The Perineum & The Placenta

37 Weeks!!!

I know our Love Child will come soon, I can feel my bones starting to shift and my body wants to slow down.  Within the next few weeks we will have a new Baby in our home.  So delightfully exciting!

I am preparing myself the best I know how and that involves my perineum and my placenta.  Perineal massage worked for me with our first 2 children, no rips or tearing, thank goodness!   Karin Rose, a mother and "kitchen witch" blends an amazing almond oil, solar infused with calendula, chamomile and rose petals, created just for the sensitive yet powerful massage that can help your baby pass through you while you stay intact.  A dear friend of mine, Joanna Papatsani of Golden Wings Wellness, gifted me a coconut oil blend infused with essential oils for perenium massage and stress relief. I have been using them both, starting around 34-35 weeks to allow ample time to make sure the delicate tissue is as supple as possible.  Massaging yourself is a great alternative to a painful tear or episiotomy that can leave uncomfortable scar tissue.  During labor make sure you have your doctor/ midwife/ or birth partner help you with this and remember you can use any edible oil including castor oil.  You do not need a fancy infusion, but it is a nice treat if you have the option and you can make your own blend.

Along with taking care of my body I know first hand how important it is to take care of my mental well-being.  I had post-partum anxiety with our 2nd, which was really awkward for me as a "yoga teacher".  Honestly I had never experienced anxiety before and it really took me for surprise and on an unpleasant journey.  I loved my baby boy from the moment I delivered him but I was grumpy and irritable with my husband and 2 year old daughter.  I felt weird, something was off.  Finally with the help of acupuncture and positive life-coaching I was able to ground and find peace.  I plan to avoid that huge hormonal crash this time by having my placenta encapsulated.  In fact I plan to take a little piece and make a placenta smoothie to really boost the positive hormone balancing effects.  Sometimes I hear or read comments that express encapsulating your placenta as yucky or gross.  For me being an un-fun, moody, wigged out, mama is yucky and gross.  If ingesting my placenta like most land mammals do can avoid a mood disorder, sign me up!  My go to girl for placenta encapsulation in the San Diego area is Trisha Olow at Zoe Bella Birth Service, check her out http://zoebellabirth.com

With a Belly full of Love,

Jen

Asana of the Month

Virabhadrasana II

The Warrioress

Stand with the legs wide apart, reaching the arms out in the same direction, the ankles should be as wide as the wrists.  Turn the big toes in feeling the pinkie toe edge of the feet root into the Earth.  Stay mindful of the orientation of your hips, allow the front of the hip bones to stay facing the long edge of your mat.  Turn your right foot to the front or short end of your mat, maintaining the angle of the hips.  If the back hip, rolls forward facing a side or forward angle you risk pinching the sciatic nerve as it passes through the piriformis muscle which can create sciatica and no one wants that!  Bend the right knee so that it lines up directly over the ankle.  Take caution to not let the knee go over the toes, this will create unnecessary strain on the knee joint.  By creating a right angle with the knee over the ankle you will activate the quadriceps and strengthen the legs.  Continue to reach through the arms opening the space between the shoulder blades and spreading through the chest.  If you turn your palms up to the sky this will allow the collar bones to roll back and the shoulder blades to reach down.  Taking the time to set up the proper alignment is very important for this asana to gain maximum benefit.  Additional tip, if you lift the 10 toes you will feel the inner arch of your foot engage, allow this lifted energy to rise up into the inner thigh, and up into the pelvic floor.  Breath smooth, calm, and steady as you gently hug your baby up and in by softly titling the pelvis.

To Vaccinate or Not

Love Your Choice & Respect Others

I have noticed that people can become very emotional around the topic of vaccinations. Parents have to create a truly personal course of action and feel satisfied with those decisions.  Often we receive conflicting information or information that makes us feel conflicted.  I would never tell someone to vaccinate or not but I do encourage everyone to become fully informed by doing their own research.  Our family has decided vaccinations are not for us.  Does that mean I think people who do vaccinate are "bad"?  No way, I think they are doing what they feel is best for them and their families.  I do not want to be judged for not vaccinating and vice versa.  What has affected my psyche in the past is the pressure from pediatricians to vaccinate.  My husband and I attended a lecture last month hosted by the National Vaccine Information Center that has lifted that guilt off of me completely.  I now feel fully confident  in our conclusion to decline vaccinations.  For more resources and comprehensive information on legislation that affects personal freedom of choice to opt out of vaccinations visit http://www.nvic.org.  What has been your experience with vaccines?  Please comment and share any thoughts, feelings, or enlightenment you have on the subject!

Asana of the Month

Goddess Squat 

You can enjoy the Goddess Squat in a variety of ways, this variation is not recommended for anyone with knee injury or sensitivity.  
This asana with toes curled under stretches the soles of the feet, strengthens the arches, and improves circulation of the toes.  With regular practice you will improve the health of your feet.  Rest your hands comfortably on your belly or hug someone you love and breathe deep, creating a comforting cadence for you and your baby to take pleasure in.

Big Girl Panties

Yup, I have officially gone up yet another size!

1st trimester I ditched the small skivvies and went up a size.
2nd trimester, packed away some more intimate apparel and went up another size!
Now 3rd trimester is here and all I want is to be as comfortable as possible.  If you buy your pregnancy underwear and think oops maybe these are too big,  no worries, you will thank yourself later.  Teaching yoga all the time I know from experience an XL thong is my friend, and believe me when not teaching yoga I never wear a thong and enjoy indulging in full coverage comfort : )
Oh and guess what, they do not have to be granny, although if that is what makes you happy go for it, plenty of darling options available in all varieties and flavors.  Does anyone want to share a granny panty story?  I am interested in hearing from you!

Xoxo

Jen
HiPMamaYoga

Alternatives to the Glucose Screening & Tests

I did my glucose test this week and was left feeling unhealthy, non inspired and not prepared.
With my previous 2 pregnancies I was sent home with a little bottle of neon colored glucose, told to drink it an hour before my appointment and my blood would be drawn to test for gestational diabetes.
I complied, it never really crossed my mind not to.

This time around a new system was in place and while I did put up some mild resistance, after some research I realize that for me the best option would have been to opt out.  Yes, it' is true you can decline the test if you do not have a history of diabetes in the family, and if you meet certain other low risk indicators.  Now if you are pulled towards a pint of ice cream every night before bed I do not recommend opting out.  Information is knowledge and I know we all want to make informed decisions in regards to the health of our babies.

What was different about this time for me?  I had to fast from midnight until I arrived at 8:15a.m. at which time they took my 1st blood draw.  I was given the drink told to finish within 5 minutes and then an hour later my 2nd blood draw was taken.  I thought I would be able to eat for some reason that I made up in my own mind and had even packed a breakfast.  I was informed that after the 2nd draw I had to wait 1 more hour and have a 3rd draw.  This was my resistance point, I was starving and starting to feel grumpy.  Well, I did it and starting feeling icky with nothing but toxic juice in my gut, read the label ladies, it is not pretty what they have packed in that little bottle.  When all was done I ate, went home and passed out exhausted.  I did some more research that night, still feeling off overall and found out there are alternatives to the drink.  If you decide to take the test but want less artificial colorings and synthetic chemicals that can throw you for a loop here are some options to consider and discuss with your health care provider.

When taking the 1 hour test you will most likely need to have 50 grams of glucose.  Depending on if you take the 2 or 3 hour, you will need to confirm what levels are appropriate for you.  Here are the approximate glucose numbers in grams that I found for the following items:

30 6 oz Grape juice

15 Slice of bread

30 cup of cereal

20 banana

12 cup of milk

30 two slices of bread

40 16 oz orange juice

40 8 oz apple juice

I hope this information helps you to feel more prepared going in for a glucose screening or tolerance test.  Stay healthy mamas and be inspired to follow your intuition, the gut always knows best!

Asana of the Month

                                Baddha Konasana, Bound Angle Pose aka The Butterfly

Ladies this asana is great for you guessed it HIPS!!!
Sitting with the feet together and the knees out wide allows the hips and pelvis to open.
You will also be stretching and strengthening the inner thighs.  This pose helps to tone the pelvic floor, increases blood supply to the whole pelvic region including the reproductive organs and bladder, which improves kidney and bladder function.  Additionally it eases tension in the leg joints.  If the thighs are not close to the ground while seated you can rest pillow under each knee for support.  Breathe slow and long, enjoy the time with your baby!