Pelvic Floor Physiotherapy is something we wish more mamas knew about. Your pelvic floor holds together a group of muscles that support your pelvic organs, like your bladder and rectum. Because your pelvis is closely located to your hips, these muscles also play a big role in providing stability to your core. 

The pregnancy journey can really exhaust your pelvic floor, resulting in a loss of strength and balance in the muscles. Seeing a pelvic floor physiotherapist is one way to better understand how your pelvic floor is changing and provides you with a safe plan to rebuild your strength. By working with a Pelvic Floor Physio {PFP} from the first trimester, you’ll be able to manage changes in your body with more confidence and support. In postpartum, the guidance of a physiotherapist will help you safely reach your exercise goals.
​
We sat with Lamiya Zaidi, one of our registered pelvic floor physiotherapists to share more about what you can expect on your first pelvic floor physio appointment.

February is Psychology Month so we reached out to our counselling team for recommendations on mental health books specific to new and expecting parents. 

Becoming a new parent can be joyful, but the journey is also filled with hills of both highs and lows. In addition to aches and pains, sleepless nights and other common new parenthood hurdles, many are faced with pregnancy and postpartum mental health issues including stress, anxiety and depression.

Prioritizing maternal mental health is important, especially in the early postpartum days. Our team of registered psychotherapists at Yoga Mamas have put together a handful of expert-approved titles you should read if you're a new parent.

The past nineteen months have been challenging on so many levels for human beings around the world. The Pandemic is responsible for unleashing a lot of feelings from parents, elders, single folks, youth, and caregivers. For me, 2020 was also a year of raising a new baby during the early days of a global pandemic (while homeschooling a kindergartener) and adjusting to a new lifestyle with two kids at home. On top of worrying about what this scary virus meant for adults and kids alike, I was also worried about forgetting everything that comes with having a baby: how to take care of him, how to respond to his needs, how to figure out what he’s feeling, how much to feed him, and how to let myself recover from a c-section when all I wanted to do was move… but it turns out that:

1. Every baby is different,
2. Recovery is extremely important, and
3. Parents just figure it out, over and over again. Human beings are smart, intuitive, adaptive and resilient.

​
Despite all the challenges faced this year, I did discover something to make my mama-life much easier: I discovered milk-duct therapy and c-section scar release therapy at Yoga Mamas in Toronto. 

Is acupuncture safe during pregnancy?
Receiving acupuncture treatments by a qualified registered practitioner is safe throughout all stages of your pregnancy. Acupuncture works be regulating your body’s energy systems, thereby working with your body towards achieving greater health and well-being. 

What conditions can acupuncture help with during pregnancy? 
Acupuncture can support your health during your pregnancy by addressing these trimester symptoms:

• First trimester - Sets the foundation for a healthy pregnancy. It can alleviate morning sickness, vomiting, fatigue and headaches.
• Second trimester - Offers relief from common complaints. It helps to alleviate heartburn, hemorrhoids, stress, sleep problems, edema, elevated blood pressure and weight gain.
• Third trimester - Prepares the body for labour and delivery. It helps to alleviate sciatica, hip, joint, pubic and back pain.