Everyone knows that it’s important to stay as healthy as possible while pregnant. I mean, there are books and books and books on the topic (none of which I’ve read, honestly). Pregnant women are supposed to eat healthfully, exercise a lot… basically they’re supposed to do the same things non-pregnant are supposed to do, but there’s extra guilt involved because of the baby that’s also affected by the mom’s awesome (or poor) life decisions.

Sigh, as if being pregnant isn’t hard enough!

I went straight from pregnancy, to breastfeeding, to a second pregnancy while breastfeeding, to weaning from breastfeeding, to being in the third trimester of pregnancy, and now I’m just waiting to start the breastfeeding all over again… so I haven’t had my body truly to myself in years.

Basically, my body has never had time to recover from the first pregnancy, and I’m feeling it. I’ve also been feeling the constant mom-guilt of needing to treat my body well so that my babies get all of benefits from it. Eating well and moving consistently have been on my mind constantly over the last few years.

One of the most frustrating aspects of both of my pregnancies has been the lack of exercise I’ve been able to do, as my round ligaments just do not love a lot of bump-bouncing.

I’ve attempted to run during both of my pregnancies, but my round ligaments aren’t going to let me do any more than walk somewhat briskly. So, walking is what I do, with weekly prenatal yoga classes thrown in for flexibility. I also go to the chiropractor, physical therapy, acupuncturist, and for the occasional massage.

I really, truly believe that these things are getting me physically prepared for labor and the subsequent recovery. But, another huge change I’ve been attempting to make is to my diet.

Now let me be honest, it’s way easier for me to exercise than it is for me to eat as healthily as I would like. I have a huge sweet tooth and I consider carbs to be some of my best friends. But, I have a toddler to chase after and I need to keep my energy up, especially as I get closer to the whole ‘labor and delivery’ thing. (Also, to be clear, I may be in denial and I think about labor and delivery as little as possible.)

I’ve found that it’s easier for me to add healthy snacks into my day rather than to try to completely overhaul everything I eat.

Specifically, I’ve been adding in snacks of almonds, smoothies, carrots, fruit slices, yogurt, and even small salads into my day.

They say pregnant women should eat lots of small meals instead of a few big meals, and I try to do this as much as I remember to with a toddler demanding every second of my attention. Basically, it’s a small miracle if I remember to eat at all, but I try. (And to make matters even more difficult, every time I make myself a truly delicious snack, little hands grab it all from me before I even get a bite. I won’t name names, but I think we all know who I’m referring to.)

One of the things that makes snacking easier are pre-made goodies that I can grab from my fridge. Naked Smoothies have always been a favorite of mine, so you can imagine my excitement when I learned that the Naked brand has come out with Naked Cold Pressed Juice in a variety of yummy flavors. These juices are currently being rolled out at select stores on the West Coast, so I like to think I was one of the lucky (elite) few people to get my hands on them first! Of course, they will soon be available nationwide, so if you don’t live on the West Coast, don’t despair! Besides the yummy flavors, I appreciate that these Naked Cold Pressed Juices contain no added sugar, no preservatives and are verified by the Non GMO Project. Baby Beni approves!

Naptime nourishment for my body and my soul!

There are five veggie-forward cold-pressed juices to choose from, but my favorite is the “Cool Pineapple”, which is made solely of pineapple, cucumber and lemon with a touch of filtered water. Importantly for me, this juice is an awesome source of Vitamin C, which I’ve been trying to consume because it helps the body absorb iron, which is a supplement I take since I’m borderline anemic – wah wah.

Along with my routine of a daily (long-ish) walk with Ozzie, running around after Clara, the occasional prenatal yoga class, and the barrage of appointments I feel like I’m constantly going to, I’m hoping that these better dietary decisions will help both me and Baby Beni in the coming weeks. Third trimester pregnancy fatigue has been hitting me hard over the past few days (oh hey, 34 weeks of pregnancy) and I need all the help I can get to optimally normally function! And then, of course, once Baby Beni joins us on the outside of my body, I’ll be fueling myself to continue breastfeeding for as long as possible.

This motherhood thing, it’s exhausting and wonderful and all-consuming.

What are your healthy go-to snacks? And how long do you feel like it took your body to go back to ‘normal’ after having a kid?!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.