I’d also love to share with you this collection of womb wisdom and gentle healing practices from a few of my favorite and most trusted sources:

I want to share a few things that have helped me cope with amplified prenatal anxiety and sustain my well-being during these uncertain times with the intention of offering empathetic support to you if this resonates with you, mama.

1. Starting the day with grounding practices. I don’t have one that I always use because every day calls for a fresh perspective and approach, IMHO. Here are some things I’ve done this past week before getting into the work responsibilities of the day:

• • Go for a run/jog/brisk walk outside (I find this to be most beneficial without headphones/music in order to tune into my breathing and the quiet sounds of morning in nature)
  • Guided meditation (like this beautiful 11 minutes, guided by my best friend and wise one)
  • Open windows around the house and begin burning sage or incense (sierra cedarwood is what I’ve been opting for to promote stability, grounding and strength). Then I stand firmly in the center of the first floor of my house with my arms open with the intention of receiving all that is needed.
  • Spend a little extra time in bed with my husband with our hands placed over my womb, and talk or sing to the baby.

2. Moving my body through a workout every day.  I’ve been alternating indoor and outdoor workouts. Indoors, it’s strength training on my own or taking a BodyWiseMama class.  Outdoors, it’s usually an hour’s worth of cardio intervals: running/jogging/walking.  The intentions of these workouts are a lift in mood and vitality, anxiety reduction, “sweating it out” and feeling the satisfaction of my muscles being pumped up.
3.  Eating small meals/snacks throughout the day versus big meals. As my pregnancy progresses, I’m finding that I feel uncomfortably full with less than the usual portion size when I’ve eaten “3 square meals.” The adjustment to 6 or 7 small meals/snacks throughout the day (approximately every 2 hours) helps me feel balanced and lighter in body and mind. An example of a small meal is what I ate for breakfast this morning: 1 slice toasted Paleo Bread topped with ¼ avocado + 1 tbsp. miso kimchi with a side of “almond butter protein” (my own concoction of ½ scoop Vega brand protein + unsweetened macadamia nut milk [enough to make a smooth pudding texture] + 1 tbsp. almond butter. Total calories: ~250.  As with all nutrition advice that involves calories, please note: your personal caloric intake during pregnancy will be different than mine based on several factors.  Always consult with an RD or your prenatal care providers for individualized guidance.
4. Connecting with friends, family and community (at a socially responsible distance right now). This has taken on so many surprising forms beyond Zoom, FaceTime and Skype. Being outside (again, at a socially responsible distance) with my neighbors and community members, giving nods of acknowledgment that “we’re in this together,” and witnessing families spending quality time together in the fresh air more than usual has been really uplifting and reassuring.  I delivered a hand-written note to my next door neighbor, who’s an older adult with preexisting health conditions and living alone, to offer to pick up and drop off anything he might need.  That simple, 5-minute act did wonders for my reducing anxiety by reminding me of my own personal well-being.  I’m thinking of doing it again for some other neighbors who might be even more isolated from the outside world than I am.
5. Using my established virtual platform and mission-driven business to be of even more service to my BodyWiseMamas. Second to moving my body every day, helping empower, being of service to and a connector for a diverse community of mothers are my antidotes to anxiety, depression and loneliness. This includes the continuity of local weekly classes via Zoom (potentially reaching so many more students outside of Philly and South Jersey as well!), discounted memberships, virtual one-on-one personal training/health coaching sessions, and sharing my time and expertise for free as much as possible.

Active birth is the embodiment of trusting and allowing Mother Nature to lead the way – moving through some or all of the stages of labor with positions, decisions and actions that follow the innate rhythms, urges and signals of your body. 

It entails physical activity like ambulatory labor (i.e. free to walk/move around) and upright childbirth (e.g. squatting, kneeling, hands + knees, etc.).  It means responding to the sensations of labor with rhythmic breathing and movements that help you feel confident, comforted, strong, resilient and empowered.  Active birth is achieved by using your chosen sources of physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual support at will and based on what feels the most natural for you – moment by moment, contraction by contraction.  It doesn’t necessarily mean medicine- or intervention-free.  The principles of active birth are rooted in our ancient human origins but have evolved with modern medicine.  You can implement them in any setting and under the care of any type of practitioner – from hospital to home; from midwife to obstetrician. 

All of the BodyWiseMama prenatal workouts for labor, birth and postpartum recovery align so perfectly with these principles, which inspired me to share what I’ve learned about active birth and how to put it into action.  Over the years, I’ve developed a prenatal strength training method in response to what my clients and students have reported being helpful and useful during “real life labor.”  I’ve historically relied on their anecdotal evidence to hone that method. Now, I’ve gone on to do more research on evidence-based practices in preparing the body and mind for the most natural birth experience possible.  Surprisingly, what I have learned has only reinforced or articulated what I’d already been teaching (and, at times, preaching!).  

Here’s what I’ve curated through my research as the essentials of a prenatal workout program to prepare for active labor, birth and postpartum recovery:

• • Grounding + Centering
  • Rhythmic Breathing in Response to Intense Sensation
  • Muscle Strengthening + Lengthening (i.e. eccentric or slow, steady + controlled)
  • Increasing Endurance through High Volume Total Body Workouts (i.e. lots of reps or time under tension)
  • Try a Variety of Positions throughout the Workout
  • Using Good Pain to Increase Presence (i.e. muscle burn and soreness)
  • Increasing the Mind-to-Muscle Connection (i.e. visualizing or focusing intently on the “push muscles”)
  • Invigorating Exercise → Endorphin Release → Relaxation + Pain Relief
  • Using Physical Challenges to build Confidence, Empowerment + Resilience

Join me in the challenge to commit to 20 MINUTES of strength training daily for 20 DAYS in a row to positively POWER UP 2020!

Here’s how to do it:

Shuffle around the following 3 prenatal/postpartum workouts (scroll down to view) however you want to for 20 days in a row.  You can stick to the same circuit for all 20 days if it moves you. I’ve designed all of the sequences with exercises that are generally safe and effective for every stage of pregnancy and postpartum recovery.  Modifications are offered where appropriate.  

Please take the proper precautions before jumping on board by getting medical clearance by your doctor or midwife if you haven’t done so already.  

Equipment-wise, you’ll need a couple sets of of light-to-moderate weight dumbbells and/or resistance bands plus two yoga blocks.  No equipment on hand? No worries! Just select the moves that don’t require dumbbells/bands and you can simply leave the blocks out of the equation.  

I want you to truly heed the wisdom of your body – listening to and trusting the signals it sends to you to push a little harder, slow down a bit, modify the workout in your own way or take a day off completely.  You’ll know what you need to do for yourself if you just keep practicing this #bodywisemama approach along the way. This is part of the process of preparing body and mind for labor, birth and new motherhood!

PRENATAL/POSTPARTUM FITNESS TIPS:

LET’S DO THIS!

Choose a Circuit. Set a Timer. Pace Yourself. Feel the Burn.

Repeat circuit of choice as many times as possible in 20 minutes.

Let’s keep in touch as we go to raise the bar on accountability and community support!

How are you feeling after day 1, day 10, day 20?  Which exercises feel easy and which feel challenging?  Have you rocked any modifications that you can share with your fellow BodyWiseMamas?

Feel free to drop your comments right here or DM me on IG or FB @bodywisemama! #bodywisemama2020

This edition of the BodyWiseMama Guide to Gearing Up is BOLD!  

I consider it “bold” to curate a guide for labor + birth because, across the board, delivering a baby is an amazingly variable and unpredictable experience on the path of motherhood.  When all is said and done, women “successfully” give birth in many different ways.  The following recommendations are intended to help you feel ready for navigating and responding to a multitude of variables (including how, where and with whose assistance you deliver) as you move towards giving birth.  Although we are not speaking directly to these variables so specifically or at length, please note that a lot of the recommendations here generally pertain to enduring early-to-active labor leading up to a vaginal birth.  If you are scheduled for or end up going in for a C-section, we’ve got you covered in terms of creating a pre-op foundation for post-op recovery and resiliency.  Please always check with your doctor, nurses, midwives, surgeon, etc. first before applying the tips in this guide.

All the products, services and practices below are not intended to be one-size-fits-all prescriptions.  They are, however, the most frequently recommended by real deal experts in their respective fields – from Western to Eastern Medicine, exercise to essential oils, and whole foods to homeopathy.  The five aspects of holistically gearing up for labor and birth included in this guide are:

Strength + Stamina

Nutrition + Energy

Bodywork + Relaxation

Acupuncture + Restoration

Essential Oils + Energetic Elevation

STRENGTH + STAMINA

Source: Kate Jesuele, MA, CPT, R-DMT, Certified Pre/Postnatal Fitness Instructor & Health Coach

Email: kate@bodywisemama.com  /  IG & FB: @bodywisemama

Giving birth is a literal labor of love – a sacred experience of divine feminine power.  I’d also like to add that it’s an athletic event.  As such, why not train the body and the brain for it?  I can’t tell you how many clients and students recount their birth story with anecdotal evidence that it is a total body workout (to say the least!) and that they rocked it.  Women who’ve trained with me throughout pregnancy report strong push muscle memory kicking in as well as confidently lifting and holding themselves up with feats of upper body strength while they push (think biceps curls, lat pulls and triceps dips… no kidding!).

When I say “train,” I am NOT talking about grueling, drill-sergeant-like workouts with a ‘no rest for the weary’ or ‘no pain no gain’ mentality.  On the contrary, I’m a proponent of practicing and preparing with strength, stamina and endurance exercises for the physical and mental demands that delivering a new life into this world will inevitably place on you.  If you’re trying to conceive or pregnant as you read this, I’ve no doubt you’re nodding your head because you already feel those demands of conceiving and carrying your baby.

In addition to reframing your prenatal workouts as training sessions for labor and birth, a lot of my fitness coaching leading up to baby’s b-day is focused on laying the foundation for a mindset of a professional athlete.  We can glean lots of inspiration and motivation from how athletes optimize their fitness for our endurance challenge of giving birth AND transitioning to new motherhood.  For example: current research suggests that focusing on high quality sleep AND exposure to sunlight in addition to nutrition and exercise are major league moves to elevating sports performance for professional and recreational athletes alike.

Whatever your labor and birth plans are, now is the time to focus on establishing the positive self-care habits of eating, training (preferably in sunshine!) and recovering like an athlete to move through delivery and into your postpartum recovery.

Here are five ways to transform prenatal workouts into highly specialized labor and birth training sessions.  One of the best pieces of advice that translates to a vaginal delivery is to practice a laser focused connection to the muscles you’re using as much as possible while you work out – especially your “push muscles.”  When I was studying to become a certified pre/postnatal fitness coach, I was taught to “push through the butt and the gut.”  Well, that’s not exactly true as it turns out.  But, here’s what actually helps: on each push, exhale to contract the diaphragm while relaxing the inner thigh muscles as much as possible.  If you’re within a few weeks of your due date, grab a buddy or your birth partner and try this exercise to pump up your push muscles, improve your posture, build trust and practice mindful breathing at the same time.  It’s one of the most efficient and fun labor training moves!

Are you scheduled for a C-section?  Please keep in mind that all of the BodyWiseMama methods of training for labor and birth apply to you as well!  Your prenatal workouts will build a foundation of total body strength and resiliency for your post-op recovery.

For a limited time only, enjoy a free 45-minute virtual coaching session with Kate for tailor-made recommendations to prepare and pump up for your unique abor and birth!  Click HERE to schedule.

• • Pedialyte
  • Coconut water
  • Electrolyte water
  • Broth
  • Popsicles
  • If you are unable to drink fluid, you can ask for an IV fluid bag which contains sugar, salt and other electrolytes.

• • Trail mix
  • Tuna or salmon packets (they may need to eat these in the hallway)
  • Peanut butter crackers
  • Dry roasted chickpeas (try a pre-made brand like Bienna)
  • Fruit cups packed in water
  • Water Bottles”

• Gain a deeper understanding of the labor process that includes: the stages of labor, variations during this process, signs of progression and stalling/slowing down.
• Learn comfort and relaxation techniques that include: supportive positioning for each stage of labor and ways to help with optimal fetal positioning; massage and counter pressure to reduce stress and discomfort; breath-work to use during contractions; and gain an overall understanding of the mind/body connection.
• Discuss how to become your own birth advocate by: learning way to express your individual goals, understanding how to make informed decisions during your labor including if presented with unexpected obstacles/interventions, and ways to create a positive, supportive birthing environment.

Are you local to South Jersey?  Save 10% off your first massage with Carrie in preparation for baby’s b-day when you mention the BodyWiseMama Guide to Gearing Up for Labor + Birth!

ACUPUNCTURE + RESTORATION

Source: Caroline Grace Ashurst, M.Ac., Dipl.Ac., Founder of Restorative Harmony Acupuncture

Email: restorativeharmony@gmail.com   /   Social: @restorativeharmony

“Oftentimes, mamas-to-be are busy working until they literally go into labor because they want to bank as much time off as possible for their postpartum period with their new baby. I get that in our culture we are unfortunately practically forced to plan our lives this way, and it is the mothers who pay the most for the imposition that our cultural values and work ethic place on families (I can go on and on and on about this!)  This last “push” before the birth itself can be extremely stressful and exhausting for a full term mama, and all of the stress leading up to it can really inhibit a timely and easeful labor.

In Chinese medicine, the Liver and Kidneys both take the energetic hit for this modern day conundrum. I highly recommend weekly treatments 6 weeks leading up to the estimated due date, but because of this need to “grind it” until the end of term, I cannot recommend it enough. These end of term treatments balance the Liver and Kidneys, help ripen the cervix, improve blood flow, and clear energetic and emotional blocks from stress that often accompanies this last home stretch before the baby arrives.  Sometimes these appointments are the ~only~ time a mama gets to rest and relax during these last precious days.

As for acupuncture administered during labor itself, there is actually a program in a New York City hospital that treats laboring womxn with acupuncture because of its incredible ability to advance labor more safely and efficiently, and to help mitigate labor intensity. I do not offer acupuncture during labor, however I love treating pregnant womxn in my practice, so please come see me!  If you are intrigued by the concept of acupuncture during labor, you can actually utilize the incredible benefits of acupuncture points during labor by having your labor partner use them as pressure points!  It is a massage technique that is very easy to integrate. Here is a wonderful free guide for acupressure during labor by Debra Betts that I’ve made available to you on my website.

My second suggestion for Labor + Birth is to do.your.research.  I will always support a womxn’s choice 100% of the time in my practice, and I will try to educate her on best practices out there and share all of the great resources I have come to accumulate over the years. If you are interested in natural birth (or at least vaginal), you can gauge whether a hospital/institution truly supports vaginal birth by looking at the hospital’s cesarean rates: they will tell you a lot about their intention to support you if that is your choice in your birthing plan.

In general, I think it is pretty common for acupuncturists who are familiar with the labor and birthing process to personally recommend the midwifery model.

Midwifery sees birth as a natural human process that doesn’t innately need interventions; obstetricians see birth as an emergency that requires intervention. That philosophical difference alone speaks volumes.  Again, do your research and do what feels RIGHT for YOU.  Ask doctors and midwives if they really do support your birth vision and will do everything in their power to accommodate it. REALLY listen with your GUT to their response.  Make appointments with a few different practices to see what feels like a good fit. There’s no reason you only have to pick one and go with that!

If midwifery care interests you and you’re unfamiliar, I recommend Lifecycle Woman Care in Bryn Mawr. They have a South Philly outpost for appointments as well. In addition to their prenatal and labor and delivery care, they also offer “well womxn” visits and are capable of writing prescriptions and doing most of the same testing and labs as Ob’s. You can establish yourself there well before you plan on conceiving, or make an appointment to find out if the midwifery care model may resonate with your needs after you have conceived.

The bottom line is, advocate for yourself. Don’t give your power away because of fear, uncertainty, or not being educated. You should be spending your hard earned money on practitioners that you feel exceedingly good about!”

Start your 6-week cycle of pre-birth acunpuncture with Caroline HERE and save 10% on your first session when you mention the BodyWiseMama Guide to Gearing Up for Labor + Birth!

I recently recovered from an apparent TTC-related hormonal flux that led to heart palpitations, high anxiety (i.e. multiple panic attacks daily) and insomnia for a solid week.  This wasn’t my first rodeo of wrangling the wild bull of hormones, but this felt like a different beast.  Getting through it was tough but necessary.  And necessity is often the mother of invention.  “Whatever works” became my mantra for the rest of the week.  I’m grateful to be feeling stable and steady in my body, mind and spirit today.  Reflecting back, I know for sure that the following prescription is what helped me naturally restore my hormonal, physical, psychological and emotional well-being:

Embody

Express

Rest

Repeat

[Side note in the spirit of full disclosure: Doing “whatever works” may have also included a hypochondriacal visit to Urgent Care for an EKG just to confirm that I was not going to keel over from a cardiac event.  The heart is strong and resilient, my friends.]

On countless occasions over the course of the aforementioned week, I found it immensely helpful to move into, focus on and feel physical sensations in my body with the support of solid ground.  In other words: EMBODY.  The best definitions of embodiment I’ve found comes from Merriam-Webster: “to give a body to (a spirit)” and “to cause to become a body or part of a body.”  My own definition goes something like this: “to create physical form and containment within which emotions may be held, felt and dealt.”  The disassociation – a frightening feeling of being cut off from or outside of the body – that often occurs with a panic episode was what I needed to remedy ASAP.

On one such occasion, the onset of heart palpitations while I tried to fall asleep led to the start of a panic attack.  I was hyperventilating and spiraling out of my body.  My husband stayed with me while I while I breathed into a paper bag  (which could work by adding more CO2 to the blood) but that wasn’t working fast enough.  I intuitively dropped to the floor in the nook of my altar (a place I designate for meditative movement and prayer).  As a bonus, the blinds on the window were lifted enough for me to have a perfect view of the full moon.  I latched onto that moon, felt the weight of my body completely held by the solid ground, and followed the movement of my breath with my hands placed on my belly.  I began to sob as the panic subsided and my presence grew.  As dramatic as the whole scene may have been, the tearful release of emotions too big to hold, feel or deal with actually put me to sleep.  I stayed the night on the floor curled up in the fetal position.

Once I was able to anchor myself through embodiment, I felt safe and free to EXPRESS mainly through a whole lot of crying.  I came to realize that heavy sobs were an indication that I was already on my way to feeling clearer, calmer and more collected again.  I did my best to let that happen as much as it needed to (sunglasses were clutch!).  Throughout my week of alarming palpitations, anxiety, interrupted sleep and overflowing tears, there were myriad byproducts of being in a state of depletion (e.g. digestive disruptions like heart burn, headaches, mental fogginess, muscle tension/pain, etc.).  So, it became very clear that I needed to reach out for reinforcement and support.

I went with acupuncture, which always eases me into meditation, quiets my sympathetic nervous system, draws out anything that’s stagnant or stuck and boosts my body’s healing process.  I booked a massage for myself with a trusted practitioner who specializes in intuitive and spiritual bodywork.  With her, I’d be guided through talking first about the places in my body where grief, trauma and other emotional debris may be held and then treated to the most magical massage that would “put me the f*ck to sleep” (her literal words to me!).  I also had a therapy session with a shamanic healer.  This healer with whom I’ve been working for years incorporates talk therapy in her “earth-based medicine” process.  And she wasn’t messing around when I showed up.  We directly and verbally addressed my deepest fears and darkest shadows.  I cried and talked, talked and cried, and cried some more.  But, I started to express very clearly the grief, trauma and control that my body, mind and spirit were gripping for dear life.  Once I got through that session, I felt ready to open up to others.  I’m grateful to my siblings, best friend and healing guides for answering my calls.

A couple of days later, I began to think about elements of embodiment that are inherent part of the prenatal workouts I create for the BodyWiseMama community.  Here’s why they are suited for more than preparing you for the physical demands of labor, birth and postpartum recovery.

I am always threading a mind/body connection throughout every class.  This obviously goes for preconception and postpartum fitness as well.  The BodyWiseMama method is intended to orient you through tangible sensations of solid ground, stability and strength (i.e. burning, quivering and fatiguing muscles).  It’s designed to move you from where you are towards feeling more self-aware, empowered and energetic.  My fitness philosophy for every stage of pregnancy is and has always been “mental health through the body.”

If you are trying to get through or recovering from a rough night filled with sleeplessness, anxiety, physical discomfort, etc, I invite you to STOP and DROP into this dose of movement medicine with me RIGHT NOW. 

I’m with you on this roller coaster of a ride – from TTC to postpartum recovery – to help you gain a sense of control, steadiness and presence in your mind and body.  Please rest assured that my classes are safe for all trimesters and fitness levels – wherever you are on your path of pregnancy and motherhood.

My own trying times – and hard-learned healing processes – are eventually fuel for the fire inside to help you.  They inspire me to keep building this community of empowered women, to hold us all accountable to do our work – to rise and shine in authentic power.  If you are at what I call a “critical point” of needing the utmost support to move through a trying time on your journey, you’re in the right place.  We can move forward together.

Lastly, while TTC, I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of receiving the healing powers of private yoga/meditation sessions with Paige Chapman, owner of Mama’s Wellness Joint.  She just opened registration for her virtual experience, Radiant One, that begins September 30th!  I highly encourage you to look into this if you are seeking a spiritual renovation or upgrade at this stage of your journey.  Don’t miss this golden opportunity to delve into the divine with Paige.  For a limited time only, Paige is offering an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT for the BodyWiseMama community!  Hop on over to my Instagram page to unlock the super secret promo code.

Now, go on: REST + REPEAT and call me in the morning.