Rachel Khoo’s 7 feel-good pregnancy tips

Last year, on top of filming a TV show abroad, running Khoollect, travelling for work and becoming involved in a range of wonderful projects, I also embarked on an exciting new adventure: motherhood. So, I thought I’d share my tips on keeping comfortable while pregnant for any khoollectors who might benefit from them.

As soon as those blue lines appear on the pregnancy test you are open to a whole new market of stuff you can buy. The amount of books, products and things can be completely overwhelming (and often unnecessary).

I was very fortunate to have a fairly carefree pregnancy. I continued to work at my usual neck-breaking speed until my third trimester. If there’s one tip I would have for soon-to-be mums or friends and family wanting to buy a gift for a pregnant loved on, buy an experience rather than an object (that tip could be applied to any gift). Here are some suggestions:

1. Private yoga class

A group of friends kindly offered me a private class with a yoga instructor specialising in pregnancy yoga. This was great as I got one-on-one exercise ideas that I could easily do at home to ease the discomforts from pregnancy.

2. Go to a lovely pool

Despite the hectic travelling and filming in my second trimester I got to fit in some swimming before the day kicked off. Okay, I know you probably won’t have access to a pool with a view like the one below but I continued swimming at the local pool. I’m a bit fussy about swimming pools but luckily it was coming into the summer months and I could go to some outside pools.

3. A pregnancy/nursing pillow

I had a few different pregnancy pillows, but I found this one the best as it’s got the right amount of firmness, a good length for my height (I’m 1.6m) and also comes in handy for nursing now.

4. A good medical pregnancy massage or pregnancy physio session

Pregnancy massage at a spa can be very relaxing but I found it simply uncomfortable lying on my side. The therapist was also too shy about kneading my knotted back. I did some research and at the time I was in Sydney where I found a physiotherapist and pilates studio that specialised in pregnancy. This meant the therapist could actually address my back problems/leg problems (I also got a few exercises to do at home to help).

5. Meditation

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Morning sunrays ☀️

A post shared by Rachel Khoo (@rachelkhooks) on Sep 23, 2016 at 1:46am PDT

If you’re a regular reader of  Khoollect you would know that we’re big fans of Headspace. I used the pregnancy package several times and although on D-day it didn’t really work (more about that some other time). I do believe that it helped my general wellbeing throughout the pregnancy (I would go for a morning walk, pictured above and combine that with a ten-minute meditation session) and helped me prepare mentally. There are quite a few other apps/programmes out there. It’s all about finding one that you can connect with and don’t find the narrator’s voice annoying.

If you fancy trying headspace, here’s a code to try ten sessions for free.

6. Find your fika

I was utterly disappointed that I didn’t have any weird and wonderful cravings during my pregnancy but I would take some time every day to sit down with a good cup of tea and a little treat. Not always the unhealthy kind.

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Quick pit stop at my favourite bakery du pain et des idees before heading home

A post shared by Rachel Khoo (@rachelkhooks) on May 14, 2018 at 2:23am PDT

7. Clothes for a more comfortable experience

For a long time I simply refused to buy any maternity wear and would squeeze myself into my stretchiest clothes (Diane von Furstenberg dresses I got from theOutnet.com a while ago worked well) and high-waisted skirts. It was quite difficult when I was filming Zumbo’s Just Desserts as the wardrobe department would have to readjust my dresses every week. When the squeezing no longer worked I got a few things from M&S (a stripey dress was a must) and Seraphine. A brightly coloured dress or an item of clothing that fits well (no matter your size) on days when I felt enormous certainly helped to combat the heffalump feeling. In hindsight, I wish I had invested in pieces that would work for nursing as well… not just for maternity. One lady who definitely rocked the pregnancy look is Freddie Harrel who we featured a while ago.

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[NEW on the blog] A massive dose of jazzy jacquard and mansy vibes – inspiration courtesy of the new series #NewTraditionalists by @BritishVogue – Catch both series and outfit (all @riverisland) on the blog (link in the bio) #vogue #MakingAScene #NewRomantics #ad

A post shared by Frédérique Harrel (@freddieharrel) on Nov 2, 2016 at 11:11am PDT

Do you have any feel-good pregnancy tips? If so, drop me a comment below. Would love to hear yours!