As many Coach House patients know I am embarking on this wonderful journey of pregnancy and motherhood for the first time (our little girl is due to arrive May 11th) and with all the books, websites, social media outlets etc... it can be very overwhelming!
The benefit of working at the Coach House, besides our amazing patients of course, is that I am surrounded by not only other parents but, those who work in medical fields, especially natural ones. Plus, with our network of fellow natural based businesses, it has really helped guide me to some healthier and more natural options while my body is going through these changes.
Below are a few examples of things that I have discovered along the way that really worked for me! With anything regarding your pregnancy, of course check in with your primary care physician or naturopathic doctor first.
A Growing Belly AND Winter Skin?!?!?!?
Yup- this happened! January and February were brutal on my skin not only from because my fascia was stretching to meet the demands of the growing belly, but add to that the cold weather and heaters turned up in the office, car, everywhere: I was going CRAZY!
Our Naturopathic Doctor, Dr. Jessica, to the rescue! She introduced our clinic and patients to an incredible line of natural skin care products made right here in Kitchener Waterloo, Cocoon Apothecary. Trust me: the ENTIRE staff (and our hubbies) are addicted to this line: It's amazing!
According to Dr. Jessica: "The
best way to keep your skin hydrated is by keeping your whole body
hydrated- drinking water. But, especially during the winter months, we can use a little
extra topical support. However, standard moisturizers (petroleum based
like Vaseline) often only provide a barrier without actually hydrating
the skin. This can actually make dry skin worse because it not only tries to lock moisture in, it also blocks air and moisture from getting in! It
can also clog pores creating break outs. So skip the chemical based
'moisturizers' and opt for natural oils that don't clog pores and that
provide both moisturizing and hydrating effects."
When you hear it like that it makes sense, right? So I immediately purchased Cocoon's Purist Unscented Body lotion and you could totally tell the difference from a texture point of view from the very first use. And guess what: in less than 2 days my winter skin 'dry patches' were completely gone! Bye bye irritating, night time scratch-a-thons!
I now use this product all over, including the belly, after every shower. If I get one of those days with 'itchy, growing belly' a little of this and *poof* itching gone! And trust me, as Dr. Jessica says, with this product being natural oil based a little goes a long way- I still have a lot in my bottle, and that's having to cover an ever increasing belly!
Another product our staff was introduced to and have used is Substance Belly Jelly. We featured this product at our "Birds n' Bees" seminar with the help of Nimira Husein, owner of Tadpole Children's Shoppe in Uptown Waterloo.
Described on parentingbynature.ca as "A rich emollient balm designed to intensely
moisturize the skin. Packed full of oils high in vitamin E, Belly Jelly
increases the skin's elasticity, allowing it to stretch with your
growing belly. Rich shea butter, oats, lavender and a special blend of
essential oils further nurtures the skin to add that extra ounce of
prevention." which translated means this can help minimize stretch marks!
As I am in my last 2 months of pregnancy, the months of most growth, I'm super excited to try this product. The Belly Jelly of course can be used throughout all stages of belly growth but for my belly (and don't forget: everyone's fascia is different!) I found using the Cocoon Apothecary up until this stage worked for me. They even have a travel stick! It's available at Tadpole Children's Shoppe (you can do a registry online as well) and don't worry: if it's sold out as it was when I went in due to popularity, Nimira and staff will take your name and call you as soon as an order arrives.
Staying Hydrated...Safely
When you hear it like that it makes sense, right? So I immediately purchased Cocoon's Purist Unscented Body lotion and you could totally tell the difference from a texture point of view from the very first use. And guess what: in less than 2 days my winter skin 'dry patches' were completely gone! Bye bye irritating, night time scratch-a-thons!
I now use this product all over, including the belly, after every shower. If I get one of those days with 'itchy, growing belly' a little of this and *poof* itching gone! And trust me, as Dr. Jessica says, with this product being natural oil based a little goes a long way- I still have a lot in my bottle, and that's having to cover an ever increasing belly!
Another product our staff was introduced to and have used is Substance Belly Jelly. We featured this product at our "Birds n' Bees" seminar with the help of Nimira Husein, owner of Tadpole Children's Shoppe in Uptown Waterloo.
Described on parentingbynature.ca as "A rich emollient balm designed to intensely
moisturize the skin. Packed full of oils high in vitamin E, Belly Jelly
increases the skin's elasticity, allowing it to stretch with your
growing belly. Rich shea butter, oats, lavender and a special blend of
essential oils further nurtures the skin to add that extra ounce of
prevention." which translated means this can help minimize stretch marks!As I am in my last 2 months of pregnancy, the months of most growth, I'm super excited to try this product. The Belly Jelly of course can be used throughout all stages of belly growth but for my belly (and don't forget: everyone's fascia is different!) I found using the Cocoon Apothecary up until this stage worked for me. They even have a travel stick! It's available at Tadpole Children's Shoppe (you can do a registry online as well) and don't worry: if it's sold out as it was when I went in due to popularity, Nimira and staff will take your name and call you as soon as an order arrives.
Staying Hydrated...Safely
So. very. thirsty! was and still is a common theme in pregnancy and it's very important for mom and baby to stay hydrated. According to the Dieticians of Canada pregnant females should aim for 2.3L or 9 1/2 cups of water per day. Although my body wanted water I found I got so bored with "just water" throughout the day.
Thankfully there are a number of websites that offer various diffusion recipes using fruit and/or vegetable to help stave off boredom. These recipes and guidelines can actually be found on a previous Blog we did dated January 11th of this year. Feel free to visit that Blog for a lot of great information regarding dehydration and of course an easy chart for fun and tasty water recipes.http://thecoachhousetc.blogspot.ca/2017/01/tasty-water-recipes-to-stay-hydrated.html
Not only is it important to stay hydrated, but the type of glass you use to consume your fluid is just as important. Dr. Jessica has some very clear advice when it comes to plastic water bottles etc.. and your health: "DITCH THE PLASTIC. That BPA-Free label really means nothing when it comes to whether or not the plastic is healthy. Whether BPA-free or not, it will leach chemicals that you do not want to be exposed to." You can read more about how the BPA-free label is very misleading in her Facebook post dated January 12/17 on our Coach House Therapeutic Centre page featuring the following article: http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/bpa-free-plastic-alternative-bps-may-not-be-safer-after-all-1.2184973
Thankfully Coach House friends fenigo.com are here for us. Located on Lexington Road in Waterloo this store is a treasure trove helping you go plastic and litter-free! Their glass water bottles are great and even better: they have glass travel mugs for coffee, tea etc... which is incredibly important as you do not want any chemicals leaching from the heat. That's just the beginning of the great and healthy products they provide!
A Snuggle Buddy for Sleep...Rest for your Aching Back
As the belly grows so does the discomfort. Whether it's restlessness at night time with your body getting adjusted to the new changes in your posture, or to the lower back pain most females feel with the growing belly this is definitely an issue for most pregnant females. Besides stretch marks (and the actual birth of course) the idea or threat of lower back and hip pain along with lack of sleep is usually at the top of our lists, especially heading into the third trimester.
May I introduce your new best friend: The Snoogle by LeachCo!
I have my best friend Michelle to thank for this little gift from heaven that I received as a Christmas present when I was approximately 5 months along. I 'thought' I was sleeping alright as that's right around the time my 'baby bump' really started to make an appearance. OH. MY. GOODNESS! What an incredible difference! I didn't realize how restless I actually was until I used this pillow and I slept like a baby from night one!
Being an RMT we are of course trained on how to give therapeutic massages throughout all stages of pregnancy. We know how to pillow the patient for safety of mom and baby, and of course for support. I was doing some pillowing every now and then between my knees but this pillow blew that away.
The pillow comes with instructions on how to use it in 8 different positions, whether sleeping in bed or sitting up and watching TV. It alleviates pressure and pain on your hips, lower back, glutes and of course supports the belly.The following 2 minute YouTube video tells you all you need to know about this great product:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5CUFF7d_Eo
To prove the point even further, I unfortunately went through about 6-8 weeks of catching every little bug and virus that went through the clinic. With these fever flashes I didn't use my Snoogle for approximately 2-3 weeks as it was making me hotter. Upon getting healthier and back to work I noticed my lower back right at my sacroiliac joints were in pain/sore by the end of my shift. Being 6 months along I thought "Uh oh, well guess it's the size of the belly, having to stand all day and this is how it'll go for the rest of my pregnancy." WRONG! I brought my Snoogle back to bed and by the next day at work no pain! And this is from someone who had to stand for approximately 7 hours a day, and run up and down stairs.
This pillow is definitely worth the approximate $85-$100 investment. Super comfortable and supportive, you don't have to worry about adjusting random pillows throughout the night and to get some proper sleep before Munchkin arrives? Priceless!
Wrapping Up
So there you go: I'm throwing my little bit into the 'pregnancy advice' ring. But again, I find I'm at an advantage not only working with other natural modalities but having a large cross section of the population in my patient base who have passed on tricks that have worked for them.
These are of course things that have helped me- every pregnancy is different. This and other concerns that you may have for your pregnancy (nausea/morning sickness, low iron etc...) should be discussed with your primary care physician or book an appointment with someone like our fantastic Dr. Jessica who has 2 munchkins of her own, so not only has she studied these elements at school but has actually utilized them and more!
Here's proof: visit our Coach House Therapeutic Centre YouTube channel for a great video on DIY Baby Wraps at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KviLWMdjmUg&t=90s
Wishing you nothing but health and happiness on your own pregnancy journey and make sure you cherish every step of the way. And of course: here's wishing all of you a safe (and quick!) delivery to welcome your beautiful bundle of joy to the world!
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