Pregnancy energy boosters

1. Drink a glass of cold water - Drinking plenty of cool water will help to rehydrate and energise you by maximising the circulation of blood and oxygen around your body, improving alertness and increasing your metabolism.



2. Turn on the radio - Music can have an amazing effect on your mood, listening to your favourite tunes is a great destresser and will leave you feeling refreshed so if you're in need of a pick me up simply turn on the radio.



3. Focus on your breathing - Poor posture and shallow breathing will leave you feel tired and achy. Take a few moments to clear your mind, focus on sitting up straight and filling your lungs properly whenever you have an energy dip.



4. Brush your teeth - The mere scent of mint can help to reduce fatigue so try brushing your teeth, sucking a mint, sniffing some essential oil or lathering up with mint shower gel when you need to feel more alert. Mint also has cooling properties so a peppermint body lotion or spray can be a really refreshing option too.



5. Take a short walk - Although exercise is the last thing you might feel like doing when you're tired, taking a short walk will help to circulate oxygen around your body, boost your metabolism and encourage the release of endorphins into your blood. Taking gentle exercise such as walking, swimming or yoga on a regular basis will actually fill you with more energy and help to prepare your body for labour.



6. Breakfast like a king - One of the best ways to boost your energy levels is by starting the day with a hearty breakfast. Research has found that a breakfast combination of complex carbohydrates and protein will make your energy high last longer as sugar is released into your blood slowly and steadily throughout the morning. Try adding seeds to your cereal, fruit to your yogurt, egg on your toast or honey to your porridge for the best lasting boost.



7. Go green fingered - Plants help to cleanse your environment by improving the quality of air you breath in; their mere presence has been shown to reduce headaches, minimise fatigue and increase alertness. Go for easy to maintain plants with dark green leaves for the best boost at home or in the office.



8. Open the window - Being indoors with stuffy air and artificial light can contribute to a feeling of fatigue. Opening a window and taking some deep breaths of fresh air will help you to feel revived; better still take a few minutes to go outside and stretch your legs.



9. Snack smart - It can be so tempting to reach for sweet treats when your feeling exhausted and while they do give you an energy boost it will only be short lived. So, when you get the munchies its much better to go for some dried fruit, wholegrain toast or nuts as these will release sugar into your blood stream slowly and evenly and give you a much longer boost. Keep a packet of dried apricots in your bag as an emergency pick me up as these are packed with iron, fibre, vitamin c and many other pregnancy essentials.



10. Take a power nap - If you're struggling to sleep at night, try taking a short power nap during the afternoon (or when you get home from work). This will do wanders for your energy levels and help to make up for the zzzz's you're missing when the sun goes down.

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