June’s Village Prenatal Women’s Circle: Nourishing a Healthy Pregnancy.

Calming Breath practice:  Take a moment to tune into your natural breath. Then place your hands on the sides of your rib cage and begin to lengthen the breath, noticing how the rib cage expands in all directions as you breathe deeply in and slowly releases back down on the exhale. Continue for a few breaths. Invitation to bring your hands to your belly and bring your awareness to your baby. Continue breathing deep and slow with intention. Next add in a count, breathing in through the nose to the count of four brief pause at the top, and exhale out through the mouth for a slow count of six (working up to eight if you can).  If you repeat this counted breath, in for four and out for six/eight, for five rounds that will be approximately one minute and one minute is approximately the length of a contraction.  This is a great breath to practice daily so that it is familiar and more accessible to you during the first stage of labor.

Introduction prompt/ journal opportunity:  What is your experience with birth? Where have you seen birth before.. movies, birth videos, in person, given birth before? Do you know your own birth story of how you were born?

“Birth is not only about making babies. Birth is about making mothers- strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strength.” Sociologist Barbara Katz Rothman

Pregnancy and birth are setting the foundation for motherhood. Real prenatal care doesn’t happen in a doctors visit, it is what a woman does every day to care for herself. This means that you have the power to take GREAT care of yourself. People often want to talk about birth but we actually should be talking about getting TO the birth with a healthy pregnancy!

How do we nourish a healthy pregnancy? Through nutrition, movement, adequate sleep and social support.

Basic prenatal nutrition:

-We need healthy fats for fat soluable vitamins and mineral absorption. Flax seed, Chia seeds, walnuts, avocados, nut butters

-Protein needs are roughly 40% higher during pregnancy and consuming quality protein can reduce feelings of nausea.

-We do not need to avoid salt! We need high quality salt for fluid balance. It helps provide minerals, hydration, nerve and muscle function, and blood volume expansion. Our blood expands 40-50% during pregnancy, mostly during the second and third trimesters and we need the raw materials to support making blood! High quality protein salt and calories are essential.

-You are not actually “eating for two” as we like to say.  It’s more like eating for 1.1- calorie demand only slightly increases. Nutrient need is what really increases.

Lily Nichols: Real Food for Pregnancy is a great resource.

The estimated caloric output of the first birth is equivalent to that of a 50 mile hike

Movement:

-Natural Movement (Katie Bowman)- Incorporating gentle, low impact exercises and mindful movement patterns that mimic how the body naturally moves. Walking, squatting, pelvic tilting, cat/cow, lunges, dancing, and swimming are some examples. Do what feels good/ joyful!

Sleep:

-Pregnancy is a time of GREAT expansion. Rest and adequate sleep are essential for your body to function well.

-reducing caffeine and screen time

-increasing conscious breathing and meditation

Social Support:

-Emotions turn into hormones that the baby receives.

-Feeling well supported emotionally reduces risk of postpartum depression.

-Positive social interactions increase oxytocin- the love hormone, an essential hormone for birth

“You receive nourishment not only from the food you eat but also from everything coming in through all your senses. The sounds you hear, the scents you smell, everything you see, touch, and taste all shape this little beings body, mind and consciousness.” “In Ayurvedic teaching the most important thing in pregnancy is that Mama is happy and feels positive emotions. A mama’s emotions affect a baby.. so it’s crucial to focus on sattva (uplifting sensory impressions) during pregnancy.”

-Ayurveda Mama

Movement Practice:

-Pelvic Tilts-Seated Butterfly Pose- move spine in large slow circles

-Pelvic Stability- Seated or laying on your back- bend knees, place right hand on top of right knee and left hand on front of left knee- press your hands into your knees and knees into you hands creating resistance-hold for a few breaths then switch hands and repeat on the other side for a few breaths. Great to practice daily.

-Grounding/Ankle Mobility-Standing with feet hip with distance rock back slowly onto your heels then slowly rock forward on to your toes- continue rocking slowly back and forth really feeling all the parts of your feet as they connect with the ground.

-Side opening- Standing with feet hip with distance or wherever is comfortable and open your arms out straight to the sides and inline with your shoulders. Begin reaching to one side with just your upper torso, keeping your legs and hips still. Creating some space in the abdomen.

-Calf Stretch- Use a yoga block or a couple thick sturdy books and a chair to hold for stability- start by placing the pad of your left foot on the block, keeping your heel lower and leaning your weight slightly forward until you feel a nice stretch in your calf muscle. Breathe slowly. When you’re ready switch to repeat on the right. Stretching your calves can effect the pelvis!

-Psoas Release-Using the chair to hold for stability stand on the block with just your left foot- keeping your hips aligned begin to slowly swing your right leg like a pendulum, allowing it to just swing back and forth slowly with out much effort. Continue for a couple minutes as long as it feels good and then repeat standing on the block with your right foot and swinging the left leg for an equal amount of time. Great to practice regularly and use during early labor!

Mid-pelvis Opening- 90/90 Windshield Wiper Pose- Sitting on the floor, bring your right leg out in front bent into 90° knee, left leg bending back to the side. Slowly rotate your hips, keeping your feet in loosely the same spot and rock side to side. If this is too difficult you can sit on a block and lift your pelvis up slightly, this should allow for a bit more mobility. Great to do daily and great for active labor.

Ankle Rotations- Sitting, bring your left foot on top of your right knee and interlace the fingers of your right hand between your left toes. Use your hand to rotate your ankle slowly in circles, in both directions. Switch sides and repeat.