If we miss you this week, then add it to your calendar for next time! Evolution Mamas free baby play group from 2:30-4 pm every 2nd and 4th Thursday of month!

Also a reminder that this Sunday, October 30th from 9-11am, if you are 6 weeks or more postpartum and you’re interested in learning about the fundamentals of finding your core, sign up for this one-time workshop: Belly After Baby Workshop this Sunday with Andrea Trombley, PT

This workshop is a great way for you to bond as a couple in preparation for sharing the birth experience together. We will cover yoga poses, breath work, relaxation and meditation techniques helpful in labor and birth. A strong focus will be placed on labor support techniques and ways to build confidence in your ability to birth without intervention. This workshop is a must for first time parents, as well as for those second/third time parents who are not planning on taking a birth class but would like a class to connect around the baby and a refresher on labor support technique. Register online or call us at 802.864.YOGA (9642)

What differentiates yoga from other forms of exercise is the connection to the breath. Yoga breathing is different from other breathing practices.

One type of breathing is Ujjayi, or “victory breathing.” It is simple to learn and easy to do. The sound of the breath helps the mind to focus on one point (one-pointed mindfulness), which helps you to be in the present. It also balances energy and can help you to access your energy. We know that energy cannot be created nor destroyed. It simply gets stuck. Ujjayi, along with yoga postures can help to free this energy. (See below for instructions on Ujayi Breathing.)

Practicing yoga postures can help a pregnant woman alleviate many of the common discomforts of pregnancy like sciatica, restless legs, heartburn, nausea, low back pain, pelvic pain, sacro-iliac joint dysfunction, neck and shoulder pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and more. Yoga poses also strengthen the body, while developing endurance without strain.

Birth is very physical as well as mental, emotional and spiritual. Yoga helps us to connect to all aspects of our humaness. In western medical science, we are beginning to realize how the mind affects the body. Knowing your state of mind and learning not to attach yourself to it allows the body to do what it needs to do.

Most importantly, the combination of breath work with physical postures helps the expectant mother connect to her baby and her own spirit. Do we ever consider that the baby knows how to be born? Do we trust in this knowledge? Do we listen to the messages that the baby gives during labor? The practice of yoga helps the pregnant mother to know herself and to be present with her baby. Then she is better able to respond in the moment to what life gives her.

One other very important factor that I teach in my yoga classes is knowing your environment – your birthing culture. The yogi lives in the world. She must be in reality to understand fully how to live in it. This means that she needs to be in the present moment, not caught in past thoughts or the imagined future.

Following are several poses and sequences I recommend, along with some suggestions on letting go during birth.

Best positions in the last trimester:

Flowy cat/cow pose

Why? Because the pelvis can widen in this position. It can give baby space to get in the right position for birth, and it also can encourage baby to turn from OP to OA. The mother gets used to being on her hands and knees, as this is a great labor and birth position. It is one of the best positions for big babies.
How to do it: Place hands shoulder-width apart, about 6 inches in front of shoulders, knees a little wider that hip width apart. Inhale and as you exhale tuck the tailbone and sit back towards your heels, rounding your back. Inhale, bend the elbows slightly while keeping them in line with the shoulders, scoop your chest forward until your elbows are straight, look up; now exhale, tuck the tailbone, round the back and sit towards the heels; inhale and continue this flowy motion of cat/cow position 6-10 cycles. It helps to strengthen the arms, open the hips and groin, widens the pelvis and encourages baby to get in optimal position for birth.

Cobbler’s pose

Why? It opens the hips, strengthens the back, brings energy into the pelvis and helps to dilate the cervix only when mother is ripe and ready for birth; otherwise it brings a flow of energy and blood into pelvis. Where there is blood there is more oxygen and health.
How to do it: Sit with the soles of the feet together and knees out to the sides. Hold ankles or feet (sit up on the folded edge of a blanket if knees are raised above the hips). Exhale, root through the tailbone and lengthen up the spine as you inhale. Then bring your awareness to your baby. Breathe into your baby, connecting the breath to your heart, exhaling from your heart to your baby. Begin with 10 breath cycles and lengthen up to 5 minutes. Sit against the wall if your back hurts. Place your hands under your knees and lift them up to come out, then straighten your legs.

Supine cobbler’s pose

Why? It opens the hips and pelvis, while supporting the low back. The chest is open, so breathing is fuller and easier. This is a very restful pose. Mother learns how to relax and restore energy.
How to do it: Lie over a rectangular cushion or folded blankets, with a blanket under your head if necessary. Raise your head and trunk as much as you need to breathe and feel comfortable. Bring the soles of the feet together, knees out to the side. Place folded blankets under your thighs for support. Arms rest on the floor. Be aware of your breath as you release into the pose. To come out, roll to the side and sit. Do flowy cat to adjust your spine. Rest in child’s pose for a minute.

Ujjayi, or “Victory Breathing,” helps to focus and calm the mind, soothes the nervous system, slows the heart rate and lowers blood pressure. Ujjayi helps to alleviate insomnia because of its tranquilizing effect on the body.
How to do it: Part your lips slightly, inhale and exhale whispering “ha.”  Your breath will have an aspirate sound. You will feel and hear the breath in the back of the throat. Then close your mouth and breathe through the nostrils. Imagine that you are breathing through the throat. It may feel like you are about to snore.
Your breathing should be audible to you. You can inhale and exhale deeply, but do not strain. Practice for five minutes in the beginning, increasing it to 15 minutes or more.

Some other advice for labor:

Empty completely– of thoughts, techniques and plans. Be willing to be in the unknown, open and be ready for what life has to offer. Then you can move freely and spontaneously.

Dive into the sensations. Don’t try to change anything or resist what is happening. Be willing to be in the pain. Follow your breath. It is your guide to being in the moment. When you embrace completely what you are experiencing,  this is when the transformation happens.

Get out of your head and into your body. Whatever thoughts arise, let them pass. Observe them but don’t get caught up by identifying with them. Be a witness. It’s like watching a movie.

My favorite healing positions for after the birth (the first six weeks postpartum):

Legs up the Wall – lie on the floor on your back and put legs up the wall or on a chair.
Ujjayi breathing – see above for instructions. Use ujjayi with every pose. Keep your attention on the breath. Notice when your attention wanders away, and then bring it back to the breath. This helps to create focus and calm while energizing. You can do this at any time, especially while you are feeding your baby!
Supine cobbler’s pose – see above for instructions.

Pregnancy is wonderful in that it primes our bodies to be prepared to deal with any infection that might come our way, especially bacterial infections.

However, pregnancy is also a stressor. It can bring out hidden sensitivities or weaknesses, be they digestive, musculoskeletal, allergic or of our immune system.

This can be a blessing: These are issues we should work on even when we are not pregnant. There are many things expectant mamas can do to boost immunity to prevent and treat infections naturally.

There are many internal factors that maintain our immune system:

Protein- Adequate protein is not only essential for growth and repair of our own body and that of our baby, but also vital for our immune system to form the antibodies we need. It is generally recommended that pregnant and nursing women get 70 grams of protein per day. Some good sources are meat, eggs, soy, dairy, nuts / seeds, and grains with bean. Many vegans have a hard time with their increased needs and do well with a good protein powder shake in the morning.

Essential Fatty acids- EFAs are probably one of the most deficient materials in our diet. They are core to many aspects of our immune system. We must look at decreasing our saturated fats and fried foods and increasing our Omega 3 and Omega 6 oils. In general, our Omega 6 oils are derived from vegetables and our Omega 3 oils are from fish, flax, black currant and evening primrose. A good dose is 1 tbs. or four capsules a day.

Sugar- Studies show a direct correlation with the amount of sugar ingested and the decreased effectiveness of the immune system. What most people do not realize is that this relates to “healthy sugars” also. Honey, Molasses, fruit and fruit juices are sugars too. You should keep your daily intake to less than 50 grams/day, regardless of type.

Vitamins and Minerals- Basic to our immune function. Hopefully we get our minimum needs met with our diets, but a good prenatal vitamin is added insurance that our needs are being met. If you do have an acute infection, it is helpful to use increased amounts to cover heightened utilization. Listed below are some supplement doses and daily food sources:

Vitamin A- Keep to less than 5,000 total/day with supplements in pregnancy. Sources: Fish oils, egg yolk, organ meat.

Beta Carotenes- 5,000 iu/day. Sources: dark greens, carrots, red pepper.

Vitamin C- 500 mg every 2 hours. Not to exceed 3,000 mg/day in the first trimester. Sources: Citrus, rose hips, apples, banana, apricot, veggies.

Vitamin E- 400 iu/day sources: cold pressed oils, whole grains, wheat germ, nuts, avocado

Zinc- 30 mg/day. Sources: Shellfish, grains, pumpkin seeds, brewer’s yeast.

Selenium- 100 micrograms daily. Sources: Whole grains, wheat germ, brazil nuts, garlic.

Botanicals- There are countless herbs used to treat infections, but many are not recommended in pregnancy unless advised by your healthcare provider. The safest immune herb to use is Echinacea. Unlike many herbs, it is even safe to use in the first trimester. Other helpful herbs are garlic, astragalus and licorice root (if there are no problems with high blood pressure). In general, rest, increased fluids, Echinacea every 2-4 hours and Vitamin C (1,000 MG three times a day) while decreasing dairy and sugar is a safe and effective way to treat most colds.

Postpartum immunity can also be affected by several factors; loss of blood during delivery; fatigue both from the delivery and from sleepless nights caring for a newborn; and increased nutritional requirements with breast feeding and no time to prepare nutritious foods. These can all contribute to a susceptibility to infection.

The general rule is to stay in bed for at least three days postpartum, and focus only on eating and breastfeeding your baby. Thereafter, sleep when the baby sleeps, buy and prepare nutritious “easy to grab from the fridge” foods, maintain your water intake, and continue taking your prenatal vitamin.

If you do get sick, remember that everything you take in will get into your breast milk. Again, Echinacea, Vitamin C and the other vitamins and minerals listed are very helpful to both and you and the baby. Be careful with goldenseal, garlic and glandular, as they can cause colic, especially during the first three months of breastfeeding.

Some women can experience problems with postpartum depression as hormones shift. This affects their immune system by increasing stress and decreasing appetite. Vitamin B12 supplementation and herbal hormone balancing can be helpful, but it is very important to discuss treatment with your caregiver. Best wishes and stay healthy for you and your baby!

This workshop is a great way for you to bond as a couple in preparation for sharing the birth experience together. We will cover yoga poses, breath work, relaxation and meditation techniques helpful in labor and birth. A strong focus will be placed on labor support techniques and ways to build confidence in your ability to birth without intervention. This workshop is a must for first time parents, as well as for those second/third time parents who are not planning on taking a birth class but would like a class to connect around the baby and a refresher on labor support technique. Register online or call us at 802.864.YOGA (9642)

The whole process took less than an hour long, and was completely comfortable and fun! Now we are waiting for the finished bowls (takes about 6 weeks) to dried and painted. My husband and daughter came with me, and they were sweet observers and helped choose different colors for the two pieces.

Oh I can’t wait to see our Belly Bowls! And they are completely customized, not only with your belly size and shape, colors chosen, but also an engraving at the bottom with the baby’s name and birth date! The pictures are from a previous client as we forgot to take our own pictures, so don’t forget your camera. I will certainly post our finished Belly Bowls next year… For more information or to schedule your Belly Bowl, email Jen Labie!

Register soon for the next one on Friday, January 7th with Susan Cline Lucey

This workshop is a great way for you to bond as a couple in preparation for sharing the birth experience together. We will cover yoga poses, breath work, relaxation and meditation techniques helpful in labor and birth. A strong focus will be placed on labor support techniques and ways to build confidence in your ability to birth without intervention. This workshop is a must for first time parents, as well as for those second/third time parents who are not planning on taking a birth class but would like a class to connect around the baby and a refresher on labor support technique. Register online or call us at 802.864.YOGA (9642)

This workshop is a great way for you to bond as a couple in preparation for sharing the birth experience together. We will cover yoga poses, breath work, relaxation and meditation techniques helpful in labor and birth. A strong focus will be placed on labor support techniques and ways to build confidence in your ability to birth without intervention. This workshop is a must for first time parents, as well as for those second/third time parents who are not planning on taking a birth class but would like a class to connect around the baby and a refresher on labor support technique. Register online or call us at 802.864.YOGA (9642)

I’ll certainly be back to teaching next year, the first week of January 2011. During my absence, Thursday morning Post Natal yoga (10:25am to 11:40am) will be taught by Jenny Sugar, and Saturday morning Vinyasa (9:05am to 10:30am) will be taught by Bill O’Conner. Thank you to these two wonderful teachers!

The Saturday’s Pre Natal yoga (12pm to 1:30pm) will be canceled for the remainder of this year, so there are only TWO more classes left. Namaste ~ Petra

This workshop is a great way for you to bond as a couple in preparation for sharing the birth experience together. We will cover yoga poses, breath work, relaxation and meditation techniques helpful in labor and birth. A strong focus will be placed on labor support techniques and ways to build confidence in your ability to birth without intervention. This workshop is a must for first time parents, as well as for those second/third time parents who are not planning on taking a birth class but would like a class to connect around the baby and a refresher on labor support technique. Register online or call us at 802.864.9642.