Pregnancy Fitness and Massage Therapy

Please visit BABY BUMP SOCIAL for a guest blog post by experienced registered massage therapist Anna Lui. Anna has written a small post on the benefits of pregnancy massage. She is available for questions through the BABY BUMP SOCIAL site.

Make the most of your pregnancy, you may not feel like to have time to stop and smell the roses or even go for a massage. Whether you have 0 or 5 children right now, things will only get busier when your baby is born so please take an hour for yourself and try a massage by a registered therapist.

Pregnancy Fitness -Ileotibial Band Syndrome

Roll your I.T. band from your hip bone to the side of your knee. 5x
For your vastus medialis (inside of leg, just above knee cap) remember to drove your heel into the floor so it is flat and you have extended your knee (straightened your leg)- 15x

Yes it is true pregnant women are prone to ileotibial band syndrome. What is it? It is an I.T Band that has adhered to the underlying tissue. The I.T. band runs down the outside of your leg from your glut to the outside of your knee. You may feel knee pain, you may feel a buring in your Ileotibial band on the side of your leg or extreme discomfort in your glut (butt cheek). It can be brought on in pregnancy as your gluts are getting stressed and tighter as you gain weight and your pelvis opens (causing your legs to turnout). It is common for walkers or runners to suffer from this. So what can the pregnant woman do about this discomfort. The same thing that most runners and athletes do. Use the foam roller to roll your IT band and strengthen your Vastus Medialis muscle to help pull your knee cap in line. Then you can stretch your glut muscle. This is easily managed, but can be debilitating if left. You may want to check with a sports chiropractor or physiotherapist to get this assessed.

Pregnancy is a great time, Mothers should feel proud and strong. Don't let discomforts of pregnancy get you down. Face them head on and embrace your pregnancy. Get your nutrition in order and start an exercise program. You can get all of this information for free by signing up for a weekly newsletter. Check the sidebar of my blog.

CAFFEINE AND PREGNANCY-The Good/The Bad /The Ugly -Interview with Dr. Castle

Since caffeine in pregnancy is such a hot and controversial topic, I decided to continue this post from last day. I gave many tips on how to make a healthier coffee if you NEED it.

Now it's time to talk about The Good / The Bad and The Ugly of caffeine. How does this affect your health? I met with Dr. Jennifer Castle (ND) to pick her brain on this subject. To get a full pregnancy nutrition guide with meal options from Dr. Castles sign up for a free pregnancy fitness newsletter at the top of my blog.

Interview with Dr. Castle(ND)

BBF- Hi Dr. Castle

Dr.C- Please call me Jen

BBF- As you may have seen I did a small post regarding caffeine limits and coffee for my readers last week. What is suggested for main stream pregnancy nutrition is ok, but not ideal. I am here to pick your brain about this subject to take this to a higher, more informed level for our readers today.
So Jen lets start with The Good about caffeine or coffee.

Dr.C- Well Jacqueline, coffee is a great help with constipation, a regular symptom of pregnancy.

BBF-Yes as progesterone and relaxin are release they relax all smooth muscle in the body, not just the uterus so intestinal mobility is greatly reduced. Ok, lets move to The Bad about caffeine in pregnancy.

Dr.C-First of all if you don't need your morning Joe- DON'T HAVE IT at all. If you do need something you can try replacing coffee with Green Tea. Then if you need your coffee stay within the suggested guidelines and use some of your brewing tips from last days post.

BBF-Wow, wasn't expecting that, as mainstream guidelines indicate 400mg daily are safe. I noticed your nutritional pregnancy download (available when you sign up for the newsletter) you suggest 300mg of caffeine is acceptable.

Dr.C.- Yes acceptable, not optimal. Caffeine is dehydrating, that can contribute to further pregnancy related constipation and muscle cramps. Coffee is also an ACID food, we all know our immune system and body functions better in a slightly alkaline environment. On this thought coffee is a lower esophageal sphincter relaxor, that can exacerbate pregnancy related heart burn.

BBF- So heartburn from smooth muscle relaxation and pressure of the growing baby is made worse by coffee because of it's acidity and ability to further relax the lower esophageal sphincter. Let's get to The Ugly of caffeine.

Dr.C-There are many studies that support caffeine during pregnancy is safe, but there are also studies supporting caffeine during pregnancy can contribute to miscarriage. If you have a risky history, just stay away from coffee altogether.

BBF-Caffeine also interferes with Iron and Calcium absorption which can contribute to anemia and muscle cramps as well. Jen thanks for approaching some of these difficult subjects so readers can make an informed decision on what they are comfortable with regarding caffeine and pregnancy. Again refer to last days post for ways to make the healthiest cup of coffee you can during your pregnancy.
Oh yah, one more thought on that, if brewing drip coffee make sure your coffee filter is GREEN, and doesn't contain chlorine and other chemicals. Get a basket filter if you can.

Dr. Castle is available for consultations in person at The Urban Athlete in Toronto (416-481-8880) or email/phone consultations if you live out of area. She can reached via email to set up appointments at drcastle@theurbanathlete.ca

CAFFEINE and PREGNANCY - Know Your Limits

CAFFEINE- know your limits. I am a busy mom, so therefore coffee is a big part of my life. It is my vice, I rely on it and I love it. Current nutritional guidelines suggest "women's daily consumption of up to 400mg of caffeine (about 2 mugs of brewed coffee) has no adverse effects on the fetus or breastfeeding infant". If you love your coffee you can always make a better, healthier cup. It is full of antioxidents you know. Caffeine is also in chocolate and many colas, but today the points will focus on coffee. I did drink coffee throughout both of my pregnancies, 1a day.

1. Always choose organic coffee- procedures such as crop spraying and processing use harsh chemicals

2. Choose Espresso (50mg) for a double shot, over a brewed cup as it contains just over 1/3 the amount of caffeine as a regular brewed cup (135mg). Espresso also has a much lower acid content.

3. Be weary of DECAF- again this procedure uses harsh chemicals (such as chlorine) to extract the caffeine from the bean. Choose Swiss Water natural Decaf to avoid these chemicals.

4. Avoid coffee an hour before nursing if you are implementing a nap/sleep routine and/or trying to sleep train them through the night.

Enjoy every last sip.

I noticed tonight at the dinner table that my baby started licking food off of her tray, like a dog, she has regressed from using her hands. To get her back to progressing like a biped, I decided to teach her how to cheers instead. Yes, eat like a dog, or cheers like your in a German beer hall, I don't know what's worse. I am way out of my league. My 3 year old toddler just responded telling me "it's a chick thing". What!! is that swearing? I guess not, where is this coming from. Again I am way out of my league. I need a coffee or a beer. CHEERS until next time.

PREGNANCY EXERCISE AND PUBIC PAIN

One of many symptoms of pregnancy is pubic pain. Loosened ligaments increase the mobility of the pelvic joint and can cause pain and irritation. This irritation may be worsened by exercise, impact and weight bearing activities. If you suffer from this irritation while performing hip adduction, hip abduction (side lying leg lifts) and to a lesser extent hip extension you can modify these movement and perform the exercises from a standing position. If pubis symphysis irritation still persists you need to reduce weight bearing activities.

Change from a lying leg lift to a standing version.

PREGNANCY EXERCISE -Preventing Hemorrhoids

Although I am a huge fan of performing a full squat exercise during pregnancy as it helps open the birth canal let look at some precautions as well. It is hard to maintain neutral spine, especially as your pregnancy progresses. Make sure you use a mirror to check your posture and a balance aid or stability ball to help maintain neutral spine during this exercise. One more issue to address is hemorrhoids- yes this exercise can help prevent or induce them-what? Yes you can help prevent hemorrhoids if you are cuing your pelvic floor muscles from the start of this exercise and if you began performing this exercise early in your pregnancy. Your muscles will be stronger in your pelvic floor and reduce the chance of hemorrhoids.

If you do suffer from hemorrhoids during your pregnancy they may be exacerbated by performing a full squat with a hold at the bottom of the range. So what do you do- well always cue your pelvic floor muscles (it will feel like stopping the flow of urine) and perform this exercise. NEVER hold your squat at the bottom range and return to standing. One other option is to slightly shorten your range of motion to reduce strain on your pelvic floor.

You may suffer hemorrhoids due to a number of pregnancy related issues such as slow gastrointestinal mobility, decrease in smooth muscle tone. It doesn't matter why, sometime they just come with the condition- but you can help by performing kegal exercises to prevent pooling of blood around your rectum. This means after performing your workout you should try and end with some kegals during your cool down as well. This will help prevent and reduce hemorrhoids. Cycling and other seated exercises may become uncomfortable during pregnancy due to hemorrhoids as well.

1 Trimester Beginner Pregnant Exerciser-a new twist

If you are a beginner pregnant exerciser, what should you do? Well the guidelines say you are able to start a walking program in your first TRIMESTER and then progress to a strength and cardio program by your second and third trimesters.

Beginner Pregnant Exerciser Trimester 1- Start slow for 5-10 minutes and you are able to increase this to a 30 minute walk. Your level of exertion should be moderate and be careful not to overheat. Dress in layers, wear a good bra and footwear and bring your water. Take breaks as needed. Stay close to home and walk with a buddy as well at first until you know how you are going to react to exercise. Some women get light headed due to hormones and changes in blood volume.

It is particularly important to keep your core body temperature down during the first trimester as this is when the neural tube (that eventually becomes the spine) is developing.

OK so this is nothing new- it's in the guidelines. I have a twist for the beginner pregnant exerciser. During your travels try walking sideways for approximately 1 minute on each side, this will help you work your lateral stabilizers needed for balance and reduce overuse of forward walking muscle groups. If you are confident with this you can attempt to perform some backwards walking as well- try to stand tall, draw in your belly, flex from your gluts to extend your hip to take a backwards step. This again will help reduce any overuse associated with forward walking only. If you are not comfortable with multi-directional moves please stick to forward walking.