The following is part of  a series of posts detailing the information in my free download: 26 Ways to Prepare Your Heart for Birth.

If you are anything like me, you are ready for winter to be over!  Thank goodness, Spring is right is around the corner.  It is time to get out of your shoes and let your feet breathe.  Get them out in the sunshine and wiggle them around. They have spent too much time bundled up in boots, and covered in shoes and socks.

 "Wait a minute, Meggan, What in the world does this have to do with preparing for labor?"  you ask. 

Hang in there with me, you'll see.

Our feet are the unsung heroes of pregnancy.  They carry us around all day long. We stuff them into shoes, boots, high heels and rarely give them time to stretch out.  They get swollen and ache with the extra weight of your precious baby.  They are the forgotten soldiers. Forgotten, that is until they hurt and cry out for relief! 

So with the first day of Spring later on this week, let's celebrate by honoring your feet!  Give them some extra love and tlc this week. Take off your shoes. Stretch out your toes.  Roll them on a tennis ball.  Splurge, and get a pedicure.

Once you've liberated your feet and shown them your appreciation for all their hard work. Get outside.  Walk around in your yard. Feel as many different surfaces as you can: cement, grass, gravel, smooth rocks etc.  As you are walking around, let your feet sink into the earth.  Close your eyes and feel this connection to the ground.  So often our experience of the Earth is with a thin (or thick) sole between our skin and the ground.  Allow your body to be connected fully to the Earth, and feel the strength and grounding that this brings. 

Rest here. 

Breathe.

Quiet your mind.

Notice the different sensations your feet are feeling (sharp, cold, prickly, tickling, soft, etc.).  Do not judge them, just notice them.
Let it be.
Let the ground support you. 

Offer up a prayer of gratitude for the strong body that you have and for the baby you are growing.

And thank your feet for everything they do!

If you want more information about how to care for your beloved feet, check out Every Woman's Guide to Foot Pain Relief,  or Whole Body Barefoot by Katy Bowman.  (Even if your feet don't hurt, this is a great book for preventative foot care!)

What is your favorite barefoot activity?

The following is part of  a series of posts detailing the information in my free download Connect With Your Baby A-Z!

We all know how important good nutrition is during pregnancy.  Perhaps this is an area where you feel very confident and healthy. You might have started your pregnancy with healthy eating habits and have continued to use them throughout.  On the other hand,  prenatal nutrition may be source of stress for you.  There are a lot of messages out there about what to eat and what not to eat. You may wonder if you are gaining too much weight, or not enough.  Pregnancy can also wreak havoc on your palate. What you loved to eat for breakfast before you got pregnant, repulses you now. And you can't wait to get your hands on that tuna fish sandwich (which you NEVER liked before!). 

With so many messages and emotions surrounding what you eat, it can be easy to become routinized.  You fix the same thing over and over because you know it is "safe"... or because you crave it.  You come home from a long day of work and grab something easy to eat. Maybe you plop down on  the couch and catch up with your DVR.  Maybe you are wrangling young kids with their own picky palates and you just eat whatever is available.  Or maybe you are just too tired to care.
 
However you are feeling today, embrace it. Don't judge yourself if you feel like you are falling short. 
Take a moment and bring some mindfulness to your eating habits.  Here is one way to do this:

Choose a meal that you look forward to eating.  This could be any meal... breakfast, lunch, dinner... it's totally up to you.

Begin by gathering all the ingredients to make your meal.  Choose each item with intention and the awareness of how it will all fit together to nourish and grow your baby.

Prepare your meal. Or if you're really lucky, someone else will prepare it for you!

Now is the fun part!

Enjoy this meal that you (or someone else) lovingly prepared for you and your baby.  With each bite, know that your baby is getting all the nutrients he or she needs. 

Savor each bite.

Notice the taste.

Notice the texture.

Notice your mind quieting down. 

You are doing it. You are nourishing your baby with food, but more importantly, with love.

It is with this awareness and stillness that you are preparing your body for labor. You are allowing your thinking, analytical, logical side of your brain to quiet down, making room for the intuitive, creative, side to come to life.

Need some Inspiration?
Try this meal.  Cook it withthis if you prefer.  And for dessert, don't miss out on this.
Read this great article about your placenta and nourishing your baby.
Watch the video below as Remy's Right Brain takes over!

In the comments let us know what your favorite meal has been during your pregnancy.