Pregnancy Awareness Month

One thing of the things I did a lot during my first pregnancyand try to do as much as I can during this pregnancy is nap, rest, sleepwhenever there was and is a spare moment. Another sound piece of advice I gotwas to “nap when baby naps, if you can.” I did. I see a lot of moms out therewho are over whelmed and over tired. Listen, we have all been there but what Iam getting at here, how crucial it is that we take care of ourselves, love andnurture, refuel or else we run on empty all the time and that serves no one atall. During your pregnancy take the time to nurture you’re your self so thatyou carry that self-care over into parenthood.

1.  Light some candles, turn onsome relaxing tunes and slip into a warm bath. Relax, take a moment and begrateful for this time and breathe. Okay so later your baths may lack thecandles and soft music but still take some time to be alone in your bathroom inthe tub and yes breathe.

2.  Dare I say this again?Sleep, rest, catch some zzz’s, a little shut eye. Do this now during pregnancywhen the hormones exhaust you, get in the habit and carry it over intopost-partum for a s long as you can. My four-year-old just stopped napping butwhen I can slip away for even five minutes and close my eyes I do.

3.  Get a prenatal massage. Atleast one during your pregnancy. Find a way. And then later, get the kids torub your feet. There is nothing like the sweet tiny hands of your young childlovingly stroking the back of your neck. Even give yourself a foot massage withsome nice smelling lotion. Sometimes, late at night one everyone’s asleep, Iwash my feet and rub sweet coconut cream into the souls of my feet. A perfectexample of self-care.

4.  Get some fresh air and walkaround the block. Do this every evening after dinner to help prevent acidreflux.  Let the day unwind beneathyour swelling feet. Reflect and let it all go. Later, throw the baby into acarrier and take longer walks or hand them off to dad or whoever is around andtake five-ten minutes outside of the house for you…just you.

5.  Meditate. Okay, this may bea long shot for many. Meditating need not be complicated. Just close your eyes,slow down your breath and focus on it for just a few minutes. The good news:you can do it just about anywhere.

 These are just some ideas. Create your own mini ritual, find afew ways to nurture yourself, ways to recharge during your pregnancy and after.No one can take that away from you.

While the breast is theessential component in breastfeeding, it’s smart to keep some helpful supplieson hand. These items can be easily stored in a small bag next to your nursingchair and in the baby bag:

 ·     Nursing Pads (disposable or washable)fit comfortably inside a nursing bra and allow mothers to not worry aboutembarrassing and uncomfortable milk leakage. They can also help cushion tenderor sore nipples especially in the early days.

 ·     Though breastfeeding is not supposed to hurt,while moms are adjusting to breastfeeding, they may experience soreness ortenderness. It is important to address the underlying issue but also to dealwith the soreness and pain.  Ultra-pureLansinohHPA® Lanolin will help healsore, cracked nipples and is the only topical nipple treatment endorsed in theUSA by La Leche League International. Additionally, Soothies by Lansinoh Gel Padsprovide cooling relief for sore, tender nipples.

 ·     A quality breast pump – electric,battery-operated, or manual – will allow the baby to benefit frombreastmilk, even if the breast is not available due to work, school or a day ornight out.  For moms returning towork, using a double electric breastpump is essential for keeping up your milksupply and being able to express both breasts at the same time.

 ·     Breastmilk is liquid gold so having containersor storage bags made for safely storing breastmilk are essential forfreezing or refrigerating your milk.

 ·     Nursing Bras make access by the breastfeedingbaby that much easier and can offer much-needed support for yourlarger-than-usual breasts. Don’t buy too many before you have the baby so youcan see what size you will need after you give birth and you are regularlybreastfeeding.

 ·     Some moms choose to wear special nursingclothing but it is not an absolute. Avoiding one-piece items - wearingseparates instead- can work just as well and can offer your baby easy accesswhen coupled with a nursing bra.

 By: Gina Ciagne, CLC

Director, Breastfeeding and Consumer Relations

Lansinoh Laboratories

www.bymomsformoms.net

 

When it comes to food and pregnancy, it seems like it’s a topicalways enshrouded in confusion. How much should one eat? What should one eat? Whatshould be avoided etc. Here are a few key points that I have done my duediligence on.

-      We need only an additional 300 calories per day when pregnantand 600 more when lactating.

-      Avoid raw fish, raw meat like deli meat and unpasteurized softcheeses. Some raw soft cheese like imported brie have been linked to a fetalharming bacteria called Listeria.

-      Increase protein intake up to 65-70 grams per day.

-      Skip caffeine, refined sugar and alcohol.

-      Try to eat every two hours (always including some protein) tokeep blood sugar balance.

-      And stay hydrated (2-3 liters of water a day)

When it comes to pregnancy eating think about how you will wantyour child to eat when he is about 3-4 years old. Plenty of fresh fruits andvegetables, protein, fiber and sure every now again a treat. Everything you eatis helping your baby grow and develop, honor your cravings but do your best tohelp create a strong and healthy foundation for your child. Pick up Domenica Catelli’s wonderful cook book Momalicious: Fresh, Fast, Family Food forthe Hot Mama in You!  www.amazon.com You will use it for years.

The most frequent question I am asked as a prenatal yoga teacher is whether it is safe to begin yoga during pregnancy even if one has never done yoga before. Yes, if one receives the thumbs up from their doctor or midwife that it is okay to do exercise while pregnant Prenatal Yoga is not only safe but a wonderful form of exercise throughout one’s pregnancy. It is a great way to strengthen and tone your body to prepare for childbirth, a great way to stay fit during your pregnancy, and a wonderful way to connect with your body and your growing baby inside you. If you are new to yoga stay away from non-prenatal yoga classes and if you have had a deep practice for years continue doing what feels comfortable for you,modifying the Asanas over time. Prenatal yoga is nurturing and a modality of exercise that has been designed for your changing body and getting into a class is a wonderful way to connect with other pregnant women who are going through similar changes as you. If you can’t find a class near you I encourage you to pick up my yoga dvd , Anna Getty’s Pre and Post Natal Yoga Workout. It includes a disc designed for all stages of your pregnancy and a second disc with 9 short post baby workouts. If yoga is not for you find something else that feels good like Pilates, swimming,pregnancy belly dancing, or hiking. The most important thing is to keep your body moving.

                  I recently learned that on average babies are being born with over 200 chemicals in their systems. This learned by studying the chord blood of new borns. This is not meant to scare you although it may. This bit of information is meant to get you to be proactive at any stage of parenthood. Whether you are deciding to conceive are recently pregnant, about to give birth or have young children already. It is not too late to get proactive, to educate yourself and make different choices. For example, I am often told that eating small amounts of tuna during ones pregnancy is safe. Well, The Environmental Working Group recommends that women of child bearing age and young children under 5 do not eat any albacore tuna at all. Most albacore has very high levels of mercury.  My doctor often asks me “if I were to hand you a class half full of poison and a glass full of poison, which would you drink?” My response is always a resolute, “neither.”  So why chance it with albacore tuna fish when you have a vulnerable developing baby growing inside you? Limit fish intake with safer choices. Another study recently revealed that some infant formula has the ingredient perchlorate found in rocket fuel? Again, the point is not to terrify you but to remind us that we are indeed living in a toxic world and it is up to each and everyone one of us to do our research and seek out reliable sources to help us decipher the toxic from the healthy. Eat organic food whenever possible, get rid of beauty products and household cleaners filled with chemicals and begin to take care of the temple that your body is. We will pass our good health onto our children.

P.S. Pick up a copy of Sara Snow’s Fresh Living: The Essential Room-by-Room guide to a Greener, Healthier Family and Home.

P.P.S And of course the new paper back addition of Healthy Child Healthy World by Christopher Gavigan.

Well, the Motherhood Begins Now event came and went yesterday. It was a fabulous day. The predicted rain was a no show (thank goodness) but all our panelists, celebs, sponsors, pregnant moms and parents  were there and loved it. It was a magical day. I thank everyone for coming out and supporting. The campaign continues, our month'ss first newsletter went out this morning and more to come. Surf the web for all the blogs on PAM this month and keep checking back with us here.

Much love, Anna

Happy May Day Everyone!

PAM is officially here and our kick-off event is tomorrow, wow.  Months and months of preparation and excitement rolled into this present tense has me unable to sit still in my meditation this morning...."thinking" definitely won this morning on the mat.

 I will celebrate today with my daughter, who is almost 4 and is embarking on a Waldorf experience.  We started her in preschool last month, and it boggles the mind how different the experience at Waldorf is compared to the child care setting we had her in over the last 2 years.  We have a May Day event at school, so on top of all-things-PAM that are circulating in my brain, I am also thinking about the fun outfit to dress her in and what the experience of watching the older children dance with the May pole will be like.

 We had a parent/teacher group meeting last night and I was struck by how many mom's shared the struggle they had with the choice to refrain from media in their parenting and how that is being perceived by their families and neighbors and non-Waldorf friends.  It is a big decision, and the reasons for it are not a part of this blog.  But I was reminded of many conversations that I've had with my dear friend and partner and Mommy-support, Anna, about the various choices we have made throughout the last 5 years.  Yes 5 years folks.  because it isn't just a tag line.  If you're pregnant, motherhood begins now.  You realize with every decision of what to eat or whether to enter into a room where you see someone painting, etc. that you are making choices about what you feel is best for your growing baby.  And those choices are just the beginning, the beginning of a lifetime of choices that move throughout each stage and development of your infant, toddler, child and teenager.  As I listened to the women last night I felt a sense of confidence.  Not an omnipotence, confidence.  That I embrace each choice as it arises, as best I can.  I consciously think about it and discuss it with my husband and dear friends, if needed.  And my choices, regardless of the topic (organic food only, recycling, no toxic substances in my home, etc) reflect the values of my family, this family, and how we choose to live our life.  As you enter into this journey, may you step into each choice with confidence.

 Best,

 Alisa Donner, PAM co-founder

 

I recently did an interview with Kathy Arnos on Eco Family News all on Pregnancy Awareness Month. Please check it out and let me know your thoughts. It's streaming on the web now.

http://www.iamhealthyradio.com/eco_family_news.html.

Hope to see you this Saturday at the Motherhood Begins Now event in Santa Monica.

 

 

Every where I go people are asking me what the impetus was to create PAM in the first place.

Thinking back to over a year ago (which is not easy with the intensifying pregnetia) I recall various conversations I had in my prenatal yoga classes. Women who were coming into class feeling overwhelmed, afraid, anxious and disempowered. A far cry from the glow of anticipated motherhood. Although the yoga, meditation, the discussion and sense of community and ultimately their own commitment to bravely working their own processes and fully stepping into their choices helped them, I wanted to celebrate women embarking on this journey as well as create a national and yes ultimately international platform (over time) where women felt empowered, nurtured and supported while they made clear and conscious decisions about they way they chose to birth and parent. Of course I have also made it a point to interlace the many aspects that I believe are part of a healthy pregnancy and healthy and happy baby and mom. Green, organic and sustainable education in addition to the other the other key initiatives is important as women who move into motherhood also indeed develop a stronger relationship to Mother Earth.

Today during my professional baking class a fellow student looked at me and said she was not sure about the "whole baby thing". I had just finished telling her that I had spent the last three nights staying up with my four-year-old who had a high fever. I looked at her and said "it's a commitment alright." I also told I had not regretted a thing. We continued our conversation about children etc. and it got me thinking more about the whole "empowerment" concept of PAM. A girlfriend who recently gave birth to her second child said she was afraid to have this second one as she was not sure how it would change her relationship with her three-year-old son. I told her it was okay to be afraid. Okay to acknowledge those feelings. We can be happy about having children but also acknowledge the difficult feelings and accepting them. The acknowledgment and the acceptance is empowering too. Nothing is black and white about the whole baby thing.

        I honestly don't remember being this stuffed up. And I mean my nose is clogged, my throat is phlegmy and my eyes are teary. Other functions seem to be okay but my poor husband, when I wake up at night, his head is under a pillow or he has left the room and gone to sleep with my daughter, apparently I am snoring. Sometimes I sleep with my daughter who also snores but it seems my snoring wakes her up too. This dear mother, is called pregnancy rhinitis, due to higher amounts of estrogen in the system that cause the mucous membranes to swell up and produce more mucous. Oh joy, in addition to everything else we need to contend with. But I am here to tell you I have found two great solutions. One is the Neti Pot otherwise known as nasal irrigation and the other are these magical nose strips called Breathe Easy. Both are available in pharmacies or online.

The Neti Pot originates from India. It is used in the Ayurevedic healing tradition and literally cleanse out the nasal passages using a mixture of warm water and salt. Afterwards I stick on the Breathe Easy strips which adheres to the outside of my nose like a piece of tape and opens up my nose for easy breathing. When I do these two things not only do I get more rest but so does the rest of my family. Now, if I could only figure out this peeing thing. If you have any other suggestions for opening up nasal passages please write in.

Best,

Anna

        Hello from your friendly founder, Anna Getty. This is my first blog for PAM 2009. I wanted to connect, say hello and give you an update. I am currently 25 weeks pregnant with my second child. A son. My daughter India is now almost 4 and a half. This second pregnancy has been more challenging then my first. More morning sickness, more tired, more weight gain and a lot more on my plate. Two books in the pipeline and of course PAM. It is befitting that I am pregnant this time around. A gentle and loving reminder of why I decided to launch this campaign to begin with. To celebrate womanhood, motherhood and life. Our kickoff event is May 2nd in Los Angeles. If you are in town please come and I encourage you to sign up for the newsletters. We will have great content this year. Please check back often as I will be blogging consistently over the next 7 weeks as will my amazing co-founder Alisa. Off to bed to get some zzz's. If you have pregnancy and birth experiences you would like to share we would love to hear from you.

Much love,

Anna Getty

PAM 2009 is underway.  The PAM Team is gearing up for a fabulous LA kick-off event, this year's "Motherhood Begins Now" event will be on Saturday May 2nd.  We purposefully chose a weekend so that working mom's/mom's-to-be and their families can also join in the fun.  We will have our Mommy Lounge with wonderful spa services available, gratis.  And, a children's activity area, so siblings are welcome!

We will offer panel expert discussions on birthing options and a round table on how to create a healthy home and lifestyle for your family.  And, also new this year, we will have a Fashion Show by A Pea in the Pod.  It will be a jam-packed day of fun and information.

This LA event is FREE....so, mark May 2nd on your calendars.  

PAM founder, Anna Getty, will begin a regular PAM Blog starting in March...stay tuned and connect.

Be well and see you soon!

Alisa Donner

Co-founder, PAM

PAM will launch with an exciting lifestyle event May 1, 2008, celebrating the four initiatives of the month-long campaign: education, exercise, nutrition & wellness and nurture. Held in Los Angeles, a portion of the proceeds from this ticketed, daytime event will benefit Healthy Child Healthy World. Attendees will be treated to cooking demonstrations, mini exercise and prenatal yoga sessions, panel discussions with pregnancy and child development experts, a delicious organic lunch, mobile spa services and mommy-related & green product placement. Hosted by PAM founder Anna Getty, the event is designed to inspire and provide expectant women the tools and information to connect with and enjoy their pregnancies.

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