After giving birth, many women experience loss of strength in their pelvic floor. Symptoms of this include incontinence(peeing your pants, especially while coughing, sneezing, jumping, or laughing), and prolapse of bladder or uterus (it descends through the vagina.) This is not a permanent condition. You can strengthen your pelvic floor and the supporting muscles.

Muscles to focus on include not only the pelvic floor itself, but gluteus muscles, adductors, transverse abdominals and diaphragm. Working with a physical therapist, yoga teacher, or personal trainer who specializes in the pelvic floor is an excellent idea, and if you have recently given birth, you can find a postpartum yoga class, but you can get started on your own.

Begin with simple kegel exercises: When performing a kegel lift, use that muscles that would stop the flow of urine to contract the walls of the vagina and lift the perineum. The pelvic floor is like a hammock that holds up the uterus, bladder, and intestines. When you lift and hold the pelvic floor, have a sense of raising this hammock and lifting the contents. Lift and hold for ten seconds, then in a repetitive motion lift and release four or five times for about one second each. Repeat this sequence of holding, then repetitive lift and release three or four times. Do this at least three times a week, and more, if you think of it!

 Use your inner thighs, or adductors to connect with your core strength: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Squeeze a pillow between the knees, and lift your pelvis off the floor. Do not squeeze your butt muscles here, instead keep squeezing the pillow, and pressing down with your feet. Breathe!

Your transverse abdominals also provide core strength and help to support the system of the pelvic floor. To isolate these muscles, simply lie on your back with your shoulders as flat onthe floor as you can get them. Press your lower back down into the floor and feel your belly muscles engage. Like with the kegels, you can hold this for ten seconds, then make some repetitive movements, following the rhythm of your breath. Ground the lower back on your exhale and release with your in breath. Repeat three or four times, and practice at least three times per week.

Your butt muscles, the gluteals are also a place to build strength. Lie on your side with your head supported and knees slightly bent. Keep you heels together, but lift your top knee. You should feel your gluts engage. Repeat this movement, lifting and releasing 20 times. You can also do a straight leg lift, still on your side, bottom leg slightly bent. Lift your top leg, but be sure not to lead with your toes. keep your heel up.

 These exercises, practiced at least three times a week will strengthen your core and pelvic floor muscles significantly and greatly reduce if not eliminate completely, any symptoms of incontinence or prolapse.

 For more support or information contact Sheryl at 951-7474 or sheryl@honorngthemother.com

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      My 2 month old, Jayden, inspired me to teach a postpartum yoga class, so I could get back into my body and take care of myself in a community of conscious moms.  I had never considered possibility of a yoga class like this until I had my own baby, but it became obvious that this was one of the most important times for women to have body consciousness and tools to nurture themselves.  The members of my prenatal classes were thrilled to come back with their babies to this "mommy 'n me" yoga class.

     Over the last seven years, the class has evolved to include songs, colorful scarves, sounds, and brain gym development exercises for the babies.  They have a great time while the mamas are learning about core strength, stretching incredibly tight muscles and playing with their babies in the supportive environment of the yoga class.  I have learned so much about what the mothers need and how to keep the babies entertained and engaged.  My daughter went through the class with me as well, about five years ago, and she taught me about dancing with babies.  It has become an integral part of the class, dancing with scarves, bouncing babies on the knees in warrior poses, and a dance party atmosphere for a few minutes near the end of class.

        I allow the babies to guide the flow of the class, and am amazed at the way they tune in to each other.  They love the sounds we make, the rhythms which stimulate the musical and mathematical parts of the brain, tongue rolling and humming sounds which they can learn to mimic, and simply breathing out with a relaxed sigh, which calms them.   When there is restlessness and the babies are crying,  I gather and focus the class with more movement, or sound.   The babies can lie on the floor and watch their mommies move, or move in their mommies' arms through sun salutation and triangle pose.  At times,  I have have looked around to notice 10 moms in circle all nursing together.  The babies can hear the sounds and sense that nursing is happening, and they want some too! 

     I focus on letting go of the structure of a formal yoga class, and encourage the moms to nurse or bounce or sing when they need to.  This is about listening to your baby, while learning to stay tuned in to your own body.  I teach invaluable exercises to bring them back into healthy posture and strength.   "This feels great!  My body has been so tight, I feel like its been months since I've moved!"  one woman remarked after her first Baby Yoga class with me this morning.  Another woman said to me, "Wow!  He loved that!  So much stimulation!  He is really blissed out!"   I often hear that babies will sleep peacefully for hours after class.

    This class, full of joyful giggles and wonderful new moms, is my favorite class to teach, by far.  It challenges me to keep the flow and stay with the energy of the class.  I get to hold the babies, bouncing them to sleep and dancing with them while the mothers enjoy a deep shoulder stretch.  I feel the satisfaction of offering a service that can have a truly positive effect on someone's life.  It has been an ongoing creative outlet for me as well.   I love Baby Yoga!

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       Women need the constant support of experienced women when they give birth.   Studies have shown that simply having a calm, present woman sitting in the room while labor is happening will reduce the need for  interventions and unplanned medical procedures.  A doula can be that calm, present woman, and she is trained to provide emotional support for a women experiencing fear, discouragement, and fatigue.  Doulas also provide physical support, in the forms of massage, breathing practices, suggestions for change of position, and many other helpful techniques to help mamas relax and release to the flow of birth energy.

      Many couples have experienced discomfort at having a doula present, as she may not be a close friend.  There is a sense that perhaps the nurses will provide the needed female support.  Nurses are indeed wonderful and helpful, but unfortunately, they  have many people to care for at once, are in charge of taking diligent notes and may have little experience with natural birth.  Some nurses feel more comfortable administering drugs than foot massage.  Your doctor will most likely communicate with the hospital staff by telephone until the birth is imminent, unless there is some complication. 

      A doula will meet with you ahead of time to get to know who you are and what you are comfortable with.  She will discuss your fears and plans with you, and she will come to your home when labor begins to help you decide when to go to the hospital.  She will remain by your side, offering words of encouragement, suggestions for your partner, loving touch, and whatever you might need.

   Some hospitals, like The Ashland Community Hospital in Ashland, OR, provide doulas for their patients upon request, free of charge.  Even though she may not be a familiar face when she arrives, the hospital doula provides excellent support and is your friend, advocate and wonderful, calm presence.

These are some statistics for birth with a doula present:

• 50% reduction in the cesarean rate
• 25% shorter labor
• 60% reduction in epidural requests
• 40% reduction in oxytocin use
• 30% reduction in analgesia use
• 40% reduction in forceps delivery

Information was obtained from Mothering the Mother: How a Doula Can HelpYou Have a Shorter Easier and Healthier Birth, Klaus, Kennell, and Klaus (1993).

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       What more could a pregnant woman ask for than to spend an hour being kneaded and stretched, cradled and rocked?  I have discovered a new passion for giving massage since finding Thai massage.  I not only move the client's joints through a dynamic range of motion, but my own body gets to stretch and balance, while moving from a core centered place.  It is a wonderful practice of mindful movement, yoga.

       I am now discovering the freedom that this style of bodywork lends to pregnancy massage.  This work is intimate, a whole body integrated experience.  I can release her hip while cradling a leg and massaging a shoulder all at the same time, in a rhythmic wave of movement.   It is impossible not to let go and relax, since the mind can't keep track of it all.   Since she is fully clothed, I can move my body and hers to access all of the areas of tension without breaking the flow to uncover individual body parts. 

       During this incredible time in a woman's life, she deserves loving touch, the experience of being held and nurtured.  I feel blessed to be able to offer this experience and to receive the many benefits of giving.

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As a mother who loved to carry her babies and a yoga teacher and bodyworker who is hyperaware of physical alignment, imbalance and stress, I can safely say that the Ergo Baby Carrier is the best thing out there.   Moms and dads who want the convenience of carrying their child in a way that will mutually support parent and child's comfort need look no further.  This carrier can be used from birth until 40lbs. (My 6 year old is just above 40 lbs.)  Its lightweight, easily packable, attractive, and best of all comfortable!  I cooked Thanksgiving dinner once with my sleeping baby on my back, and I have hiked miles with both kids taking turns walking and riding for hours.

In this unique design, there is no hard frame, like in the Kelty or Evenflow packs, and the weight is incredibly balanced on mom or dad's body.  I never had shoulder discomfort, as I did with a sling, or Baby Bjorn carrier.  The best position is with baby on your back, and this requires a little practice, but is well worth it.  I would put my daughter Anjali down after a hike and feel like my belly muscles got a little toning, and my back was still comfortable.  It truly is an ergonomic design! 

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