Filtering by Category: Pregnancy

Mamaste!

I recently started having some mild back pain, and while it's pretty normal to have some posterior discomfort after having a baby (laboring positions,breast weight, carrying a child around, bad posture for breastfeeding etc.), I really think mine is in part due to the fact that I haven't been keeping up with all the Yoga I was doing while pregnant... I definitely feel a difference in my flexibility and my core strength, and it's resulting in a pain in the back! (I must get back onto the Tracy Anderson train!!!)

Anyways, while I scrounge around for my post-pregnancy DVD (Freida seems to have her hand in all the multi-media in this house!), I thought I'd let you all in on an interesting city-find - Yoga studios that cater directly to mothers!  I wish I would have heard about MaYoga while I was carrying Hudi! With studios in Beverly Hills, Costa Mesa, Hancock Park, and Sherman Oaks, it's pretty much a hop, skip, and a sun-salutation away from just about anyone in this city. They offer a free trial class, and I'm definitely looking forward to heading down there to give their post-natal Yoga a go. You can check out the assortment of classes and other information about them here.

Redefining: Clean Laundry

By now we all know about the many dangers of toxins lurking in our household cleaning supplies, and for the most part - it's as easy a problem to fix as a trip to the health food store. But what about when it comes to something you just don't want to part with and can't seem to find a substancial and satisfying replacement?? For me, this was dryer sheets and the way they make my laundry soft, static-free, and subtly scented. Don't get me wrong, I haven't exactly been using bounce sheets since the day I read the news about them being choc-full of cancer causing synthetics, but I have been on the market for a greener variety since then and have only now come up satisfied! Method Baby Squeaky Clean Dryer Cloths are amazing!! They're softening, static-reducing, fresh-scent inducing, and most importantly - they're safe. I'm obsessed with the "rice milk + mallow" scent and have been freakishly inhaling fresh loads of laundry since birthing baby Hudi. It smells just like a newborn baby should - of sweet sweet milk and earthy florals - I swear, you'll be hooked! Plus, it's all just extra goodness on the scale - the real important thing here is to lessen your household toxins - start with the worst of the bad guys; your laundry methods.

P.S. I'm loving these star swaddle wraps I got from aden + anais! I know they're not super-girly, but I've been on a serious star-stint and haven't been able to turn down anything 5-pointed! Some other star-themed goodies I'm currently coveting? These totally rad superstar tights, hollywood glam hair via this headband, star-struck by kids in scarfs (I was recently inspired by my little buddy Sima B. and her fashionable neck accessory! :)), and this really retro elbow-patched sweater!

Prenatal Fitness

During pregnancy, there are so many novelties in the way we must take care of ourselves, that fitness may not make it to the top of the short list. Feeling tired, cranky, and to-big-to-move are also part of the equation, but they are also the most important reasons to stay active. As everyone knows, studies have proven that whenever we feel the most lethargic and irritable - the more we need to exercise.  And I swear, it's the truth.

My pregnancy this time around differed incredibly from my pregnancy with Freida. To the extent that mamas everywhere swore I was having a boy (because of how differently I carried with Freida). From my perspective, the one and only difference this time was my level of fitness - and how radically it made me think and feel. Each time I got off the treadmill, or stretched after a long walk, I felt a burst of adrenaline and was flooded with endorphins - the happy high. While I took my Prenatal Yoga classes very seriously while pregnant with Freida, it helped keep me strong and limber, but it didn't at all produce the same level of happy-hormones that cardio activity does. The benefits of exercise may allow us to feel strong, confident, and sexy - but the extra and most-important-to-me side effect is the "runner's high"; the feeling of excitement, capability, and inspiration that comes to me after a bout of good ol' cardio training. And during a pregnancy, there's a lot to be said for anything that makes us feel that way (plus, I'm sure blasting an upbeat playlist on my iPod while working out helps in the inspiration department)!

But aside from that, I feel like I bounced back so much better and faster this time (which is only natural for a subsequent birth)! While I can't prove why that is, I'd attribute it to how much more active I stayed throughout the 9 months, and so I wanted to share a few of the exercises that helped keep me feeling my very best during gestation: Squats, Planks, and Cat/Cow were three favorites that I really feel did a great deal to help me out. Squats and lunges were great because they helped keep my level of balance while strengthening my lower body. Planks I could not have lived without - they helped strengthen my back, and kept my core strong and pain-free (though I had plenty of back pain post-partum, and can't imagine how I would have functioned if I had that kind of local discomfort throughout pregnancy!). Cat/Cow helped relax me in general, and took a load of weight off of me when I was feeling heavy or off-centered. It helped loosen up my spine, neck, and shoulders much like a massage would.

You can view this photo gallery of 10 safe exercises you can do during pregnancy. Most of them a stationary stretches and strengthening moves, and while these are fantastic - don't be afraid to get moving and bring your heartbeat up as well! It makes such a difference!!!

Sisters + Previous Purim Posts

Due to my current condition (confined to my home, determined to rest and recover) as a new mom (while it's the most wonderful state to be in - nuzzling a newborn bundle all night and day - I admit I am going a little stir-crazy), I am so glad that I have had Freida's Purim costume hanging idly in her closet since October! :) I happened upon a charming little bumble bee costume on clearance post-Halloween, and knew I'd likely be housebound post-birth by the time Purim came around, and I was grateful to find a perfectly non-handmade getup for my dress-up-loving 3 year old.

So thankfully, I'm immensely relaxed about Purim - and all the DIY's that can come with it! :) Sending my husband on a quick run for some chocolate rocks (to go at the bottom of 4 plastic planters for Freida's "flower" Shalach Manos she'll be giving her little friends at Gan) is the one and only thing on my Purim to-do list. Which leaves me ample time to cultivate a loving bond between Freida and her brand-spanking-new little sister. Naturally, Freida's been emotional over the changes and novelties that have entered our home... she had a few temper tantrums, and is generally acting like a hormonal teenager - seriously PMS all day long. The slightest offense can send her whimpering and weeping all the way to her room - door slamming behind her. It's awfully endearing, and rather adorable - but at times it makes me sad about how much emotion she must be dealing with in order to get her to that point. Thankfully, her sister gets to see a much brighter side; Freida has been amazing with the new baby! I guess she figured she can take out her frustration on me and leave the baby out of it (thank God!!). She's gently and affectionate and protective, and an all-around great big sister, and I'm just entranced by watching the bond between them unfold...

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/37824410]

On the blog front, I'm feeling kind of guilty that I'm not doing much for Purim and have virtually nothing to share with you all, I thought I'd go through some of my old Purim posts and link them here for you - all on one page:

- Tea-time in a jar.

- Crayon molds make such a cute addition to a child's Shalach Manos!

- A few funky ideas to inspire a last minute costume.

- Prep your toddlers to avoid costume fright.

- Easy DIY Purim puppets.

- A flaky and delicious Hamantaschen recipe.

- Shalach Manos in a jar.

- A cheap, easy, and adorable child's Shalach Manos concept.

- Breakfast cupcakes in a jar. (I know, get over the jar!)

- Insanely adorable "sushi" cupcakes! (by Chani of Pleasant Cakes)

- Easy "indian princess" headdress DIY.

Hope all your over-the-weekend Purim planning goes swimmingly! Joy to the happy holiday!!

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