk walk, or find a trainer that may specialize in low impact pregnancy workouts. Always be honest with yourself though as far as what you’re feeling and if it’s comfortable or uncomfortable, there is no need to over do it.
Create Your Bump Style to Boost Your Confidence During Pregnancy
Pre pregnancy, I loved how I dress, so one of the biggest things that affected my confidence for a moment, in addition to working at home was finding what to wear once my bump grew. Additionally, and this is the first time I’m making this public because, protect your pregnancy journey, but I have fibroids so I actually was showing very early. While yes I have a ton of stretchy stuff and two piece sets it still can be alarming to feel like I was growing faster than I could keep up with.
From creating my pregnancy aesthetic to bouncing back and fourth between flowy and fitted pieces, once I had a bump style that I truly loved and felt good and sexy in, it really helped boost my confidence during pregnancy. I can assure you finding those pieces you love even if it feels like a uniform will boost your confidence during pregnancy. Lean into it, embrace it, you’re only pregnant temporarily.
Remember Your Pregnancy Journey is Your Own
Social media will have us wishing and wanting things that don’t even align with who we are. From Pinterest to scrolling IG every time someone was pregnant, even if I didn’t know them, I found myself hoping and wishing I looked a certain way during pregnancy. I envisioned dressing a certain way during pregnancy, but that is what prompted me, before pregnancy, to begin speaking the type of pregnancy I desired to have.
Just because someone looks good on the gram doesn’t mean they actually are enjoying their life or their pregnancy, but I actually wanted to enjoy it and not just pretend like I was. Speaking life over yourself pre-pregnancy and while pregnant will definitely help boost your confidence during the journey. It’s harder to enjoy your own journey when you’re desiring someone else’s, not only that you have no idea what their journey actually is or is actually like. You literally can only be pregnant and experience it the way God has for you. That’s the only option you have.
Eat Well and Eat What Makes You Feel Good
Eating well and eating things that actually make you and baby feel good will boost your confidence during pregnancy. I went through 2 phases of eating. In the beginning because I did experience nausea, I was happy to eat any and everything once I was finally able to stomach the food I wanted. No I didn’t experience morning sickness, but I experienced a lot of food aversions pretty early on.
Then it went from eating what I was craving multiple times a week and I’m not exaggerating at all, to feeling like ish whenever I ate those things. Your digestion slows down when you’re pregnant and I hated feeling bloated and just big. It was uncomfortable to lay down, I felt like I had a never ending gas bubble that I couldn’t pass and I made the decision after being uncomfortable enough early on to decide that I wasn’t going to eat anything that made me feel that way.
I started to eat less, in a healthy way, because I didn’t need to eat as much as I thought I did. I no longer needed the large drink or the whole meal, so I switched to a lot of fruit, a lot digestible things that didn’t make me feel any way at all and I loved that experience. Apples, blueberries, yogurt, chips and salsa, ground turkey, soups and chili’s, prebiotic drinks and snacks, all of that really changed how I felt and really helped me feel so good throughout my pregnancy. Not only that, baby is getting the good stuff and not a bunch of crap just because I’m “craving it”.
That isn’t to say don’t satisfy your cravings, but I essentially taught myself to crave different things and it worked well for both baby and I. Figure out your eating situation and it will really help you feel good overall which in turn gives you energy to do the things that boost your confidence during pregnancy.
Recite Your Favorite Pregnancy Affirmations
In my post 50 Pregnancy Affirmations, I share words of encouragement that are helpful to speak over yourself and your body while trying, while pregnant and you can adjust them for your postpartum experience. Yes anything is subject to change, but when you believe that your body is made for pregnancy, strong enough for pregnancy and just able to sustain and grow your baby in a healthy environment it really helps boost your confidence during pregnancy.
A lot of what we know about pregnancy from movies and images, especially as black women, but also overall has been pain and struggle and fear. Only you can allow false evidence appearing real into your life so why not focus on things that make you feel more confident. It doesn’t mean you won’t feel nervous or unsure of how it will all go especially as a first time mama, but saying that will boost your confidence during pregnancy, it becomes a lot harder to let fear take over when you’ve had time to condition your mindset.
You got this mama!
Treat Yourself to Boost Your Confidence During Pregnancy
It’s so easy to feel like you don’t deserve or you shouldn’t indulge because you’re pregnant or a new mom. One of the major ways I continue to stay confident during pregnancy is by treating myself. It’s not excessive, but still making time to see my girls, get out of the house, go buy myself something, all of those little things add up. I work from home so the weekends and weeknights when I’m not feeling lazy really encourage me to go do something for myself.
Sometimes it’s an impromptu date night with my husband, sometimes it’s just running to the mall to window shop even though I have no plans on buying. Don’t feel bad for doing the things that help boost your confidence during pregnancy. Go get your favorite treat, put on your favorite shoes and take yourself on a date, take a drive or go satisfy that craving you’ve been putting off for a while.
Be Consistent with a Pregnancy Safe Beauty Routine
If it’s pregnancy safe, keep your routine with it. One thing, okay two things, but one I do myself, that I have to have in my beauty routine as far as my pregnancy is having my lashes done and having my hair done. Lashes can be tricky because you’re laying on your back and it’s not recommended for long periods of time, but don’t tell anyone this, outside of my lashes, I lowkey sleep on my back because I’m not super heavy and baby is sitting in a good position, but please be safe and know your body.
Anyway, having my lashes done and having my hair done, though I work from home has really made me feel alive and beautiful and at the very least put together while pregnant.
Maybe you’re not getting your regular dye or usual treatments, but if you can maintain a consistent pregnancy safe beauty routine, you will absolutely boost your confidence during pregnancy. This whole list could be void, but doing something that makes you feel like yourself always helps with your confidence and why stop it just because you’re pregnant? My husband personally loves the effortless look of me wearing lashes and always compliments them and I don’t wear makeup every day so it’s just a little something something that I can maintain.
Same thing goes for my hair, I’ve actually been rocking a slicked low ponytail for weeks at this point, months now and since I’ve found the method for slicking my hair properly, it just helps me looked pulled together no matter the occasion and I love that for me; even more I love it for my confidence.
All in all, you are in control of the things that make you feel good while pregnant. This is your journey and experience and you should do and discover all the things that help boost your confidence during pregnancy. Don’t let people project or steer you away from doing things simply because they’ve chosen not to or would never do it. Let them never do, while you do all the things within your ability to make you feel and experience pregnancy in the best way possible. You deserve that.
Mamas and Mamas to Be, What Have You Done to Boost Your Confidence During Pregnancy?
Other Pregnancy and Lifestyle Related Posts
- 17 Must Have Items for a Minimalist Registry
- 50 Pregnancy Affirmations
- 11 Things I Prayed Before I Got Pregnant
- 3 Products to Prevent Stretch Marks
- How I Created My Pregnancy Aesthetic
