Mommy’s Toolbox
Here is a list of items that I recommend for your own self care.
Pregnancy Can Be A Real Pain In The A**!
If I had a dollar for every time I've heard the words, ‘sciatica’ and ‘hemorrhoids’ over the last 15 years I'd have more money than Oprah! Dealing with these two culprits during your pregnancy is no fun, but there are some things you can do.
Start with paying attention to your posture (watch the posture video) and if you sit a lot during the day or are in the car a good part of your day then make sure you are sitting properly (you might need the support of a seat cushion to help balance the hips). If you are dealing with sciatica I would suggest you find a Certified Prenatal Massage Therapist. Don't waste your money at the spa's for Prenatal Massage. In most cases they are afraid to touch you...that's what I hear all the time from my preggo's. You can probably find someone certified in prenatal at a Birthing Center or a practice of Midwives.
In my practice I use the Chinese Cups to help loosen the IT band and the sciatic area and it works wonders for sciatica during pregnancy! If you can find a Therapist who does the cupping try it -it's amazing!
Dealing with hemorrhoids, start with your diet and stay hydrated. There are creams you can use along with suppositories, hot or cold packs (try both to see if one feels more soothing than the other), witch hazel pads and if you've already ordered your portable sitz bath try that as well. You may want to ask your Doctor or Midwife for a safe stool softener. The good news is that in most cases hemorrhoids will ease up and possibly be gone for good as you heal yourself postpartum!
Relief For Your Feet!
Thanks to the hormone Relaxin, which loosens your joints and ligaments during pregnancy, your body can support your growing baby. We have 66 joints in our two feet alone, so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that women may experience some minor foot pain during and after pregnancy. (This is also the reason why some of women fall down during pregnancy: Your foot joints are loose, and you may not be paying good enough attention to how you’re moving.) This issue comes up quite often with my pregnant and my postpartum clients, which is why I recommend the Yamuna Body Rolling Foot Saver!
Granted, the product is a little pricey, but it will pay for itself over and over again. Let me explain how I got turned onto the Yamuna Body Rolling Foot Saver: I was once asked to observe a Pilates class. The teacher, Alex, handed me a pair of these rolling balls and said, “Here, amuse yourself with these while you're watching class.” “What the hell am I suppose to do with these?” I asked. “Just sit or stand on them,” she explained. “They're foot massagers.”
Okay then ... well, I don’t remember anything from that class because I was obsessed with those rollers. I didn't realize how tight the bottoms of my feet were until then. (People hold a lot of trigger points in our feet.) At first, rolling on those massagers hurt like hell, but I was determined to release the tension – and eventually I did! I spent about a half-hour on each foot, rolling out all the tightness, and I couldn’t believe how good it felt. Really, I was in heaven, and at the end of the class I left feeling like I had just received a full body massage. And as for Pilates ... well, I guess I'll never know whether it's for me, but I'm sure glad I got acquainted with the Yamuna Body Rolling Foot Saver!
This is also a great tool for anyone suffering from plantar fasciitis.
Get On The Ball, Momma!
The stability ball is not just a great tool to use during your pregnancy, to help loosen and stretch the hips and bring in a better blood flow, I have an exercise video on the site to show you what you can do with the ball, but it's an absolute must have for Postpartum healing. Your ball is a great tool to help strengthen your core, stretch the upper body and relax the back. The ball is also a great tool for your partner to bond with baby, by sitting and bouncing with baby it helps to calm and relax the baby as well.
You need to buy the correct size ball for your height. The diameter of the ball makes all the difference — size does matter in this case, because you want to be ergonomically correct, meaning your knees and hips should be level. If you are close to the cut off point between sizes, try testing out both sizes and see which works best for you. Here are basic guidelines to follow:
4'11" to 5'4" height: 55 cm ball
5'4" to 5'11" height: 65 cm ball
5'11" to 6' 7" height: 75 cm ball
So get on the ball!
C-Sect Support
I think it's a good idea to help support the core after having a baby. A lot of my clients like the Belly Bandit to help tighten the core after giving birth, but what about after a C-sect. This product comes highly recommended from Moms who gave birth via C-Sect.
Here is a recommendation from a client:
”I HIGHLY recommend these! you can get the ones that are "low cut" too, but these have helped support me in the past 3 weeks. They are on amazon prime too! A bit on the pricy side for undies, but hey.... anything for a smooth recovery! The best part is the silicone patch to help your scar heal properly. Now, I’m only 3 weeks out, but I can tell a HUGE difference from last time!”
Save Your Back!
The foam roller is a necessary item in your Mommy ToolBox, after having a baby! And a great way to incorporate some Self-Care into your daily routine. Your poor back all that holding, feeding and carrying around your baby takes a real toll on your muscles. Create a new habit each time you put your baby down take a minute or two and put yourself on your foam roller.
Relax, breathe and tell yourself you're doing a great job at this Mothering thing. Using the foam roller also helps to tighten and strengthen your core, and strengthening your core is a MUST after having a baby. I tell my clients all the time to not focus on your "baby weight" don't even use those words, just focus on strengthening your core, because everything you do to strengthen your core will help you shed the baby weight. Don't Forget About Mommy!
2 Must Haves When Preparing For A Vaginal Birth!
When preparing for a vaginal birth, I’d like to suggest two things: the plastic blow up donut, and the portable sitz bath. I get a phone call from one of my new moms and she said to me "Jeez, how come nobody told me how painful it is to sit for the first week or two?" Now, when I gave birth 30 years ago I left the hospital with a bag of parting gifts.
Along with the giant size panties and bigger than life pads, I also got a little blow up donut to sit on and a portable sitz bath. I guess with all the cutbacks over the years these items were cut from the gift bag! And that’s to damn bad because let me tell you that blowup donut was my best friend for those first few weeks, I didn’t leave the house without it. When I finally figured out how to use the sitz bath I would be in the bathroom forever just sitting and enjoying the flow so to speak, it felt wonderful!! So please put these two items on your how to make mommy happy list.
Don’t Resist The Resistance Bands!
It takes a lot of upper body strength to be somebody’s Mother! All the lifting and carrying around a baby and all the heavy equipment that goes along with the baby can be back breaking. Using the resistance bands as you move through your day is a great way to get in some Self-care for Mommy and build the upper body strength you’re going to need! So don’t resist the resistance bands and Don’t forget about Mommy!
The Bed Buddy
The Bed Buddy is a must have whether you are pregnant or not! Carex should put my picture on the damn Bed Buddy…every single one of my clients has purchased this product and love it, love it, love it… and so will you.
The Bed Buddy produces moist heat and is perfect to relieve neck & shoulder pain, can be used down the spine and across the hip area. Also, the Bed Buddy should always be on your shoulders when feeding your baby. It’s great for tired shoulders. This is how you multi-task, doing something good for you at the same time doing something good for your baby!