You get a lot of pregnancy advice. Eat folate. Sleep on your left side. Stay away from sushi. And that’s all useful, truly. But there’s a whole category of body care stuff that doesn’t get nearly enough airtime, the kind of thing that actually comes up when you’re living in a body that’s changing every single week.
We’re talking about the practical side of taking care of yourself physically during pregnancy. What’s still on the table, what probably isn’t, and where things get a little blurry.
Your Skin Is Going to Do Some Weird Things
Here’s something fun: pregnancy hormones can make your skin act like you’re 14 again. Breakouts, dark patches, and sensitivity to products you’ve been using for years. And the annoying part? A lot of your go-to skincare ingredients are suddenly off the table. Retinol, salicylic acid in high concentrations, and certain chemical sunscreens. Gone.
What still works? Azelaic acid is generally considered safe and handles both acne and hyperpigmentation pretty well. Vitamin C serums are fine for most people. Hyaluronic acid is a solid pick for hydration when your skin starts feeling tight and dry, which it will, probably around month five or six.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends discussing any new treatments or products with your prenatal care provider. That goes for skincare, massage, supplements, all of it. Even the stuff that feels too minor to bring up at an appointment.
Massage During Pregnancy: The Part People Get Confused About
This one gets messy fast because there’s a ton of misinformation floating around. Your coworker says foot massages will send you into labor. Your mom says no massages at all in the first trimester. Your partner is scared to even rub your shoulders.
The truth is, prenatal massage is widely considered safe after the first trimester, and the American Pregnancy Association actually notes that it can reduce anxiety, ease muscle aches, and even improve labor outcomes. Swedish massage, specifically, is the recommended method during pregnancy because it uses lighter pressure and focuses on circulation.
But here’s the catch, and it’s a big one. There are specific pressure points on the body that trained prenatal therapists know to avoid. In traditional Chinese medicine and acupressure theory, spots around the inner ankles (called Spleen 6), the webbing between your thumb and index finger (Large Intestine 4), and certain areas along the lower legs are believed to have a connection to uterine activity. These aren’t mainstream obstetric warnings; they come from acupressure traditions that have been practiced for centuries. The scientific evidence on whether casual pressure on these points can actually trigger labor is pretty thin, but most trained therapists still steer clear of them as a precaution. If you want a deeper breakdown of pregnancy massage safety and which foot zones to skip, it’s worth reading up on before you book a session or let someone go to town on your feet at home.
And honestly, this is one of those areas where “just Google it” isn’t enough. Clinics that specialize in prenatal massage train their therapists specifically in pregnancy positioning, circulation changes, and contraindications. That’s a different skill set from what a regular spa therapist or your well-meaning partner brings to the table. They know how to position you safely (side-lying, not face-down), which pressure levels are appropriate, and how to work around the changes your circulatory system is going through. Because pregnancy increases the risk of blood clots, most prenatal massage therapists avoid deep, vigorous work on the legs. Vigorous pressure on the abdomen? Abdominal pressure is avoided entirely. But a properly done prenatal massage can honestly be one of the best things you do for yourself during those nine months.
Exercise Isn’t As Complicated As People Make It
The fear around exercise during pregnancy is kind of overblown for most healthy pregnancies. ACOG’s guidelines on physical activity during pregnancy support continuing moderate exercise throughout a healthy pregnancy, and that includes walking, swimming, prenatal yoga, and light strength training. Your body will tell you when to slow down, and it’s not subtle about it.
What does change is your center of gravity, which shifts as the belly grows. Anything involving balance gets trickier. Contact sports are an obvious no. And lying flat on your back for long stretches after about 20 weeks can compress a major blood vessel, so that’s something to be aware of during workouts and also during massage appointments.
The goal isn’t to maintain your pre-pregnancy routine exactly. It’s to keep moving in ways that feel good. Some weeks that’s a 30-minute walk. Other weeks it’s just stretching on the living room floor while watching TV. Either one is worth doing.
Sleep, or the Lack of It
Nobody prepares you for how bad pregnancy insomnia can get, and it often starts way earlier than you’d expect. By the second trimester, some people are already struggling to find a comfortable position. By the third, It becomes significantly more disruptive.
Body pillows help. So does keeping the room dark and cool. Some people swear by magnesium supplements before bed, though you should check with your doctor on that one. Baths are usually fine as long as the water isn’t too hot.
And look, if you’re up at 3 a.m. doom-scrolling pregnancy forums and reading horror stories about episiotomies, maybe put the phone in another room. Your cortisol levels don’t need that right now.
The Mental Health Piece That Gets Overlooked
Prenatal anxiety is more common than people realize, and it doesn’t always look like what you’d expect. Sometimes it shows up as obsessive research about everything that could go wrong. Sometimes it’s irritability that feels out of proportion. Sometimes it’s just this low-grade dread that won’t go away.
It’s not weakness. It’s hormones and a massive life change happening at the same time. If it’s affecting your sleep, your relationships, or your ability to function, talk to someone. Your OB can screen for it. Therapy is safe during pregnancy. Certain medications are too, if that’s what’s needed.
Body care during pregnancy isn’t just about the physical stuff. It’s the mental load, the weird guilt about not being excited enough, and the sensory overload of everyone having an opinion about what you should and shouldn’t do. Give yourself some grace on the days where “body care” just means drinking enough water and going to bed early.
Working with providers who understand pregnancy-specific body care, whether that’s a prenatal massage therapist certified in positioning protocols or a dermatologist familiar with pregnancy-safe ingredients, can make a real difference in both comfort and peace of mind. You don’t have to figure all of this out alone.
And that matters more than most people realize.
