What to Include in a Prenatal Fitness Program
Gone are the days when exercise was considered unsafe during pregnancy.It’s now widely understood that not only is exercise perfectly safe in any low risk pregnancy, but there are SO MANY BENEFITS. These range from improved sleep and mood, less aches and pains, shorter and less painful labours (umm yes please!) and less risk of developing pregnancy related complications like hypertension or gestational diabetes. But that leads to the question - what should you DO?
How to choose a Doula
So you just found out you’re pregnant and you’re looking to build your support network for your upcoming pregnancy and birth. Amazing. You’ve heard that a doula can be a great support for you and your partner and are excited to integrate this type of support into your birth experience. Best decision you’ve made (IMHO).
What’s next?
What are labour contractions?
If you’ve thought about or heard about birth - like, at all - you’ve heard that labour is accompanied by contractions. Some folks who follow hypnobirthing programs choose to shift their language and use the term ‘wave’ instead, because language can strongly impact how we understand what’s happening in our bodies. But ultimately, they’re referring to the same thing that is happening in the body - a tightening and shortening of the muscles of the uterus. But what exactly happens during a contraction? How does the uterus know to contract? And how can understanding what is happening during a contraction change our experience of it?
The Core Connection Breath
The core connection breath is an exercise that helps you connect to your pelvic floor and deep abdominal muscles in a subtle and gentle way. This is one of my all time favourite exercises. I teach it to almost all of my clients (pregnant, postpartum, or none of the above). It’s the first exercise that I give clients after giving birth and you can start it whenever you are ready (you don’t have to wait until your 6 week check up).
I’d love to work with you
If you are interested in any of Hannah Etlin-Stein’s services please be in touch!