May 11 at the New Haven CT Public Library, 133 Elm Street, certified instructor Jan Shub will lead a free demonstration class for moms and babies. Contact Jan  for details: shubjan@yahoo.com.

May 20 is the next Practicum. More info here.

October 27, director Ann Cowlin will speak on the release of the deep rotators at the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS) in Singapore. Sciatica — a common problem for dancers and pregnant women — is often caused by spasms in the deep rotators. Cowlin will address procedures for relief of this problem.

Accepting the importance of fetal programming places responsibility on the mother-to-be to do all she can to insure her body provides nutrients and oxygen to her growing infant while avoiding possible risks and toxins. At the same time, genetic and environmental factors contribute greatly to the potential for some disorders and problems that arise. Thus, we must be careful in assigning guidelines for acceptable behavior or blame for poor outcomes to pregnant women.

On the one hand, we can all see the negative consequences of something like fetal alcohol syndrome…clearly the result of maternal behavior. Is a pregnant woman whose baby has been damaged in this way guilty of abuse?

But, what if a mother is obese, eats poorly and ends up with an infant with a disturbed metabolism. Is this abuse? What if the mother has an infection that results in cerebral palsy? Or what if she lives near a highway and involuntarily inhales fumes that negatively affect the placenta?

How do you get a healthy baby? Of course, there are no guarantees. There remain many unknown factors that can affect the course and outcome of a pregnancy. Some factors we are aware of, such as avoiding certain fumes or chemicals.  There are some behaviors we know can maximize the potential for a good outcome, such as eating adequate protein, aerobic conditioning and strength training. [Note for new readers…lots of these factors have been covered in our previous posts.]

But, what about all the things we don’t know about?

If these goats eat the wrong grass, will they go into labor?

Here is a cautionary tale:  There is a species of goat that, if they eat a certain type of skunk grass on day 14 (and only day 14) of pregnancy, will not go into labor. Why? Plant toxins in this grass interfere with the development of a small portion of fetal brain, the paraventricular nucleus. This nucleus is involved in the signaling cycle of labor. Without it, the mother will not go into labor!

What are the take-home messages here?

• Probably no one is ever a perfect fetus…too many possible threats.
• There are some threats we can avoid…being lazy, over-eating, smoking.
• There are some threats we cannot avoid, so we do the best we can.

Do the best you can by your baby…aerobic fitness, good nourishment, sleep, good hygiene and de-stressing your life.

In the past few decades, the average age for a first pregnancy in the U.S. has moved from the mid twenties into the mid thirties. In the same time period, the facts of conception — sperm enters egg released in mid cycle, then zygote implants in the uterus, along with how sex allows this to happen and how to prevent it — seems to have disappeared from middle and high school health classes. If that weren’t enough, as women have become more and more essential in the work force, the cost of having children as well as starting later, have driven down the birth rate. Similar conditions exist in most developed nations, although teen pregnancy rates are lower everywhere else.

The birthing population has bifurcated — we see older women (over 35) and teens as the major groups having children. On the one hand we have been working to reduce teen pregnancy while helping older and older women become first time moms. To a certain extent, they need the same information; its just that with teens we use this information to prevent pregnancy and with older women we use information to help them increase their odds of getting pregnant.

Understanding the menstrual cycle, ovulation, charting temperature — all the basic techniques of using the “natural” method of birth control — have become the first steps of the how-to-get-pregnant coaches. Beyond this, a number of sites have their own essential lists to help women be healthy and ready. Sites such as gettingpregnant.com, pregnancy.org/getting-pregnant, and storknet.com/cubbies/preconception/ provide additional information. Many suggestions — things to avoid eating, what proteins are needed for ovulation, how to reduce stress, what to do if there are sperm problems, how to find IVF clinics, donors and surrogates — are addressed.

How effective are these suggestions? Well, research tells us they are somewhat effective. None of the sites I contacted answered my query about how they measure or assess consumer outcomes when following their suggestions.

An interesting article in the NY Times 9/1/2011, entitled Are You as Fertile as You Look? openened with this sentence: “FORTY may be the new 30, but try telling that to your ovaries.” The reality is that being under 35 is still the best predictor of how difficult it may be for you to become pregnant. As the article makes clear, looking 30 and being 30 are not the same thing. Even healthy living does not prevent the loss of good eggs.

So, what conclusions can we draw? First, even if you come from a “fertile family,” it may behoove you to have your children in your late 20s or early 30s. Second, if you are putting off having children beyond that time, ask yourself what extremes you are willing to go to to have your own biological offspring. And, third, consider adoption. Frankly, it would be wonderful if adoption were easier, but in the drive to conceive at later and later ages we see the hand of biology and understand why adoption is not easy:  Our own offspring — our own DNA out there in the world — is a heady motivation.

If you are on the pathway of becoming pregnant, being under 35 is the best ally you have. If not, maybe some of the suggestions on the web will work for you. Whatever you decide, all the best.

One parting comment:  Regular moderate exercise — while it helps you stay young and healthy — will not prevent your eggs from being popped out every month. It will help you have a healthy pregnancy if you conceive, so stay with it!

In the contemporary world, we are not as active as previous generations. Few women exercise to the extent required to develop the capacity to withstand the rigors of birth. It is little wonder that so often what childbirth educators hear from pregnant moms is that they are afraid of birth and don’t have confidence in their ability to do it. There are solutions for these issues…

The biggest bang for the buck is aerobics. This gets almost everything that helps you in labor:  increased endurance, strength and range of motion; improved breathing capacity (you get more oxygen + less fatigue) and reduced need to tap your cardiac reserve (your body works hard but not to the degree it must if you are not fit); and mental toughness that gets you the confidence you need that your body is capable.

Learning useful positions is extremely helpful. If you are active be sure that your workout includes such things as squatting and other movements that aid your progress in labor. Being upright and moving are keys to a healthy labor.

Mental focus and being present teach you to work with your body. Activities such as yoga, pilates for pregnancy and dance help you develop the mental skills that accompany your movement. Learn to recognize your body’s signals to you when it’s time to push.

Keep moving…right into labor and birth!

Mom & Baby Beauties!

Special thanks to Bonica and Julia from one of our Mom & Baby Fitness groups for this delightful photo! It just goes to show…there is no end to the fun things you can do if you use your imagination. Do think “Safety First,” but other than that, the sky’s the limit!

Here is the link to the story and the subtitle:

http://branford.patch.com/articles/ann-cowlin-a-prenatal-fitness-pioneer-celebrates-30-years-of-work

What started as a “fledgling experiment” has become one Branford woman’s life work.

Thank you for taking a look!

Still looking for new ways to develop core strength & coordination for new moms…start with the posture on the left (inhale) and move to the one on the right (exhale). Keep the transverse abdominal sucked in. Repeat.…

We discovered this 3rd body in working with women to gain the fitness necessary to have a healthy recovery and enjoy motherhood. What we found was that women were often becoming more fit than they had been before pregnancy, with less body fat and more muscle, yet their clothes did not fit the same.  Sometimes the flaring of the ribs and/or hip bones made for a larger waist – despite less fat!

Many clients also feel a new, deeper sense of their core developed. In fact, over time they realized they actually liked this body better in some ways! After all, they came into the world with the pre-pregnancy body, but this body they actually created out of the profound experience of the physical self that pregnancy and birth provide. It extended the empowerment of birth into motherhood.

Extending this metaphor even further, of course, leads to the 4th and 5th bodies, if you have another child. Eventually, there are more bodies as women go through perimenopause, menopause, post menopause, and what I like to call the phenomenal wisdom stage. Each body represents a new opportunity to become someone strong and profound.

I figure I am to body #8 now, and in each stage I have found something incredible that I could not have at other stages. Long ago I gave up looking for my past bodies. Each one has been brilliant in some way, but in the end it had to be left behind if I was to enjoy life’s path to the fullest.

Living in the moment does require knowing where you are in time, space and energy. So, discard your past bodies with delight and move on. Use your energy to create yourself in the present.

It’s a process and you won’t fully live in your next body until you own the toll of the last one. A postpartum mom may experience hair loss, bigger feet, a mal-aligned spine, constant thirst if she is breastfeeding, exhaustion and a jelly belly. But, all these things will pass with time, if you eat right and exercise regularly. Oh, and you can bring the baby, who will have a blast meeting other babies!!

Mother’s Day is an important day!  It is set aside because – let’s face it – without our mothers, none of us would be here. Not only do moms carry us inside their own bodies for those critical nine months, but once we are here our mom, or someone who can sub for our mom, is essential to our early survival.

Many presents celebrate motherhood. We can also give gifts that save mother’s lives, help them nurture their children, and improve the lives of families in our own countries and the developing world.

Here are a few groups to which you might want to consider giving this year. By donating to these organizations you can help improve the lives of mothers and children. Most will send a card or email message to the mom in whose honor you give the gift.

UNICEF Inspired Gifts.  You can choose gifts that improve education, water, health, nutrition, emergency care and other factors that affect the well-being of women and children.

White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood. You can advocate for every mother and every child in 152 nations when you give to this organization.

International Confederation of Midwives. This group exists to raise awareness of the global role of midwives in reducing maternal and newborn child mortality.

The Fistula Foundation. This group exists to raise awareness of and funding for fistula treatment, prevention and educational programs worldwide. Fistula is the devastating injury cause by untreated obstructed labor.

The Preeclampsia Foundation. This organization supports research to prevent and treat one of the most dangerous disorders of pregnancy, one that accounts for a large percentage of premature births and low birth weight infants. Having preeclampsia is also a risk factor for later heart disease for the mother.

March of Dimes. The “mother” of all charities for helping prevent and treat disorders and diseases that affect children.

Happy Mother’s Day to you and – hopefully – to all mothers everywhere!