advice I didn't listen to in my pregnancy

advice I didn't listen to in my pregnancy "Eat for 2" You actually don't need to eat for two. I didn't count calories but I knew that the actual calorie increase needed for a healthy pregnancy was only a couple hundred extra, meaning adding more olive oil to meals, having an extra protein smoothie or an extra snack here & there! NOT stuffing your face & force feeding just because you're pregnant. Instead of "more food" I focused on "more nourishment" meaning higher quality nutrients, intuitive eating & listening to my hunger/ full cues, and letting my cravings teach me what I really needed! "You shouldn't lift heavy" You're pregnant, not injured! Its perfectly safe to do the workouts you have been doing before getting pregnant & they usually just require a few small adjustments as the bump grows! What matters is that you can move with proper form, control your breathing & reduce intra-abdominal pressure. Maintaining strength has so many benefits for postpartum recovery so I knew this was important to continue all throughout pregnancy for me. "Take & do everything your doctor recommends" Your doctor is a resource, not someone to blindly follow every recommendation they suggest. Reccomendations can be outdated, and not onesize fits all. Do your own research to everything they recommend! Ask for second opinions. Trust your gut. Advocate for yourself & your baby when something doesn't feel right. There were many things I said no to with absolute confidence throughout pregnancy & birth! "Don't eat raw sushi" I ate the raw sushi all throughout pregnancy. The common risk talked about here is food borne illness (which is more common in things like fresh cut cantaloupe from the grocery store lol) & high mercury content so I chose salmon as my main source instead of tuna, got my sushi from trusted sources only, etc. It was one of my biggest cravings, so I know my body was needing those omega 3's for baby!!! "Don't make anyone feel uncomfortable with how you dress the bump" Your pregnant body isn't something you need to hide! Other's discomfort isn't your responsibility. Dress in ways that make YOU feel confident & beautiful. If that means the belly is out all the time, GOOD! Let it be!! "No coffee during pregnancy" I kept my morning coffee. I limited caffeine, but didn't take it out completely! I chose moderation over unnecessary restriction & my morning cup of coffee gives me LIFE & something to look forward to. My baby was perfectly safe with that. "You should get induced if you go to 41 weeks" A due date is a silly thing. Just an estimate given to you by a doctor. Only about 5% of babies are born on their due date. In other countries a due date can be around 42 weeks! I didn't want to force induction simply because the calendar said I was overdue. I wanted to allow my body to start labor naturally. *obvi there are medical reasons when induction can be necessary, that's not the point here tho! "Don't do abs exercises" I didn't stop training my core, I learned how to train it differently. Your core is doing important work in pregnancy! Although crunches & hanging leg lifts are no longer the best option, you can still do effective core work with proper breathing techniques & proper core engagement throughout different exercises. Your core is actually still working out 24/7 through walking, squatting, getting out of bed, & carrying your baby! "Don't take baths" My warm bath was what I looked forward to the most every night! A warm bath isn't the same as a hot tub. The concern is that you don't want to overheat in pregnancy, but I knew my body would give me feedback if I started getting too hot: dizzy, nauseous, racing heart, weak, etc. My baby & I loved our nightly relaxation ritual. I decided I wasn't going to live in fear for 9 months. I stopped treating pregnancy like I was injured, broken or made of glass & instead did my own research, understood the risk-to-benefit ratio of every decision I made & listened to my intuition through it all. I hope this gives you permission to do the same for yourself in your own ways <3