Anna Kooiman Anna Kooiman

Fitness Training for the Real Life Demands of Parenthood

WATCH - Fitness Training for the Real Life Demands of Motherhood

This should help alleviate back pain during bath time, feeding time, carrying groceries time, and the millllllionzzzz of times we bend over each day for our little ones.

Having babies and toddlers is a VERY physical job. As fitness trainers I believe we need to train pre/postnatal women for our activities of daily living... Not to just 'get your abs back'.... which is nice too! LOL...

I had the honor to chat with @pronatalfitness about how to prepare our bodies for the athletic event that we call pregnancy, labor, and motherhood. Pronatal Fitness is who I have my Pre/Postnatal Performance Training certification through.

We have some exercise ideas to help you save your back from pain during bath time... carrying around our toddlers... bending over the crib... lugging around groceries andddd our kids.... awkward positions we get in to take care of our little ones.

Brittany Citron is a real thought leader in this space. #pronatal also has a recent IGTV about core changes during pre/postnatal that is worth a watch!

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Anna Kooiman Anna Kooiman

Does Belly Dancing = Less Pain in Labor?

At the hospital yesterday, I found out Baby Girl is head down, which is good, but she is on the right side of my belly, facing sideways... which apparently means I may have another posterior delivery. OUCH!

And no, unfortunately belly dancing or figure 8’s may feel good, but below you’ll see I’m learning more ‘sophisticated’ moves to get bub in an optimal position.

Brooks was posterior and the back labor was atrocious. I was able to get through with out an epidural, and escape an unplanned c-section, but in the end it was a bit traumatic. His heart rate dropped big time and the doctor had to give me an episiotomy and suction him out. Brooks was healthy and that was all that mattered at the time. But of course it made recovery less than ideal.

For the record, I'm not whinging. I know we all have crazy birth, newborn, or other wild scenarios we wish had been a bit different.While at my appointment yesterday, my midwife recommended I go to the 'Spinning Babies' website for exercise ideas to get bub in an optimal birthing position. Their exercises, stretches, and a few partner led (rather unconventional) strategies are meant to help restore balance to mothers and get the pelvis in proper alignment.

The top of their site says, “Easier birth with fetal positioning. Use this site and videos to improve fetal position (breech, transverse, posterior) and birth. Reduce the chance of cesarean.”

I reached out to the founder (Gail Tully, a midwife living in Minneapolis, USA) if she would do an interview to share with all of you, my Strong Sexy Mammas! She agreed.

I really enjoyed the chat. She also coached through a few exercises you may find useful yourself.

By the way! Gail says, 'belly dancing' isn't a bad idea... but she shows me how to take those moves up a gear... to hopefully get Baby Girl in a good position.

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