40 Ways to Pamper Yourself During Pregnancy

- Treat yourself to a feel-good book about having a baby: a book that will share your wonder about the journey you’re on and not leave you feeling like perfectionism is a prerequisite for pregnancy.

- Start a pregnancy blog or podcast. Find a blank book to use as a pregnancy journal. Dust off your camcorder and start a video diary—the perfect way to capture memories of your incredible growing belly. Just find some creative way of keeping a record of the moments in your pregnancy that you won’t want to forget.

- Curl up on the couch with a pregnancy magazine and savour the fact that you’re pregnant. Or, if you’re in the mood for something a little more frivolous, curl up with one of the growing number of “pregnancy lit” novels—one of the newer categories of chick lit.

- Whip up a yogurt smoothie in the blender using low-fat yogurt, berries, and ice. Not only is it decadent and delicious: it’s a healthy way to boost your calcium intake.

- Surf over to some pregnancy web sites so that you can meet other moms who share your due date.

- Invest in a good digital camera so that you can ask your partner and other people in your life to help you keep a visual record of your pregnancy by taking regular snapshots of your incredible growing belly.

- Treat yourself to some pregnancy workout clothes so that you’ll be inspired to stay active during pregnancy—assuming, of course, that you’ve got the green light from your healthcare provider to be active during your pregnancy.

- Transform your bathroom into a home spa by trying out some of the truly decadent facial mask recipes in Greda Breedlove’s book The Herbal Home Spa (Thomas Allen).

- Meet a friend at your favorite coffee bar and indulge in a decaf latté—a great way to get your java fix and squeeze in some calcium at the same time.

- Invite a girlfriend over to watch Raising Arizona or some other must-watch movie about babies. It’s the ultimate chick flick experience.

- Treat yourself to a skin cream that delivers maximum SPF protection. The staff at the beauty counter at a store you trust can recommend an appropriate product. Protecting your skin against the sun will help you to ward off the so-called “mask of pregnancy”—an area of increased pigmentation on the face which the sun’s rays will only serve to accentuate.

- Get a sneak peek at life in your post-baby universe by reading Mother Shock by Andrea Buchanan (Seal) or Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott (Fawcett).

- Celebrate the fact that you can still reach your feet by giving yourself a foot massage with your favourite foot cream. Ahh....

SECOND TRIMESTER

- Rent a pregnancy workout video and start investing some of your newfound burst of energy in staying fit and healthy.

- Sign up for prenatal fitness classes so that you’ll have a chance to meet other moms-to-be.

- Invest in a good maternity/nursing bra. It’ll serve you well down the road and provide you with much-needed comfort today. The staff of your favourite maternity store can help to ensure that you get a good fit.