From Cravings to Cramps - my Top 3 Pregnancy Tips.
Because growing a tiny human is no joke… and neither are the cravings, aches, or digestive drama.
1. Honor Your Cravings—but Know How to Balance Them
Let’s be real—pregnancy cravings hit hard.
I usually don’t eat a lot of meat, but in my first trimester? Give me all the spaghetti and meatballs and crispy chicken sandwiches. Oh, and cold Caesar salads on repeat.
Ayurveda isn’t about being rigid or saying no to what your body wants. It’s about tuning in, noticing how your system responds, and making small shifts to stay balanced.
For me (a Pitta-Kapha), eating raw salads daily increased my Vata and slowed my already sluggish digestion (thanks, pregnancy hormones!). So while I still enjoyed those salads, I made sure to also bring in warm, cooked veggies, and sip hot water throughout the day to support my digestive fire.
💡 Pro Tip: Chia seed pudding was a lifesaver. It kept things ahem moving and was super easy to prep.
Just soak 2–3 tablespoons of chia seeds in your milk of choice overnight. In the morning, top with bananas, blueberries, and a drizzle of maple syrup or agave. Add it to oatmeal too—your gut will thank you.
2. Make Time for Gentle Oil Massage (Your Joints Will Thank You!)
As the belly grows, so does the strain on your body—and if you're anything like me, you may also slow down a bit during the first trimester (read: exhaustion and nausea are real).
With less movement, I started to feel stiffness creeping in—especially in my joints. Normally, I’d rely on yoga, but on the days I couldn’t unroll the mat, I turned to gentle self-massage with warm coconut oil after a shower.
It helped keep my joints mobile, my skin moisturized, and honestly—it felt like a mini act of self-love in a time when your body is doing so much. Bonus: it can help with those annoying nighttime leg cramps too.
3. Grind Your Nuts and Seeds for Easy Digestion
Pregnancy slows digestion, so I found that whole nuts and seeds were harder to process.
Instead, I made a big batch of a nut + seed blend to keep in the fridge—it made everything more digestible and nutrient-dense.
Here’s what I used:
🥜 Walnuts, cashews, pre-soaked almonds
🌰 Flax, hemp, and pumpkin seeds
🌴 Dates (for natural sweetness and iron)
I’d grind everything together and add a spoon or two to oatmeal, cereal, smoothies—basically anything that would hold still. It’s a great way to get healthy fats, fiber, and protein in a form your pregnant body can actually absorb.
Pregnancy is wild, magical, and full of surprises. A little Ayurvedic wisdom (mixed with grace and flexibility) can go a long way in helping you feel more grounded through it all.
With cardamom in the air and laundry on the couch,
Monica