4 Self-Care Tips for Birth Mothers in Missouri Adoption Process

By David Seamonson

The adoption process is like a marathon. Everyone tells you how to prepare for it, but the journey is yours. Considering adoption can be a difficult decision, with many hurdles in your future. To prepare yourself for those challenges, you can follow the same steps that help keep marathon runners focused on race day. When it comes to training for a race or marathon, you are preparing physically for the distance ahead of you, but most of all, you are proving with each step of training that you can get through to the next step. Here are some self-care tips for birth mothers that we at Adoption Choices of Missouri have created to help you keep focused through your pregnancy and prepare yourself for what happens after you finish with a private adoption service.

Tracking your progress during the adoption process

While It may be difficult, based on your situation, to write down your thoughts and feelings, it is a benchmark to determine how far you have come since day one. The first days are difficult, but when you question why you are going through adoption in Missouri, you can look back and see why you made your decision. While a runner has spreadsheets and fancy watches to track calories, distance, and heart rate, you have the journal to help track what is important to you.

A recommended way to complete a journal is to think about a good thing in your day, a bad thing, and what you want to do tomorrow. In other words: a rose, a thorn, and a bud. There will be days that are difficult ahead of you, and there are also days that will be a lot happier. You can also list five things that you are thankful for in your life. This can help you to stay out of your head and think about all of the good things that are around you still.

Self-Care Tips for Birth Mothers

1. Sleep

The best way to help prepare for any physical action or stressful activity is to have a sleep schedule. Having 7-9 hours of sleep can help you to feel ready to take on the world. It increases brain function and the ability to control your emotions, allowing you to formulate a schedule. By having a strong sleep schedule, you can have better sleep, and waking up to take on the next day will not seem like quite as big a chore. Having a strong sleep schedule also increases the quality of sleep you will have. You set yourself up to be ready for whatever life throws at you. Sleep is one of the best ways to prepare yourself for whatever life can throw at you.

2. Walk

While marathon runners start small and then ramp up to longer distances, getting out and experiencing some fresh air can help you focus on yourself. It helps with exercise, gives you an excuse to move around, and gets you outside. Being outside helps if you are feeling trapped by your pregnancy. When you go outside, it can help you to focus your thoughts and calm yourself in difficult situations. Walking also stimulates blood flow, which keeps you alert and ready for anything the world can throw at you.

3. Hydrate

Hydration is key. Everyone has heard that the human body is around 70% water, so keeping yourself hydrated can help keep body functions a very high factor. Water can help enhance all senses and make everything you do sharper and much better focus. A good rule of thumb is to drink about half of your body weight in ounces of water. It can help with digestion, brain function, and sleep. Just don’t drink too much water before you go to sleep.

4. Eat

Taking care of your nutrition during pregnancy is important not only for the baby’s growth but for your own health. A balanced diet will reduce the risks of anemia, as well as other unpleasant pregnancy symptoms such as fatigue and morning sickness.

During the adoption process, remember the simple things

Taking time for yourself is very beneficial. Athletes focus on things like this to go through their daily lives. Staying healthy, physically and mentally, can help you prepare for the future and the challenges you could face going through the adoption process. While many other things happen in Adoptions in Missouri, there are many similarities between what you can do for yourself and what high-tier athletes do. Four ways to help you through this process are getting outside, hydrating during the day, documenting your day, and getting enough sleep. These things can help you incredibly get through the adoption process.

Adoption Choices of Missouri serves birth parents statewide and beyond. Please call us or text us to learn more! Call us toll-free at 877-903-4488 or, in Missouri, call or text us at 816-527-9800