Postpartum Exercise Facts & Stats

You're at least 6 weeks postpartum, and you're already thinking about wanting to get out of the house and get active. Struggling with what to do? Here are some great facts and stats that will show you why you should sign up for an Oh Baby! Fitness class!

POSTPARTUM EXERCISE FACTS & STATS

- Returning to exercise is linked to a decrease in postpartum depression.

- Women who took structured group exercise programs after delivery showed more success at losing body fat and keeping it off 1 year postpartum than those who didn't exercise.

- Women who brought their babies and exercised in a group with others in an Oh Baby! Fitness class had less guilt about leaving their baby with a caregiver, were able to stop and feed the baby any time, and were able to build a community.

SAFE EXERCISES TO DO DURING FIRST 6 WEEKS POST DELIVERY

- Walking - ONLY if it makes you feel good!

- Kegel exercises (pull pelvic floor muscles up and in, similar to how you would stop the flow of urine).

- Abdominal hollowing (pull belly button toward spine during exhale and imagine pulling bottom ribs toward each other, and hold for 3-5 seconds, no need to do it in a wall squat! Do in a sitting position).

- Chest stretches (bring hands behind back, interlace fingers, open chest)

POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION

There are 3 types of postpartum emotional and mental woes:

1- Baby Blues- women feel weepy, overwhelmed, and irritable. It can last up to 10 days, and 80% of women struggle with this post baby. Extra sleep and some time away from baby helps lessen the symptoms.

2- Postpartum Depression - women feel sad, anxious, have changes in appetite, insomnia, and/or guilt. Can last 2 or more weeks, and at least 15% of women struggle with PPD. With counseling and/or medication (and exercise!), women can begin to see a decrease in symptoms.

3- Postpartum Psychosis - women feel manic, paranoid, severe depression, violent thoughts and/or tendencies. Only 5% women struggle with PPP, and they are able to find peace and comfort through inpatient psychiatric treatment.

Read more at Postpartum International at www.postpartum.net or call (800) 994-4PPD.

Prenatal Exercise Facts & Stats

For those of you who are deliberating over whether you should start exercising or continue exercising once you're pregnant, these facts and stats are just for YOU! 

These stats and facts are based upon research done by Dr. James Clapp, who was a professor emeritus of reproductive biology at Case Western Reserve University and a research professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Vermont College of Medicine.

PRENATAL EXERCISE FACTS

-Pregnant women who exercise experience shorter, easier, and faster labors (an average of 2 hours less!).

- 24% of exercising pregnant women had fewer cesareans and fewer complications than women who did not exercise.

Pregnant women who exercised also experienced:

- 35% decreased need for pain relief

- 75% less maternal exhaustion

- 50% decreased need to be induced

- 50% lowered need to have Pitocin to quicken labor

- 50% decreased medical intervention because of abnormal fetal heart rate

- 50% less episiotomies (ALL THOSE KEGELS!)

- 75% decrease in the need for forceps or c-section

***Women who exercise regularly during pregnancy maintain positive attitudes about themselves, their pregnancy, and their upcoming labor and delivery.

***Exercise decreases the occurrence and width of Diastasis Recti (abdominal separation).

Want to learn more about prenatal exercise? Sign up for an Oh Baby! Prenatal Fitness class at 

ohbabyfitness.com!

How Coordinated Pushing is Important During Delivery

There is plenty of research and studies done to show the importance of core strength and breathing techniques during labor and contractions. However, there is not much education for pregnant women on what muscles to use and what muscles to relax when pushing their baby out.

It's key to think about what actually happens during the pushing phase of delivery. When it's time to bear down and start pushing, what tends to happen is that the mom will tighten all of her muscles: abdominals, buttocks, legs, and pelvic floor. Although this is natural (being in severe pain and fatigue obviously makes it hard to relax and let your body do its thing!), what happens is while the mother pushes her baby down the birthing canal, she is also moving her baby's head up against her tight and contracted muscles in her pelvic floor. 

Learning and practicing coordinated pushing can help prevent this (along with other things, like tearing) and encourage an easier and faster delivery. It can be hard to learn at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's so important to practice and use during delivery!

Performing belly breathing is a great way to practice contracting and strengthening the abdominals. Kegel exercises are just as important and great for strengthening and relaxing the pelvic floor muscles. The trick to coordinated pushing is including both of these exercises in a combined manner. As the saying goes, "push with your gut, not with your butt!". Practicing by contracting the abdominals and relaxing the pelvic floor is exactly what should also be done during the pushing phase of delivery.

Check out this video from the Oh Baby! Fitness blog on combining Kegels and Belly Breathing to perform Coordinated Pushing.

To strengthen your core, pelvic floor, and learn more about coordinated pushing, sign up online today for a Prenatal Oh Baby! Fitness class taught in Berry Hill in Nashville. More than just prenatal yoga, we focus on cardio, upper and lower body strengthening, core and pelvic floor health and strength, and some yoga stretches!

Click HERE to sign up!

Top 8 Excuses That Women Use to NOT Exercise During Pregnancy

So you're pregnant. And you know you need to either get active or stay active (depending on your fitness level). But you also have these fears, doubts, and concerns about what's too much, what's not enough, and if it is even safe at all. 

As Kathleen Donahoe (COO of Oh Baby! Fitness) puts it:

"ACOG (the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology) recommends pregnant women work out at a moderate level for at least 30 minutes on most, if not all days of the week.  Basically, they want you working out at a moderate (note, not gentle) level every single day. Pregnancy is not the time to curl up and rest, it’s the time to prepare for the most strenuous jobs on the planet- motherhood! ".

I've been doing some research on what seems to be the biggest reasons why women are either too afraid of working out while pregnant, or are just trying to justify their way out of staying active throughout their pregnancy. And here is what I've discovered.

Top 8 Excuses Why Women Will NOT Exercise During Pregnancy

1. "I am not in shape!"

Just because you are not "in shape" when you get pregnant doesn't mean it's not a good time to start exercising! Pulling from one of the Core Beliefs held by myself and Oh Baby! Fitness:

Pre- and postnatal EXERCISE IS IMPORTANT. We believe exercise during pregnancy creates easier labors, healthier babies, and happier new moms. We listen to the latest studies about perinatal exercise, share them with our clients and instructors, and build our programming based on their recommendations. And we encourage women to get in the best shape of their lives during pregnancy.

Prenatal and postpartum exercise is key to having a healthy pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum recovery! Not to mention, a healthier mom and baby!

2. Wrong Trimester

Check this out: as long as your doctor KNOWS and APPROVES of you getting active, there is NO WRONG TRIMESTER to start exercising! Exercise provides multiple benefits throughout each trimester and can help with prenatal aches and pains. Studies have shown that women who exercise up until their delivery date are:

-       Less likely to have premature labor

-       Less likely to have babies with low birth weight

-       Less likely to have a c-section

-       Less likely to request/use pain management during labor

-       More likely to have shorter, quicker labors

-       More likely to gain less weight during pregnancy

(http://blog.ohbabyfitness.com/category/pregnancy-exercise-tips/page/3/#sthash.RzdavdEk.dpuf)

Note: if you develop a condition that causes you to be high risk, it is important to listen to your doctor and your body before exercising.

3. You've NEVER exercised a day in your life

You have never used a dumbbell. Exercise bands look like they could snap in half. And you've never done any kind of pushup ever. You are the PERFECT candidate to start exercising! Especially with other pregnant or new moms! It's a gentle environment filled with support, compassion, and a Perinatal Fitness Expert who is ready to guide you through each and every question you may have!

4. Feeling under the weather

If you're feeling nauseated in your first trimester, limited in your second, or exhausted in your third, going for a walk (not doing a massive workout) can at least help makes those feelings subside. Better yet, getting out and being a little active with other expecting or new moms can lighten the load of all those feelings, and others such as depression, anxiety, and loneliness. 

5. Back, hip, and other pains and aches

Your hips are aching due to round ligament pain or your low back hurts because of sciatica. Getting active and moving your body gets the blood flowing, loosens up muscles, and can help relieve several discomforts: swelling of feet and hands, varicose veins, pelvic pain, SI joint pain, spinning breech babies to head down position, carpel tunnel, nausea, insomnia, control/manage gestational diabetes, and control overall weight gain.

6. "What if I need to pee 10 times during a prenatal fitness class?"

It’s okay to go pee, and barf, and eat, and fart, and cry. A pregnancy exercise class is sometimes the ONLY place no one will look at you funny for the behaviors that pregnancy brings on. So don’t worry if you suddenly are the girl that accidentally lets one fly, or that breaks down in tears. We understand, and I've seen it all! So do your thing, and we'll do ours!

7. "Do I need a gym membership to come to a class?"

Nope! You just get to walk into class, sign in, sign a waiver, and get your sweat on!

8. "I'm afraid that I will have a miscarriage"

Many women fear that exercising, falling, lifting heavy objects or the like can trigger a miscarriage, but the chances of that happening are slim. “Unless you are a smoker, illicit-drug user or heavy drinker, there’s very little you can do to cause a miscarriage,” notes says Henry Lerner, M.D., an OB-GYN at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, Mass., and an assistant clinical professor in obstetrics and gynecology at Harvard Medical School. 

What other fears, concerns, or excuses do you find yourself having that keeps you from being active during your pregnancy?

Contraction Squats - Practicing For A Contraction

Wanting to have a natural birth? If so, it's important to practice your mind-body connection through discomfort. This is key during labor and delivery. Learning that what you are going through is "positive pain" instead of "I can't do this!" or "I'm going to split in half!" is a hard thing to practice and to master. This is why I have my prenatal clients practice "contraction squats". 

After teaching my clients their belly breathing (inhale-push the abdominals outward, exhale-pull the abdominals in and upward), I have them use it during a 1 minute squat hold. This helps them to focus on their breathing, increases their muscular stamina, and teaches them to work through their discomfort with positive reinforcement. It also gives them a very SMALL glimpse into how their mind and body will work together through a contraction. This offers great practice and preparation for the real thing.

Different squats I try with my prenatal clients:

Wall sit

Wall Sit With Ball

Deep Squat

Chair Pose

Practice never makes perfect, but it definitely helps you get better! And that's all you can do, is your best. Getting ready for labor and delivery is hard and can be scary. But getting prepared and strong will not only increase your physical strength, but also your mental and emotional strength as well. Making a strong bond with your mind-body connection is key. This squat is a great way to get that started!

New Oh Baby! Fitness Prenatal Classes!

Wow, it's been a long time. Sorry for being so busy!

I'm very excited to announce that I will now be teaching Oh Baby! Fitness Prenatal Toning, Fitness, & Yoga Combo classes at Results Fitness on Music Row! Starting May 27th-July 24th (no class July 1st or 3rd), so sign up now and get your Oh Baby! Fitness ON!

From the website:

At Oh Baby! Fitness, our focus is to give new and expectant moms a place to find support, make friends, get fit and bond with their babies. We offer the widest variety of fitness classes designed to take moms from pregnancy through birth, and then into the toddler years with their child. Our programs allow Mom to get out of the house, get her body back in shape and spend time with baby.

All of our instructors are specially trained in a nationally recognized pre/postnatal fitness certification, so they really know what they’re doing. Our instructors will help you make the modifications you need to build strength and lose weight. We've also partnered with area hospitals because they offer a safe environment for our classes and because doctors need to know what kind of exercise their pregnant and postpartum patients are participating in. 

If you live in or close to the Nashville area, go to ohbabyfitness.com to check out the classes and sign up. Classes are small and will fill up soon, so get a move on!

Top 5 Exercises to Prepare for Labor

Although prenatal yoga and stretching is great and important for women who are pregnant, but so are strong muscles! Labor and delivery is THE toughest and biggest marathon a woman's body will ever go through, and will be pushed beyond its limits. This marathon requires some muscular strength and endurance!

This is true for both vaginal deliveries and c-section deliveries. Having a strong lower body will help a mother recovering from a c-section by allowing her to use her strong legs for simple things like getting up and down, using the restroom, and walking around. With stronger legs, the abdominals can relax and recover more efficiently.

Try doing these 5 exercises for the rest of your pregnancy and you will definitely notice a difference in your labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery!

1.  Squats

Squats, lunges, and wall sits encourage the baby to face backward in the birth canal, which helps avoid "sunnyside up" babies who are facing foward, which increases painful back labor. They also increase leg and glute strength which is helpful during labor and pushing.  If your glutes are strengthened, that also means your pelvic floor is strengthened and the lower back is more naturally aligned.

 

Feet a little wider than hip width apart, and instead of arms out, I would say hands on hips. Pull the belly button in and lower your body to just above a 90 degree angle in the knees.

 Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

2.  Lunges

 

 

Notice how big of a forward step you need to take. Keeping you feet hip width apart, take a big step forward with a chair next to you giving you support and balance. Keeping your weight in the heel of your front foot, dip the back knee straight down and then lift back up. Stay in this position, and lower and lift until you complete 10 repetitions. Then switch sides. Do 3 sets of 10 reps on each side.

3.  Wall Sit

 

 

Wall sits can be done with or without an exercise ball. If you use an exercise ball, you will find that it gives a little back massage and makes it easier to get in and out of the squat. Choose what you like best and stick with it.

Keep feet hip width apart and knees in line with hips as you lower down to a 90 degree angle in your hips and knees. Keep your weight in your heels and toes relaxed. Sit here for up to 2 minutes. This is also a great time to do belly breathing, giving you a chance to focus on your breathing and pushing through the squat discomfort, similar to a contraction.

Feel free to do up to 3 wall sits and holding it there for 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

4.  Seated Pelvic Tilts

Pelvic tilts help decrease back pain and it also helps get the baby to be head down in the birthing position. They are also helpful during labor as they help women breathe through contractions. 

 

Sitting on a ball, chair, or couch and with correct posture, pull your tailbone under and contract your abdominals, tilting your pelvis forward. Your glutes will automatically contract; however, try to make your abdominals do more of the work. Release and go back to your regular posture. Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

5.  Plank

Plank is an exercise that utilizes the transverse and rectus abdominis muscles. This is a very efficient exercise and a very important one. Having strong transverse abdominals will help during the pushing stage of labor and will also help recovery from diastasis recti (the central splitting of the rectus abdominis).

Forearms and Toes

 

Forearms and Knees

For a more advanced plank, do it on your toes. But for beginners or for those who feel unstable on their toes, go on your knees. Just make sure elbows are directly under shoulders, hips are in line with your torso, and your abdominals are pulled in with your chest engaged.

Do 1-3 planks holding each for 30 seconds to up to 2 minutes.

 

 

Doing these 5 exercises 2-3 times per week will be extremely helpful during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery. They will also help with any prenatal ailments (back pain, sciatic pain, leg pain, etc.).