The Battle of the Baby Bulge

Tips to help you improve your shape in the post-partum period:

After 9 months of waiting patiently and doing all the right things to maintain a healthy pregnancy, you are finally holding your precious baby. Whether your labour was long or short, challenging or easier than you expected, you are probably tired and relieved that your pregnancy is over and labour behind you.

After a few hours of cuddling, feeding and falling in love with your baby, your thoughts turn to a nice long shower to rejuvenate you and ease the muscle soreness you are experiencing after giving birth. You pad your way to the bathroom, either with the support of a partner, or the wall (because your legs are still shaky and tired) and you undress to get in the shower. When you look up and see yourself in the mirror for the first time, you are shocked. For 9 months you had a growing, but firm tummy, and although all the books tell you that you can expect to look 4-5 months pregnant after the birth of your baby, you really aren’t prepared for what that actually looks like: the saggy, baggy elephant. The taunt skin that once enveloped your baby now resembles a bowl of Jell-O, and perhaps you notice that you have a few stretch marks or badges of honor, as I like to call them. Later, as you emerge from the shower feeling refreshed and relaxed, you make a secret pact with yourself to lose the weight, tone your tummy and fit back into your jeans in record time.

Before you get started on your new post-partum workout routine, there are a few things you should keep in mind:

Set realistic expectations:

As determined as you are to lose your baby weight, remember that it is better and safer to lose weight gradually. You can expect to lose about 10-15 lbs. in the early days after giving birth (this weight loss is represented by baby’s birth weight, placenta, amniotic fluid, uterus and water retention), but it takes most women 9 months to 1 year to regain their shape and return to their pre-pregnancy weight. Remember that this is just an average; some women may take less time, and others, longer. It took you nine months to grow that big, beautiful belly, it won’t disappear overnight.

Eat Small Frequent Meals:

It is important to continue to eat a healthy, balanced diet. Eating a variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains and meats will ensure that you get the appropriate vitamins and minerals needed in your daily routine. Try to avoid overly processed foods, as they are higher in fat content and may make you feel more tired. If you are a breastfeeding mom, you will need to increase your caloric intake by up to 500 cal/day (more if you are also exercising regularly). Your body is working hard all day long producing milk for your baby. Also by having a lot of variety in your diet, you introduce new flavours and tastes to your baby through your breastmilk. This may make the introduction of solid foods (after 6 months of age) easier as your baby will have already experienced a wide variety of flavours.

Get Sleep:

Sometimes that is easier said than done! However, it is important to realize that 1) your body will store fat for longer periods of time if you are not well rested and 2) without adequate sleep you may not have the energy to exercise on a regular basis. Also, when we’re tired we are more likely to reach for junk food and caffeine to boost our energy, which in the short term is great, but counter-productive in the long run. So, although you may have heard it 100 times before, “sleep when your baby is sleeping”. Cat naps during the day will benefit you.

Stay Hydrated:

Drink water. This is especially important for breastfeeding moms who need to ensure that they are drinking enough fluids so that they can make breastmilk. Also, it’s possible to mistake thirst for hunger, so reach for the glass of water before reaching for a cookie.

Start Slowly:

It may take you several weeks before you are ready to workout again, and even when you are ready, it’s important to take it easy. FITMOM™ recommends that you complete your 6 week post-partum check-up prior to starting a new exercise routine. Light walking, pelvic tilts, kegal exercises and gentle stretching are things you can do in the early post-partum period. When you are ready to increase your intensity, remember that the hormone relaxin can be found up to 9 months post-partum. This means that joints are still loose and injuries are still possible. Injury prevention is top of mind for FITMOM™ coaches so you can rest assured that modifications, postural reminders and safety checks are part of the FITMOM™ experience. Go slow, listen to your body and modify your activities to meet your current physical conditioning. In time, as you build strength and stamina you will find that you can do more and last longer.

Treat yourself:

It can be very frustrating and un-motivating to stand in front of your closet and feel as if you have nothing to wear. Most of us are eager to toss the maternity pants aside and yearn to put on pants with real buttons but your old wardrobe may still be out of reach for a few months. Take the time to invest in 1-2 pants and tops that fit your current body and shape. It will make you feel better, boost your self-confidence and have you feeling like a yummy mummy in no time. You do a lot for your family, so it’s important (and recommended) that you do something nice for yourself.

The last tip is to relax, have fun, and enjoy the ride. You are taking all the right steps towards leading a healthier and more active lifestyle. The pants will come in time!

Knock, Knock Jokes, & Birthin' Babies by: Big

We love to read in our house. Big's favourite passtime, next to playing Star Wars or Spiderman, is to read. Books are always scattered around and we are often found cuddled up on the couch. Earlier in the year, Big and I attended the Family Literacy Night at his school and when we visited the table with book suggestions for boys I picked up a title that was the most age appropriate. It was a knock, knock book. Well, that went over very well. Big lauged his head off at all of the humerous puns and was trying his best to recite them back. I made sure that on our next trip to the public library, joke books would be on the menu, along with the usual repitoire of Spiderman or Star Wars (May the force be with you!).

As time went on, Big's ability to deliver the punch line improved. Although, he still struggles with the knock-knock joke that involves a banana and an orange. You know the one:
Knock- Knock
Who's there?
Banana
Banana who?
Knock-Knock
Who's there?
Banana
Banana Who? and so it continues until you say Orange.
Orange who? Orange you glad I didn't say Banana!
In his defence, my mother can't tell that joke either! Oh Mom!

Fast forward a few weeks plus several knock-knock and joke books later, and we find ourselves on a Monday evening. I am preparing to teach a private Lamaze series to an expectant couple. I have been a certified Lamaze Educator for 3 years now, and have always taught private or group sessions in my home. Big is very familiar with the routine and has always enjoyed welcoming the clients to the house. This night was no different. My husband was trying to settle Little into bed, so Big was playing on the main level while waiting for his dad to collect him and put him to bed. Unfortunately, on this night, Little was putting up a fight and my husband was detained for longer then he planned. It wasn't long before Big started to creep down the stairs and ask to watch me while I taught. I said that was fine as long as he was quiet. Silly me!

Soon my little side kick had crept his way from the stairs to my side in order to 'help me' with the class. Since that was tolerated (only because daddy was still upstairs having been taken hostage by Little) Big thought it would also be okay to share some jokes with his new friends. As I am trying to explain the physiological and emotional changes they can expect during labour, Big pipes up with a knock- knock joke:
Big: "Hey Guys. Knock-Knock"
I of course give him 'the look', but the parents to be find him charming and buy into this entire routine, so they respond with "Whos there?"
"Dwayne"
"Dwayne who?"
"Dwayne the bathtub, I'm dwowning"

We all chuckle and I thank him for the joke and attempt to send him back to the stairs to be quiet. Big, of course, was just getting started.

"Knock-Knock"
"Who's there?"
"Police"
"Police Who?"
"Police open up, it's freezing out here"

"Thank you Big. Now it really is time to go back and be quiet". I apologized to the clients, who still find my son so charming, polite and handsome (all of which he is, but the point of the gathering was to talk birth, not swap knock-knock jokes).

To his credit, Big took the hint and retreated back to the stairs rather quickly. Unfortunately my husband was still dealing with Little who was continuing to scream his head off because mommy was unavailable to give him her magic boobie. Mildly distracted by the screaming upstairs and the interruptions by Big, we press on through our content. Then it seems like the next time I turn around, Big is back beside me. This time though he is interrupting me to explain what he is seeing on the chart that I am using to describe the stages of labour.

"Oh, that orange spikey line makes the mommy crazy". Huh? What are you talking about? So I look at the chart and notice that the lines that represent a contraction are orange and very spikey, indicating transition. So I say to Big, "You are right. This part of labour is very difficult, and sometimes we feel a little crazy during the intense part of birth, it's really hard work. Thank you for your contribution to the class little helper, now away you go".

But wait, he was not done yet. He decides at that point that a demonstration is in order to teach this couple how babies are born. So, he picks up the baby doll and the pelvis skeleton that I use as a teaching aid, turns to the mom and says "Don't worry. The baby just goes down like this (he puts the baby in head first, which I thought was great!), and they come out very gently". He was so honest and sincere with this comment that I had to chuckle, hug him and send him on his way again.

I then turned to the couple and apologized again for the interruptions. Big went back upstairs, and I thought for sure that the comments and interruptions from the peanut gallery were finally finished. I could hear the footsteps of a free man making their way down the stairs to collect his other son and put him to bed. However, before the teachers helper was tucked tightly into bed with no ability to escape we heard him whisper:

"Hey Guys. What do teeth ride down the highway? Molarcycles!"
Hahahahah!

Excuse me while I dust off my soapbox....

Warning: This post may contain a passionate outburst or two. Please forgive me.

The other day I was forwarded a link (http://www.youtube.com/user/faceofbirth#p/u/0/pFWH_IZWulE) to an upcoming documentary. As I write this, women in Australia are fighting to maintain their personal rights to choose the place where they would like to give birth. For the past year there has been a political movement to make home birth illegal, thereby limiting the choices of childbearing women and their families. Check out the link here to learn more http://www.homebirthaustralia.org/

My experience with my first pregnancy and labour were under the care of an OB. Had I known that Midwives were covered by OHIP I would have jumped onto that train right off the bat (but I was the 1st of my friends to have a baby, and my family Doctor never suggested Midwives as an option- so I picked the OB who liked cookies. Seriously, that is how I made the most important choice of my childbirth experience!) Luckily for me, I took Lamaze classes and knew what to expect- I had a supportive husband/man-doula who believed in me and my ability to give birth, a mom & dad who cheered me on saying 'of course you can do this', and I experienced a healthy and low risk pregnancy. We laboured at home for most of the time, finally waddled into the hospital and delivered our beautiful son 'Big' 4 hours after checking in. Sure, there were some surprise 'hiccups' along the way and things we did not plan for (meconium & retained placenta), but that's labour for you. I received excellent care while in the hospital and had a birth that changed my life forever.

Following the birth of 'Big' I decided to add the credentials of a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator to my name (check out our website at http://www.discoverbirth.com/) . My background in adult education & faciliation, along with my passion for all things birth, fueled me forward.

Fastforward 4 years and we find ourselves pregnant again. This time I chose to have my baby under the care of skilled Midwives at a local hospital where the Midwife team I chose had excellent rapport with the OB's on staff.

What a great experience it was- the information sharing back and forth, on going discussions about what choices I had available to me, the reassuring phone calls in the first trimester when everything seemed so vulnerable, and the calm, confidence they had in me, my body and birth itself. Honk if you love Midwives! (toot, toot,)

On August 21, 1 day overdue, labour began and the phone calls were made. First to my mom, then to my hubby- and when it was time we paged my midwifery team. I did my thing, everyone cheered me on, told me how great I was and that I was doing all the right things. My mom and husband rubbed my back and legs when I asked them to and I walked around my house holding onto counters and columns as contractions washed over me. Just over 1 hour after the arrival of my midwife we learn that I have dialated from 2-8cm. Holy Crap. The conversation that took place next goes something like this:

My midwife calmly turns to me and says : "Jennifer, you are moving very quickly. You are 8 cm dialated and the membranes are bulging (This kind of spooked me because I know when my water breaks I have to push immediately!). If you are going to have this baby at the hospital you need to leave now. Or you may choose to stay at home. I will call my back up midwife, I will get all of the equipment I need from my car, and you can stay home."

Me "Can I go to the bathroom before I get into the car?"

Midwife "No." (Educator Note: emptying your bladder frequently in labour gives the baby more space to drop and allows labour to move along efficiently- so it's good to empty the bladder often, but not when you have to drive 25 minutes to the hospital and you are going through transition). She then turns to my husband and says "Mark, if we drive to the hospital I will be right behind you. We will drive very quickly. However, if something happens and Jennifer gives birth in the car, will you catch the baby?" The response from my man-doula husband was like taking marriage vows all over again when he said "Yes, I will!". I however, freaked out at that moment and thought to myself- 'Holy crap, I can't give birth to my baby in a car with my husband. I want to stay at home where I feel safe'. So that was the decision I made. The choice that was right for me.

My mom, Mark and my midwife then move speedily to prepare the room for the birth of our 2nd baby. I continued to labour while my enthusiasm and excitement about a home birth peak. I never in a million years thought about giving birth at home. The plan was always to go to the hospital, yet here I was in my bedroom, with the skilled and capable careprovider that I chose, surrounded by those that loved me and cared for me. Soon enough our 'Little' bundled made his appearance into this world. Born at home, surrounded by those that loved him and cared for him.

Some may call 'Little's' birth dramatic, because we diverted from the original plan of a hospital birth. I call it beautiful, special and the right choice for me.

What I did was neither brave, nor crazy. It wasn't about making a statement or trying to prove anything to anyone. What I did was make a choice. I considered all of my options, weighed the pro's and con's and made a fully informed decision. For me and my family a home birth was the best option.

If home births were to become outlawed in Australia then women's voices, choices and powers would be stripped away from them. By taking this option out of their hands the hospital, government & insurance companies are basically saying that women aren't smart enough to make informed decisions regarding the kind of care they would like to receive. Sure, it's not for everyone, but limiting a women's options in regards to a place for her birth doesn't solve any of the real problems that women are facing in Obstectrics these days (inductions that are not medically necessary, inreased number of cesarean sections, and a philosophy of birth in many institutions that labour and childbirth are medical conditions and not a normal, physiological response). In fact having stuff like this taking place in media distracts the public from these very real problems. The reality is a home birth is a safe option for many women.

This is what we know:

• 80% of women benefit from the care of skilled midwives
• 20% of all births can be classified as higher-risk and should be managed by an Obstetrician
• Birth can safely take place in homes, hospitals and birthing centres
• There is not 1 current, evidence based study that proves that hospitals are safer than delivering a baby at home-

check out the following link for more information outlining best evidence for choosing a place of birth: http://www.childbirthconnection.org/article.asp?ck=10142

As an advocate for the rights of childbearing women, an LCCE, a mother, a daughter, a friend and a woman who experienced a wonderful home birth, this issue really makes my blood boil. For now, living in Canada, pregnant women and their families have many options to consider and I'd really like to keep it that way.

I wish all of my fellow Auzzie mamma's and midwives the best of luck as they navigate this truly crazy battle. I will keep a close eye on the developments and will continue in my personal journey to support the pregnant women and families I have the privilage to meet and support them in their own personal choices, whatever they may be.