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6 Reasons To Enjoy Acupuncture During Pregnancy

11/9/2018

Written by Heather Rule, Prenatal Acupuncturist at Yoga Mamas

Pregnancy can be exciting, confusing, and sometimes just plain uncomfortable as many changes start to take place within the body. One of the most effective treatment options to help with these changes is Acupuncture. Many women are able to relieve common symptoms and discomforts associated with pregnancy by using Acupuncture throughout the various stages of pregnancy (and later in postpartum). It also helps to prepare their bodies for an easier labour and faster recovery once the baby is born. Our latest blog by our Prenatal Acupuncturist, Heather Rule R.Ac, will tell you exactly how.

1. Calming Morning Sickness And Nausea
The first trimester can be both an exciting and challenging time as the body and mind adjust to the new life growing inside. These first months of a pregnancy are characterized by nausea, and fatigue, as well as anxiety as the pregnancy establishes itself. Luckily acupuncture is great at treating these early symptoms, with many mamas experiencing immediate relief from nausea during their treatment and even leaving their appointment with an appetite!

2. Bond With Baby
Bonding with baby is something each mama will do in their own way, on their own time. Using the time during your acupuncture session is a way to begin a routine of establishing a bond early on in your pregnancy, or just relaxing back and enjoying baby's movements in the second and third trimester. Each session is one hour so after you have settled in with your treatment, and your practitioner has slipped out of the room allowing you privacy, you have time to truly unwind. The candle lit ambiance, spa music and comfy warm table will aide in relaxation. You can use this time to send love down to your baby, practice slow breathing and visualization preparing you to welcome baby, or simply day dream about your growing family and the next beautiful chapter ahead.

3. Relief From Pain And Other Pregnancy Aches
With a few acupuncture treatments you have now made it though your first trimester with minimal nausea, you’ve got energy, and your pregnancy is secure. Now you are beginning to experience back pain, hip pain, sciatica, and carpal tunnel syndrome. No problem! Acupuncture is great at treating the many aches and pains of pregnancy with lasting results and cumulative benefits from one treatment to the next. By working with nervous pathways and muscles, acupuncture can help you body find its new normal and support the changes your body is experiencing while drastically reducing pain.

4. Getting You Ready For Delivery
In the third trimester we begin to prepare the body for labour. From week 37, treatments are focused on helping your baby to descend in your pelvis, optimize baby’s position for ease of delivery, and soften the cervix. At this time I also like to offer instruction to partners on simple acupressure techniques they can do for you to manage pain and help the progress of labour. Research suggests that regular labour prep acupuncture as well as acupressure during labour can help to significantly reduce labour times, reduce the need for medical labour interventions, and reduce incidence of medical inductions.

5. For Faster Recovery And Healing After Birth
As part of my prenatal treatments I like to offer simple postpartum advice you can use during the week or so after the arrival of your little one to tide you over until your first postpartum visit to the wellness centre. This advice includes instruction on a gentle technique called Mother Warming that helps reduce postpartum blood loss, helps the uterus contract back to its pre pregnancy size, and helps to build milk supply. I also often offer some simple nutritional counselling for must-have postpartum foods to aid in postpartum recovery and lactation.

6. Reduces Stress
Finally, Acupuncture works with the emotions to optimize vitality and health overall. This can be especially beneficial during pregnancy, specifically leading up to birth, by recognizing the connection between emotional tension and physical tension. If you want to know what I mean, try this: think of something stressful that happened to you this week, now pay attention to where you feel that stress in your body. Are you clenching your jaw? Are your shoulders up around your ears? Are you making little fists? Labour is a process that requires us to open up, let go, and definitely not clench. By working to resolve stress and promote relaxation we help the body to soften and open which is a definite benefit during labour.

Hey Mama! What other ways are you seeking relief for your pregnancy aches and pains?

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5 Truths About Loss In Pregnancy

11/5/2018

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Learning you are pregnant is a life-changing moment. Naturally some pregnancies are unplanned while others are long awaited, but whether the big news comes as a surprise or a sweet relief, a welcome pregnancy is quickly followed by excitement and anticipation. It isn’t long before Mama-to-be is picking names, stockpiling receiving blankets, and dreaming of the day she holds Baby in her arms. But the truth is, not every Mama gets to meet her Little One.

Miscarriage—loss of a baby in utero—is the most common complication of pregnancy. Among women who know they are pregnant, 15-25% will end in miscarriage. Although early pregnancy loss is very common and often cannot be prevented, there is a heavy stigma surrounding it, which can cause women to feel guilt, shame, and loneliness on top of their loss.

Last month the special day of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance was on October 15th. To honour this we decided to sit down and speak with Jessica Shalchian, a DONA trained Doula, who has endured two miscarriages in less than one year. Like so many Mamas who have lost an unborn baby, she was faced with sadness and confusion, while wondering where to turn for support. Today, with Jessica’s help, we are sharing 5 Truths About Loss In Pregnancy, and why any woman who has loved & lost a baby will always be a Mama.

1. You ARE Still a Mama
Yoga Mamas: After a miscarriage, it’s common for women to feel a loss of their maternal identity. In what ways did you care for your baby in utero that made you realize you ARE still a Mama today?

Jessica Shalchian: From the moment I knew I was pregnant, I did whatever I could to protect that little human. Even something as simple as holding my hand over top of my tummy made me feel like I was holding that baby safe. I would imagine my body hugging them. I tried very hard to be mindful of what I ate, and the physical activity I did. I was tired all the time yet felt as though it was okay because it meant my body was working hard on someone worthwhile. At the end of the day, I carried this baby every second of their life—all that love and sacrifice still matters to me.

2. It’s Ok to not be Ok
YM: Some women feel a social pressure to forget the baby they’ve lost, move on, and try to have other children. How did you respect your feelings in the midst of “normal life”?
JS: When the doctor told me I had lost my baby for the second time, I felt helpless. I wanted to understand why this was happening to me, but after hours of self-guided Web MD research I didn’t have any conclusive answers. I recommend talking to your health care professional about the first steps you can take, as well as what’s within their scope to help you with. If they aren’t able to investigate further, ask if they can put you in contact with someone who can. It’s normal to want answers, and that has been a big part of my healing journey.

It’s also important to be kind to yourself and to take the time you need to process your feelings. With my second miscarriage I hit a breaking point because I didn’t take time to grieve. I was resentful of going back to my normal life because it was as though my baby had never existed. For me, having a support person in my workplace helped immensely. Opening up to someone I trusted at work meant I didn’t always have to “put on a face” or pretend the pain wasn’t there.

3. Your Body Needs Love and Rest
YM: The physical experience of miscarriage differs between women, and can even be different for the same woman experiencing multiple miscarriages. How did you care for your body during your loss?
JS: I think it’s important to take some time off of work if your circumstances allow. Similar to a period, your uterus contracts during miscarriage, which left me feeling exhausted and suffering from severe cramps. You may want to ask your doctor about pain relief—It’s okay to not want to feel the physical pain…the emotional pain of losing your baby is hard enough to endure.

I tried to respect and trust my body during the miscarriage process. But, if something didn’t seem “right” to me, I would see my doctor or go the emergency room. Part of my approach to self-care was listening to the options given to me by my healthcare providers, and then choosing which paths were most comfortable for me.

4. Your Partner Shares this Journey
YM: After losing a pregnancy, a mother’s values, beliefs, and spirituality can be challenged. How did you share this journey with your partner?
JS: Although it’s awful that we as women have to bare the physical pain of losing a pregnancy, we aren’t alone for the emotional journey. Your partner may also be feeling a huge sense of loss. Sharing these feelings will help you understand one another’s perspective, while helping you connect rather than drift apart. I often asked my husband how he was doing, and we would talk about what we could do as a couple to grieve and mend.
We also had to talk about where our intimate relationship stood. Not only was I not in the mood for love, I didn’t even want to talk about getting pregnant again. It was important to me that my husband knew this and gave me some time. Be open and communicate with your partner so neither of you are left wondering.

5. You are not Alone
YM: Enduring a miscarriage can feel so lonely. Where did you find support?
JS: You are definitely not alone, and I think most women don’t realize how often miscarriages happen until it happens to them. Just knowing that there were other people who could understand how I was feeling, because they were either going through a miscarriage or had experienced one in the past, helped me feel supported. Definitely connect with other parents experiencing loss to talk, grieve, and get mad at the universe! It’s okay to feel all the emotions and to get the support you need. A few women I connected with became real Mama Bears for me, which was everything.
Ask your doctor or the hospital where you receive treatment to recommend a place to seek community and counsel. Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto offers a supportive community called The Pregnancy and Infant Loss Network, filled with resources and support.

October 15th was Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. People who would like to observe this day next year are asked to light a candle at 7pm in their own time zone, and to keep it lit for one hour. This creates a wave of light around the world for a whole 24 hours, sending love to lost babies and spreading hope. Mamas who have lost a pregnancy can feel comforted knowing there is a day dedicated to remembering their Little One, and that other parents the world over join them.
You can help to break the stigma surrounding pregnancy loss by wearing a pink and blue ribbon in support of mothers experiencing miscarriage. Mamas who feel ready to share their story can wear a ribbon to encourage positive and supportive conversation within their community.

A very special ‘thank you’ to Jessica for her strength and honesty in talking to us about her miscarriages. All of us at Toronto Yoga Mamas send you love and light, and wish you all the best on your journey to find healing.

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5 Reasons To Hire A Birth Doula

10/29/2018

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1. Doulas Are All About You

Your Birth Doula will play the super important role of preparing your for birth and providing you with physical, emotional, and informational support without doing anything medical.

2. Doulas Provide Comfort & Support

Your Birth Doula will be there to provide comfort with pain relieving techniques, breathing techniques and relaxation techniques. They will talk you through different labouring positions and enhance communication between you and any medical professionals.

3. Proven Benefits Of Having A Doula

Studies have shown that when doulas attend births, labours are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily. Women who use doulas report having more positive feelings about their childbirth experience.

A doula's support can:
- shorten labour by about 1.5 hours
- decrease chance of cesarean birth by 51%
- decrease the use for pain medication by 36%
- reduce the need for pitocin by 71%
- reduce the need for forceps by 57%
- help partners participate with confidence
- facilitate mother-baby bonding & breastfeeding

4. Doulas Provide Support For Your Partners

A doula can provide reassurance and affirmation for both parents. Your partner will get tips on how to best support you, and they will work together with your doula to help you feel relaxed and comfortable.

5. Your Doula Will Be Your Personal Resource Guide

One of your Birth Doula's most important roles is to educate about the birth process and provide you with information so you can feel confident and ready for delivery.
Of course, you could search Google for answers to you questions or ask you doctor, but doulas are more hands-on than that. They offer advice in a personal, nonclinical way, and they can help answer questions that are very specific to your pregnancy.

BEGIN INTERVIEWING BIRTH DOULAS TODAY

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3 Reasons To See An Acupuncturist This Fall

10/19/2018

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Wellness Wednesdays Recap: Sept 19th, 2018

1. Improve Your Energy

Acupuncture helps to improve sleep, digestion and mood. All areas that help to improve energy and reduce fatigue so that you can keep up with your little ones and your busy fall schedule

2. Seasonal Attunement

Acupuncturists take a holistic approach to health including individualized dietary ad lifestyle suggestions like helping you choose food to include in your diet to stay healthiest during different seasons.

3. Stress Reduction

Acupuncture has been shown to help regulate the nervous system reducing the amount of circulating stress hormones i the blood. Elevated stress over extended periods of time can cause chronic inflammation in the body, negatively impacting the immune system and overall health.

Learn More About Our Acupuncture Services

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