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Writer's pictureJessica Gradel,DC,MS,L.Ac

Stay Fit and Active When Expecting and Beyond

The transition to parenthood can be made a little easier by working with care providers that understand the spiritual emotional and physical changes that occur during this time in your life. Below are a collection of well informed resources to help make your personal journey into parenthood.

Pregnancy challenges our bodies to adapt and support another life. During pregnancy our very bones change alignment to allow for birth.


 

This is a Marathon not a Sprint

During pregnancy woman are able to generate an average of a 1.5 square feet of skin, 50% more blood is pumped by the heart, increase muscle mass of 5%, uses 900 kilojoules of energy per day, in to bring a new life into the world.


Exercise to be Ready for Labor.

While the uterus is considered the workhorse muscle during labor, the cervix, pelvic floor, abdominal muscles and diaphragm all are actively engaged during labor. Preparing for labor with exercises that help corridant the theses muscle to work together properly can help facilitate labor.

To find out more about exercises that are specific to pregnant women visit https://birthfit.com/


Acupuncture and Chiropractic the Drug Free Options

Being pregnant means that over the counter medicines and prescription medicine use becomes restricted as many are associated birth defects. This poses a problem as pregnancy can cause discomfort and pain ranging from morning sickness to sciatica. This is were alternative and complementary care providers excel in providing care that has been proven safe and effective during pregnancy. Chiropractors are trained in correcting muscle and joint imbalances during and after pregnancy which reduces symptoms of discomfort and pain as the body adapts. Acupuncture helps regulate and reduce symptoms associated with hormone changes associated with pregnancy that alter your metabolism. Acupuncture can help reduce lymphedema, nausea, pain, sciatica, muscle spasm, headaches, migraines and a host of other symptoms.




Beyond Pregnancy

During the postpartum period the body goes through yet another remarkable transition as it restores pelvic stability, adapts to post pregnancy weight, and new pelvic norms. During this time period hormones that had been pushing for increased ligamentous laxity begin to return to their pre-pregnancy status. Maintaining proper alignment as the pelvis and back return to a neutral status is important as well as slowly re-establishing abdominal and pelvic floor stability. During the birthing process the tissues of the pelvic floor are stretched which can lead to urinary incontinence if left unaddressed for some women. IT IS NOT NORMAL TO "PEE A LITTLE" if you sneeze, or squat, or laugh to hard months to years after labor. Retraining the bladder and pelvic floor can alleviate some of these symptoms.


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