Welcome to The Pregnancy Centre newsletter
from the desk of Dianne, physio at PMFP, Director of The Pregnancy Centre, Pelvic Floor First campaign ambassador
Congratulations! 2017 will bring new things and celebrations. We hope that you welcomed it in well.
Thanks for joining us on the other side of the Christmas and New Year Season. And if this is your first newsletter, there are different sections so choose what equips your for your stage of the journey at this time.
Dr Sara Gottfried is an Ob/Gyn from the USA and today in an email I received she recommended one of her own tips - keeping things simple and coming up with one word as a theme for this year (see the blog post opposite). It may take a while to come up with it, but that's ok - if you like the idea.
Happy New Year again and all the best for 2017.
Pregnancy |
Pregnancy Exercise Guidelines
If you have recently joined us, we have articles and information on our site to help you during and after your pregnancy. Choosing exercise levels is an individual thing and you can ask for more guidance from your health and fitness professionals, but here are some baseline guidelines for assisting you (they are general so seek more specific advice about your own exercise program levels any time you are unsure during your pregnancy).
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Pregnancy |
Your Pelvic Floor
I still find it hard when a new mum comes to see me and she said she didn't do her pelvic floor exercises during her pregnancy, because she didn't know how or she wasn't sure. Then "on the other side" of pregnancy and birth, she finds it hard to feel her pelvic floor muscles and can only hold them for a few seconds before they fatigue. Research has shown that women who do regular pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy will have a better recovery in the muscles post birth. So if you are unsure: seek further advice, read and learn more about them, use the information available to you - and one option from us include our newly housed Pelvic Floor e-course. Ask if you are unsure, it is a muscle group that really needs your investment into it during and after your pregnancy.
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Labour |
Preparing for Birth
Some training is needed for any event and labour is the same. Do you feel equipped and ready for your labour and birth, and for looking after your baby afterwards? Often there are unknowns in entering "this new land" so if you feel you need some more preparing, having a daily practice of relaxation prepares you for labour, and for when you are a new mum "on the other side". Our two week course has a daily relaxation, stretch or breathing practice, and now has some bonus video training from our instructor training which we have added to give you some extra tips/training ideas to prepare for your labour and birth.
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Post Pregnancy |
The Postnatal Abdominal Wall
Before Christmas Dianne wrote an article for the Pelvic Floor First campaign e-news which mainly goes out to fitness instructors, but covers some important aspects of pelvic floor protection for postnatal women to consider when doing abdominal exercises.
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