Walls, countertops, primer oh my!

This past week, we have gotten a lot done! With the floors and panels officially installed, we were able to finally get some white primer paint put on the panels. It has already opened the entire airstream up! After the primer, we started to put up the dividing walls.

Starting from left to right, those first two walls will be our closet. Then you have our pantry with drawers and shelves, along with a lot of counterspace and storage underneath! We decided to do butcher block for our countertops again, just like we did in our house. It's a great look, and I can't wait to show the finished product with a pretty stain and finishing polyurethane. 

Finally, you have the fridge all the way to the right, which ended up being much bigger than we expected. Which is a good thing!

 I also learned and mastered the art of replacing screens in the window frames. Like a boss.

Anyway, here is another view from the back of Beatrix (our bedroom) looking on the passenger side. This is the bathroom and shower. Can you make out that retro and awesome bathroom panel? ;)

And another view of the driver side from our bedroom complete with closet, pantry, countertop, and fridge!

Also, Pip and his drinking buddy, Brown.

I'm thankful for this guy. Hard worker, dreamer, explorer, artist, teacher, and a great friend. 

We are both so grateful that we've only been here a week and a half and have already gotten so much done. We are excited and eager to do things well; and to finish up and head out west! 

Relocating from Murfreesboro to Beersheba Springs

The time finally came for us to leave Murfreesboro and move up to the mountain! So we packed up our things from all the houses we were staying at, said goodbye to our precious church family at GPC, bid farewell to our sweet families, and pulled Beatrix up to Beersheba Springs on Saturday (complete with Pip hanging out of the window)!

With beautiful Stone Door, Savage Gulf, Greeter Falls, and a sweet cabin to call home for the next few weeks, this move has been a breath of fresh air. And it has been such a treat to have Ms Kelly and Mr Sam Baggett as our neighbors!

Y'all, the generosity we've been shown has humbled us greatly, and we've been so grateful for the people in our lives who truly love us. With a day to unwind and regroup on Sunday, we felt refreshed and ready to get things going on Monday. Panels have started to get installed and riveted in, which was very...well....riveting!

We hit a snag and found a major leak (thanks to a very determind mouse or rat!) in our gray water holding tank (the tank where sink and shower runoff water collects). This meant that we would have to cut open the belly pan again and take the tank out, reseal the tank, reinstall it, spray more foam insulation, and then re-weld the belly pan. 

After some thought, we realized that if we didn't have a grey water tank, we would have to use water sparingly only on the road, similar to camping. We were okay with that, and decided to remove the tank all together.

Another speed bump that occurred while we were still in Murfreesboro was when the spray foam insulation started to shrink, creating unwanted spaces in the insulation. Thankfully our insulation guy came up to the cabin and re-applied more insulation. So awesome!

 

 

During this time in Beersheba, we have been rising before the sun, enjoying chilly, misty mornings and fires at night, the sounds of nature and silence, and hikes to Stone Door and it's overlook of Savage Gulf.

Hikes aren't complete without head stands and handstands. :)

And not to mention our sweet neighbors across the street: a pack of donkeys and horses, and Pip's new BFF, Brown. 

The locals treat us well up here, and it's been an amazing gift during this transition.

Farewell to our house, hello Beatrix the Airstream!

Well, we have finished our house, moved in with family in Murfreesboro, said goodbye to our church, and have made some good headway on our Airstream, whom we have affectionately named Beatrix (means "the traveler")! 

Our families have been so helpful, supportive, and loving and we're so thankful to have them!

Here are some pictures of cleaning the airstream, the new spray foam insulation, power washing wall panels, and floors being installed:

Pip has also been enjoying his time at all of our family's homes:

 

Hopefully by tomorrow we will have more information on how the brakes are working and if they need any work. 

Family photo with Beatrix:

We are also hoping that soon we can get up to a cabin that our dear friends have offered for us to stay in on Monteagle in Beersheba Springs. Can't wait to spend some time with our friends, Mr. Sam and Ms. Kelly Baggett!

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?