Cuddles and Massages

There is nothing more special than cuddling your newborn, six-month old or toddler. I say live it up before he is too busy to want it anymore!

As many of you know, physicians and hospitals are recommending immediate skin-to-skin contact for baby after birth, placing baby directly on mom as soon as he enters the world. This is an amazing experience, and has been proven to improve success with initial breastfeeding.

Evidence is also showing that this continued contact with mom (and dad!) can:

• Prevent hypoglycemia and other newborn difficulties
• Reduce pain
• Stabilize premature babies
• Set the stage for optimal brain development

Beyond these cuddles, there are massage techniques that can encourage muscle balance. In her book, “Baby Moves,” Marianne Hermsen-Van Wanrooy devotes an entire chapter to deep squeezes and joint compressions that can be done with a baby at any age.

For the squeezes on his legs and arms, use both hands and squeeze gently, making sure not to dig in with your fingertips. Do about five on each leg. Then move into joint compressions.

For the legs:

1. Hold his thigh and push into his hip joint
2. Hold above and below his knee and push into his knee joint
3. Hold his leg and foot and push into his ankle joint 

The joint compressions for his arms will be into his shoulder, elbow and wrist.

There is no need to force this on your baby—only do it if he enjoys it. While you spend this time together, avoid other stimulations. Just talk or sing to him softly.

For more details and pictures regarding these techniques, purchase Hermsen-Van Wanrooy’s book. I, obviously, highly recommend it!

The Low Down on Toys

With everything I’ve walked through these last few weeks (no pun intended), I think it’s time for a more, “news-you-can-use” post, and toys fit right into that. If you're looking to follow some of the suggestions I've laid out, there are toys you shouldn't buy for your baby and great options for things you should consider.

As you've gathered, the basic philosophy is: Don’t introduce something that your baby isn’t naturally developmentally ready for. 

“Bad” Toys 

1. Pushers: I consider these anything with wheels that allow baby to place his or her weight on the toy and push forward. The issue with these toys is that if baby is not already able to walk by himself, he’s not learning the correct way to balance or carry his weight.
   
   

   

   Example of a "pusher" toy that should be avoided
   until baby can walk on his or her own.

   Marianne Hermsen-Van Wanrooy discusses muscle imbalances constantly, and this is a great example of something that could lead to that if used too frequently.
   
   Dr. Husband also says these cause baby's weight to be forward, which can overload his back, hurting his spine.
2. Exercisers: I believe I’ve written about these before, but they have to be on this list. Basically, anything that is placing your baby in a standing position before he can stand on his own is a no-no.
   

   

   So fun and convenient, but not ideal for a
   baby who cannot walk on his own.

   
   
   
   
     “The baby hasn’t developed proper stability in order to support the spine in an upright position," Dr. Husband says. "The way we know that a baby can support the spine properly is when it can sit on its own. Before the baby actually can stand on their feet, these also stimulate the primitive supporting reflex—we want to inhibit primitive reflexes, not stimulate them.” 

“Good” Toys 
To me, there are two keys to what I consider “good” toys—sensory and simple. I try to avoid lights and sounds because for the most part these can be overstimulating, at least until the baby is older.

If you recall, for tiny infants Hermsen-Van Wanrooy at one point suggests something as simple as a sock because this is light weight, soften and (if clean) fine for the baby to chew on.

Remember, a new born or infant up to three months really doesn’t need much of anything. Your face and voice are plenty. Come at her from the sides vs. overhead. You also don’t really want them to grasp much, so don’t hand her toys to play with.

As she grows and is seeking out something to do, a great place to start is with things you already have around your house. I would create treasurer baskets every week or two filled with random knick knacks. Sensory bottles were also a hit with my son because he could shake them. He also loved baggies filled with aloe, stickers or glitter. I'd tape these to a window to reflect light. Just search any of these things on Pinterest for a host of ideas.

If you’re looking for actual products, one I loved was Sophie the Giraffe. She’s lightweight, BPA and phthalate-free and has lots of spots to chew on. We also liked the Baby Einstein book, “Water, Water Everywhere”—and I still read it to my son tonight!

Are there any suggestions you have? If so, leave them in the comments!

Infant Development: The Walker

So now things get really interesting. Your crawler and stander is about to be mobile on two feet!

Marianne Hermsen-Van Wanrooy makes an interesting point I don’t recall from when my son was learning to walk. On page 62 of her book, “Baby Moves,” she states:

“Initially, he may go up on his toes when standing. But be aware that this is another form of muscle imbalance that your baby will need to get under control. Do not encourage him in any way to start to walk, not even cruising along the furniture, as he will first need to sort out the balance between flexors and extensors and go down on flat feet.” 

She goes on to state that once baby is flat footed, allow him to cruise along furniture for as long as he would like as this is an important developmental stage. He’ll be able to walk independently in his own time, so there is no reason to force it.

Some of my son's early steps. So happy!

According to Dr. Husband’s Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization notes, the ideal motor development sequence is:

1. Oblique sitting
2. Regular sit
3. Active sit
4. Crawling
5. Standing
6. Active stance
7. First steps

For me, watching for the active stance portion prior to the first step is something I'm going to try to remember for Baby Girl. It’s all so exciting for you, your partner and your baby that it’s difficult to not encourage those first tiny steps.

However, as much as I’ve said not to encourage, the DNS notes point out that the entire sequence listed above all depends on motivation. It’s the motivation of you, your voice, toys and objects that will inspire your baby to move through this sequence.

As a movement mommy, your role is to make sure those motivators are there but in the right space and at the right time, so they can inspire the correct movement for the stage your baby is at.

Honest Moment: 35 Weeks & Exhausted

Pardon the interruption, but I’m exhausted.

Though talking about babies is much more enjoyable to write, and probably for you to read, you’ll have to excuse me as I use this post to remind myself of my goal and…vent.

FACT: I’m 35 weeks and exhausted. I can tell Baby Girl is getting ready for her upcoming arrival as she burrows deeper, causing sharp pains to shoot through my pelvis, lower back and butt. It’s a welcome pain in the sense that she’s getting prepared—a wonderful sign that the end is near—but this combined with a very active two-year-old boy knocks me out.

And don’t even get me started on bending over! My son is already showing how much of a life saver he can be when he helps mommy pick things up off the floor.

So enough of the complaining. What am I going to do about this?

Step 1: Remember the goal! 
Re-read my post from March 3—“You Can Do It: “Term” Pregnancy.” That was my goal and remains my goal because it’s what is best for my Baby Girl. So during these final five to six weeks, it’s all about taking care of us.

Step 2: Keep moving!
I've found that the worst thing I can do it NOT be active. My body aches for a warm up and a good stretch.

I worked out a ton my first pregnancy, but due to my schedule (my son), I haven’t been able to maintain that level of exercise (30-minute stair stepper/walk plus 20-30 minutes weight training).

Instead, yoga has been a great tool for me this pregnancy since I spend most of my cardio energy chasing my son. Yoga gives me time to decompress, breath and stretch. It’s also a great strengthener. I also do about 15 minutes of weight training. This happens 3/4 times a week instead of 5/6 like it did during my first pregnancy.

And yes, I’m still doing my squats. After all of this, I want to be strong enough to push this girl out in less than two hours, which was what it took me last time.

Step 3: Rest!
Balance your activity with rest. Even though I’m in hard-core nesting mode, as of this week, I’m forcing myself to be in bed sleeping by 9pm—Dr. Husband is also “requiring” this.

I’m also taking as much time as I can on the weekend to nap or at least lay down. Even one 20-minute stint has shown to do wonders for me.

More Ideas
Here are some resources that I think have great advice as well.

• Baby Center: adjust your schedule, stay hydrated, eat healthy, moderate exercise
• What To Expect: ask for help, get more sleep, eat right, get a move on 

You can do it!

Infant Development: Crawling & Sitting

We’ve moved pretty quickly through some of the main stages of development from newborn to nine months, but now it’s time to slow things down a bit.

Remember, the key to your baby developing awesome movement patterns is to not skip stages. This isn’t to say that some babies won’t develop faster than others, because some will. They may move through the stages and be “ahead” while others may take a bit more time and be “behind.” It’s really all relative. The important point is that your baby is going through each stage, not the speed at which she does it.

In ideal development, baby crawls after being able to sit, which from my experience isn’t something people realize. In fact, according to Marianne Hermsen-Van Wanrooy, baby will learn to sit in several ways before or during learning to crawl (p. 64).

Once she can crawl, she will move into a high kneeling position in preparation to stand. It’s important to not have objects that are too high for her to grab and pull herself up with because this high pulling with her arms can put extra pressure on her back. Instead, have something like a low ottoman available. You can assist this development by placing a toy of some sort on the ottoman to motivate her. Also, avoid holding your baby’s hands to help pull her up. This also isn’t good for her back. (Source: Dr. Husband.)

Finally, I need to mention shoes. As cute as they are, it is best for baby to be bare foot as much as possible. If she needs shoes, the thinner the soles the better. Our son wore Robeez brand, which are basically leather socks.

As Dr. Husband said, “Dressing a baby in soft shoes is like putting hockey gloves on someone’s hands while he or she learns to type.” Meaning, your baby needs her feet to be able to feel and grip the ground. Shoes with thick, soft soles take away this ability.

Sitting: Infant Development 7 to 9 Months

Now we movement mommies are starting to get some movement babies! From seven to nine months, we’re looking for baby to naturally get into the seated position. I say "naturally" because we want him to do it by himself—we don’t want to put him there.

Pincer Grasp

One of the first signs that your baby is ready for siting can actually be detected from how he uses his fingers. Since he was born, baby has been slowly moving through positions of his hands, from thumb tucked into fist, thumb out of fist, open hand and now to pincer grasp. This ability to grasp objects motivates him through positions and into sitting. (Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization notes). 

The natural development of sitting stems from the side lying position where baby is supporting himself at the elbow and forearm. Around eight months, this side lying position develops into the oblique sitting position, during which baby is still supporting himself on his side, but now with an open arm. Finally, to get to the regular sit position, baby will develop the ability to push off from all fours or the oblique sit and onto his bum. (Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization presentation notes.)

Congratulations, you have a natural sitter!

Considering our society is inclined to make milestones a bit of a “competition,” I always felt the need to defend myself and my son when we were around others with babies the same age or even just in conversation. In the end, I just settled on saying, “Nope, he’s not sitting yet,” because that was the truth. I basically used this phrase for every milestone going forward. My son did things on his own terms—something that is a distinct part of his current personality…

Just the Basics: Baby Gear 0 to 6 Months

Ah yes, the gear. Like many of you mommies out there, I for one can attest to the fact that the baby gear industry is booming. I’m constantly bombarded by toys and products that will make my life simpler and my baby’s life far more entertaining (or so they claim). Hopefully, some of my thoughts here will help you cut through the clutter and understand what your baby really needs—or at least what is best for his developing movement patterns.

As much as I want to say that all the cute and convenient creations out there are great for your developing infant, the fact of the matter is that many of them are not. In reality, many of the things we consider basics these days actually encourage the very muscle imbalances I’ve talked avoiding.

Really an infant zero to six months only needs a few, very simple, things:

• Firm flat surface
• Light weight “toys”
• Encouraging voices
• Happy faces 

This being said, following are some of the items you should look to avoid. Disclaimer: I know it’s impossible to avoid all of these 100 percent of the time! All I’m saying is to limit their use if possible. For our son, the less we used them the more content he was with the simple things above.

• Swings and bouncy chairs. Many of these put your baby at an incline, which is not ideal. I’ve quoted Hermsen-Van Wanrooy on this before, but I’ll do it again—“A slightly tilted surface, like a bouncinette…changes the force or direction of gravity. This will inhibit the development of good muscle balance because he cannot learn to lift his legs up in this position” (p. 28).
• Jumpers and exersaucers. I’ve repeatedly stated that we don’t want to encourage positions that are beyond baby’s developmental level—basically we don’t want to put him in any positions he can’t get to himself. Jumpers and exersaucers put baby in a standing position, which at six months he’s obviously not ready for. This can encourage muscle imbalances.
• Front and back packs. Front packs “put a lot of pressure on his spine and the young developing discs between his vertebrae.” Back packs encourage sitting, which baby isn’t ready for until 10 months or so (p. 78). 

Here are some options Dr. Husband was OK enough with that we got them for our son (and will use for our daughter). Again—the more limited use the better.

• Moby wrap. Unlike a front or back pack, when worn correctly, the Moby aligns baby’s spine and puts his hips in a normal, resting angle. Warning: My son loved being in the Moby SO much because it was the only time we let him “sit up.” This meant he would get mad until he got it; hence my suggestion to avoid these things unless necessary.
• My Little Snugabunny. We have both the swing and the bouncy chair. We chose these because they were the flattest we could find. If you find something flatter and/or firmer, please post it in the comments! 

Grr—I was hoping I wouldn’t feel like such a downer when I got to the end of this post, but I do. It’s so fun to shop for new babies, especially if it’s your first, so I don’t want to burst any bubbles. I guess I just encourage you to be thoughtful about your purchases in hopes of creating ideal movement patterns for your little one. Happy shopping, mama!

The Adventure: Infant Development 4 to 6 Months

The other day a friend of mine mentioned how right when babies start to get into a routine and really interact…we have to go back to work! Ugh! The three month mark is tough in terms of that if you’re a working mom, but no matter what the fourth, fifth and sixth month are an exciting time for you and your baby. She really starts to experience the world instead of just observing it. For her that’s such an adventure, and for you it is quite entertaining!

In terms of lying on her back (supine), she will gradually lift her legs up. This is the most basic, foundational element of all movement. We’re hoping she doesn’t have a diastasis and that her spine is flat (so her head isn’t tilted back).

The cover of Marianne Hermsen-Van Wanrooy's book, "Baby Moves," provides
an excellent example of the supine position for babies four to six months in age.

She’ll learn to grasp objects at midline and then across her body. She will also start to grasp her feet—you know that cute position where they can start to stick their toes in their mouths. But this is more than cute, it’s also an indication that she can lift her pelvis off the surface and stabilize on the upper part of her back (Marianne Hermsen-Van Wanrooy, p. 35).

With motivation and this ability to stabilize, she will learn to roll to each side. As her mommy, you should make sure she is rolling to each side. Our son preferred rolling to the left, so we ended up blocking his left side with an ottoman and put more motivation on the right—toys and ourselves. Pretty soon he was able to go both directions just fine.

Eventually, this rolling to each side will become a complete roll over, with baby supporting herself on her elbow. As a mommy, you should...write this date down in her baby book!

Thanks to all of her hard work (and yours), she is also mastering tummy time. She is able to see the world from a new perspective, which really provides motivation for additional movements. She will begin to use one of her hands to grasp for toys, so she’ll learn to support her weight on one elbow. 

During these months, we’re also looking for her to rotate her head, eyes and tongue without her body as this indicates that there has been integration of locomotion function. By the fifth month we’re looking for baby to support herself on the proximal parts of her palms and her thighs. (Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization, seminar notes.)

Do’s and Don’ts

• Do offer your baby small, light objects that she can easy lift and that are safe for her to put in her mouth (because everything will be going in her mouth!). Hermsen-Van Wanrooy suggests simple things like a sock (p. 37).
• Do off the objects to one hand at a time (p. 37).
• Do place toys on the floor to the side of your baby (p. 37).
• Don’t use toys that hang above her as these can cause muscle imbalance (p. 37).
• Don’t sit or stand your baby up (p. 48). I know it’s tempting, but she isn’t quite ready for that yet. We’re getting closer though!

“Critical Time:” Infant Development 0 to 3 Months

After the first few weeks of life, we enter an important time for your baby’s development. What you do and don’t do now can have an impact on the rest of their patterns. As Dr. Husband noted (and highlighted and underlined) next to “6 weeks,” this is a “Critical Time!”

Around six weeks, babies start noticing toys and wanting them. These (and probably mom) are now motivators for movement. During her tummy time, we’re looking for her to accomplish her first bodily support by weight bearing on her forearms and upper abdominal quadrants (Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization presentation).

Again I will note here the importance of placing your baby on a flat firm surface. According to Marianne Hermsen-Van Warnrooy, “A slightly tilted surface, like a bouncinette...changes the force or direction of gravity. This will inhibit the development of good muscle balance because he cannot learn to lift his legs up in this position” (p. 28). If your baby has an issue such as refluxing, flat on her back may be difficult, but it’s important to try for this as much as possible.

Encouraging Ideal Patterns = Tummy Time! 

My son's tummy time at almost three months.

Keep up the good work every day, but remember not to bring baby’s arms forward. Also, take your hands away and let her get comfy on her own. If she hates it, then get down on your tummy, too, mom, so you can be face-to-face. Coo and sing to her. I’m sure your wonderful voice and beautiful face will encourage her to learn to bring her own arms forward and lift her head. Once she can do this she will enjoy this position much more, but maybe not your singing.

Teachable Moment!
I didn’t remember this from last time at all, so I wanted to point it out here. Hermsen-Van Warnrooy says that if your baby tends to roll onto her back after she has been placed on her tummy, “this is an indication that the tummy position encourages muscle imbalance in your baby and he shouldn’t be there. If this happens, it is better to leave tummy time for a while” (p. 30). Noted!

Do’s and Don’ts

• DO dress your baby in non-restrictive clothing. If clothing is hindering movement, it doesn’t matter how cute it is, it has to go!
• DO touch and be touched. Let your baby feel her face, hands and hair and your face, hands and hair.
• DO squeeze those little limbs. Deep gentle squeezes on each limb are good. Rubbing isn’t.
• DON’T disturb a happy baby. Take a deep breath and enjoy the moments when your baby is just content lying on her back or doing her tummy time. Soak it up!
• DON’T encourage stages that are ahead of her. Ex: rolling over. These things take time for a reason—stay tuned!

Newborn Do's & Don'ts

OK, now on to the good stuff! I’m definitely getting to the point in this pregnancy of wishing she was here already! Even though the thought of a toddler and an infant together freaks me out a bit, I’m getting extremely excited to meet her and introduce her to her big brother.

Having recently held one of our friend’s newborns, I was reminded just how tiny these little humans are. But just because they are tiny, doesn’t mean there aren’t important aspects of their day-to-day we shouldn’t consider for ideal development.

My son at just a week or two old sleeping on his back.

As we dig into this information, please note that I’m going to pull from Marianne Hermsen-Van Wanrooy’s book “Baby Moves.” If I pique your interest, I suggest you purchase it. It’s a great reference guide and written for parents (vs. medical professionals). Throughout my posts I’ll also be referencing Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization and, of course, Dr. Husband. I’ll note all of these.

Two Positions
Your newborn only needs two positions—(1) on his back and (2) on his tummy. For both, you want to use a flat, firm surface—no pillows or blankets are necessary. By placing him on a harder surface verses a softer one, you are allowing important trigger zones to be activated by the ground.

Back: While on his back, encourage your baby with your voice and face to move his head to both sides. Also when laying him down to sleep alternate his head direction (Hermsen-Van Wanrooy, p. 23). 

My son at a week or two old being burped.
But it looks like he passed out from milk :)

Tummy: You’ll want to do “tummy time” once a day, but only for as long as your baby is happy. Make sure his arms are not stretched forward but rather tucked underneath. The same goes for his legs (p. 24)

Do’s & Don’ts

• DO place baby on his back to sleep. On tummy has been associated with SIDS. On side has caused hip dislocations in some children (p. 25).
• DO have him horizontal as much as possible. Upright to burp is fine, but this is pretty much the only time that he needs to be upright.
• DON’T sit him up, stand him up or jump him on his feet. This encourages a primitive reflex that we want to "disappear" for better fluidity of walking (p.26).
• DON’T leave him in a car seat for too long.
• DON’T over-stimulate him.
• DON’T pull him up by his hands.

Breathing & Labor Preparation

With this pregnancy, I’ve really come to like 10-minute workouts that I just find on YouTube. Considering my gym is now my basement at 5:30am, I have to do something to mix things up. These are doable and keep me entertained. Note: Dr. Husband doesn’t love all of the exercises in these videos, so he has suggested modifications to them to keep me safe.

But my main point in telling you this is that during a recent 10-minute yoga video from Katy Appleton yoga, I remembered the importance of breathing in terms of labor preparation.

Here’s the video:

I guess she just struck a chord with me in terms of embracing the pain and breathing into and through it. 

Proper Breathing
When I talked with Dr. Husband about how I think I need to work on this again, he used it as a teachable moment. According to him, proper respiration occurs when all sections of the diaphragm contract together as one unit. This flattens the diaphragm and increases intra-abdominal pressure. As you breathe and push, if you have a diaphragm that is strengthened and functions properly, you’ll have more intra-abdominal pressure pushing down.

With improper function of the diaphragm the muscle contracts mostly toward your back, and pushes your intra-abdominal pressure more forward verses down toward your pelvis. This is not ideal for pushing out a baby.

Practice
To practice proper breathing:

1. Put your fingers on your belly, and your thumb in the space between your pelvis and ribs on your back, so you’re digging your hands into the soft spot on your back and your belly. 
2. As you breathe in, your waist should expand out into your fingers and your thumb. The ribs can expand out in all directions, but they shouldn’t move up. When most people take a deep breath in, they suck their belly in and lift their ribs up; however, we want to do the opposite. We want to expand the ribs and belly and not move the ribs up. 
3. After you’ve gotten the hang of this, be mindful of the feeling when you work out and practice it. You’ll be thankful you did if it means a few less pushes! 

(PS: Dr. Husband said to note in this post that this function of your core/diaphragm is also the only way you’ll ever use your glutes and pelvic floor correctly...it's important!)

Squat—Great Exercise for Pregnant Women

There’s no doubt that staying in shape during pregnancy is tough. The last thing you might feel like doing is working out, especially as you get bigger and movement becomes more awkward. But exercise during pregnancy is extremely important for so many reasons—your baby’s health, your health, labor preparation, your post-baby bod, etc.

 In those moments you do feel inspired there is one exercise you should definitely work in—squats. 

When done correctly, squats engage your:

• Pelvic floor muscles
• Glute muscles
• Abdominal muscles

These not only help stabilize your pelvis as hormones relax the ligaments, but having these muscles in shape will also help with you delivery.

All this being said, Dr. Husband is adamant that your squat be done correctly. To quote him:

"If you don’t perform squats correctly, it’s not a matter of if you’ll get hurt, it’s a matter of when.”

Squat Technique

Every person’s structure is unique, but you probably want your feet a little wider than shoulder width and your toes pointed out a bit (not straight ahead).

Knees should stay over the foot, not inside and not too far in front of the toes.

As you squat down, you want to keep your back in a neutral position, meaning you don’t want it flexed or extended too much. For example, if you put a yard stick from your pelvis to between your shoulder blades, you’d want it to stay in contact with you back throughout the entire movement.

Finally, the key to a squat is that it is a butt muscle exercise, so if you’re not feeling contraction or activity in your butt muscles—if only in your quads—you’re not doing it correctly.

The number of reps and sets you do should depend on how many you can do correctly. If your form starts to break down, you need to stop.

Pregnancy Aches & Pains

As I've told you, my third trimester has started with a bang of heart burn, exhaustion and low back pain. Don't get me wrong, it's all worth it, but I'm thankful to have Dr. Husband who willingly listens to my complaints. He has also come to the rescue with some simple, easy-to-implement advice that has reduced or cured some of my "typical' pregnancy aches and pains.

Note: Make sure to discuss any of your issues and potential solutions with your doctor.

Heart Burn

• Give your belly more room. I’m a desk jockey, so I either shift to my knees while I’m at my desk or take a quick walk. Just making sure you’re sitting up with proper posture is also helpful.
• Watch your portion sizes. Don’t fill up your stomach too much at one time. Instead eat several small meals per day.
• Sip, don’t chug. I’m constantly thirsty when pregnant, but I’m careful not to chug vast amounts of water at one time because even that refluxes. 
• Breathe into your belly. This is proper function of the diaphragm, which serves three purposes:

1. Postural stability (spinal stabilization) 
2. Respiratory
3. Sphincter for the lower esophagus 

Studies have shown that the function of the diaphragm does relate GERD:

• “The importance of the diaphragm in the etiology and the possibility of its use in the treatment of GERD”
• “Diaphragm function in GERD patients: PFT assessment with extended esophageal manometry"

Low Back Pain
Obviously, pregnancy can cause low back pain, but referencing “low back pain” is like referencing “heart disease”—it can be caused by so many different things and cause a variety of issues.

However, in general, during pregnancy low back pain is caused by the weight of your growing belly and the production of hormones that cause instability of the joints around your pelvis. All of this may tip your pelvis forward, causing strain on your back.

You can try doing glute bridge exercises and wearing an SI joint belt. However, if the pain persists, you should contact a medical professional for an official diagnosis and treatment.

These are the main issues I’ve faced. What are some of the aches and pains you’re experiencing and what has worked for you?

My Daily Reminder

As I mentioned in my previous post, our son was born five days early from his due date, which according to our math was probably also too early. Although we can’t say for certain, one of the possible effects of this early entry—besides his crabbiness and inability to sleep for long periods of time—could be his diastasis recti, shown in the video below. This visual reminder is a huge reason I'm writing this blog.

Tanget: "The Happiest Baby on the Block," by Harvey Karp, M.D., not only saved Dr. Husband and I when our son was so sad during those first eight months, he also struck a cord with us in terms of the importance of length of pregnancy with his "Missing Fourth Trimester" theory.

"In many ways your new baby is more a fetus than an infant, spending most of her time sleeping and being fed....Unlike baby horses whose survival depends on their big strong bodies, a human baby's survival depends on big smart brains. In fact, our babies' brains are so huge we have to 'evict' fetuses from the womb well before they're fully ready for the world to keep their heads from getting stuck in the birth canal."

So, yes, the baby has to come out before a fourth trimester (please don't think I'm arguing for that!), but wow is all that time in there such a gift for those brains!

Onward...

According to Dr. Husband, with his diastatis, our son can potentially suffer from:

• Structural issues such as decreased spinal curves or retroverted hips
• Low back pain
• Muscle imbalances, which can increase chance of injury

To combat these outcomes, there are some general things all parents should consider for their infants.

• Allow your baby to develop movement naturally. For example, when he starts to roll, let him do it on his terms. When she wants to walk, fight the urge to hold her hands. Though babies love to sit up, don't prop them up with pillows or baby chairs. 
• Go shoeless. When it comes to shoes, the best thing to do is not wear them! Allow your baby to be bare foot as much as possible. If he needs shoes, something with a very thin sole is best, so his feet can feel the ground.
• Limit practice of primitive reflexes. The most common issue is sucking, so wean your baby from the bottle and pacifier within the reasonable time frames. Our pediatrician suggested a full weaning from both by 18 months at the latest.

In the future:
Our son is almost two years old, so treating him is very difficult because he doesn't want to be still (ever), and forcing him is just traumatic for all of us. The above guidelines are great for infants, but if you're having questions regarding a toddler, you may consider looking into professional advice. When your child can understand the concept of being still, he or she would probably respond well to physical therapy. Dr. Husband will definitely be working with our son as soon as he can understand what the heck daddy is doing!

A Bit of Context

Originally Posted: March 5, 2014

For some context, my husband is a private practice chiropractor with more than 500 hours of post-graduate study and certification in manual therapy techniques beyond chiropractic. He has worked hard to diversify his study to encompass the best from many conservative care fields such as chiropractic, physical therapy, osteopathy and neurology to name a few.

For our purposes, it is his certification in Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) according to Dr. Pavel Kolar that is most intriguing since much of DNS is based off of developmental patterns of infants.

To quote my husband:

“The normal development process of infants is predictable and can be seen in every healthy infant with the exact same patterns. These patterns then become our map of what physiological movement is. This genetically predetermined process, guides our rehabilitation from infants to adults and these principles have been extremely successful in treating cerebral palsy patients as well as increasing the performance of professional and Olympic athletes.” 

And to quote the DNS website:

“The nervous system establishes programs that control human locomotion, which is compromised of posture and movement. This ‘motor control’ is largely established during the first critical years of life. Therefore, the Prague School emphasizes neurodevelopment aspects of motor control in order to assess and restore dysfunction of the locomotor system and associated syndromes.” 

The proper motor control that is established during these first few years of life has an effect on the structure of the body as well, which forms our joints, curves of the spine, angles of the hips, position of our feet, etc. This is indeed a critical time—and I hope you’re excited to explore more with me!

You Can Do It: "Term" Pregnancy

Originally Posted: March 3, 2014

Today I enter the third trimester of my pregnancy. The entrance into these final 12 weeks has started with a bang—a bang of intense heart burn and lower abdominal pressure.

For many women, myself included, these last weeks can be trying. When I was pregnant with my now 21-month-old son, the aches and pains, continued weight gain and lack of sleep wore me out. I always count my blessings (x 100!) that I have not yet had any serious medical issues during my pregnancies, but even these “normal” things can make the day-to-day difficult.

However, I hope I can enlighten you (and energize myself) as to just how much important work you are doing for your baby during this time, and especially at the bitter-sweet end.

I think many moms already understand the significance of the first 10-12 weeks of pregnancy. It’s truly a miracle that a group of cells turns into a functioning fetus at the end of such a short time—with organs and the general shape of a human being. But from mothers to physicians, I think there is a lack of emphasis on the importance of keeping that baby inside the womb until the 40th or even 41st or 42nd weeks. It seems that once “full term” is reached at 37 weeks, we consider ourselves done.

To this I say, “If we can help it, we’re not done!”

For my current pregnancy, my goal, though I may not have complete control, is to keep this baby in until June 1, which is one week past my doctor-prescribed due date. Why you ask?

Thanks to Dr. Husband’s post-doctorate education and training in infant development and movement (more on this soon), we see the effects of baby boy’s early arrival in his movement patterns already (more on this soon, too). Though he was only five days early according to his due date, we are convinced my due date was too early as well. So this time, there will be no three-mile walk, followed by a prenatal massage, followed by an Insanity work out. Do I know for certain I stimulated labor with my son? Yes—I call it the science of “mother’s instinct.”

Last fall, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists “redefined ‘term pregnancy’ to improve newborn outcomes and expand efforts to prevent non-medically indicated deliveries before 39 weeks of gestation.”

Here are the new definitions of ‘term’ deliveries:

• Early term: 37 weeks 0 days to 38 weeks 6 days 
• Full term: 39 weeks 0 days to 40 weeks 6 days 
• Late term: 41 weeks 0 days to 41 weeks 6 days 
• Postterm: 42 weeks 0 days and beyond 

This was due to research showing that every week of gestation matters for the health of newborns. The last few weeks of pregnancy allow a baby’s brain and lungs to fully mature. The neuro-connections still being made during this time can impact a baby’s future movement patterns, among other things.

Sally Goddard summarizes the importance of brain development and movement in the introduction to her book, “Reflexes, Learning and Behavior: A Window Into the Child’s Mind:”

“All learning takes place in the brian; it is the body that acts as receptor for information and then becomes the vehicle through which knowledge is expressed. In this respect, movement lies at the heart of learning. Learning, language and behavior are all linked in some way to the function of the motor system and control of movement.” (p. xvi)

Although you cannot control the onset of labor, I hope those of you who are lucky enough to make it to the final weeks or beyond your due dates embrace this important time. There are so many connections being made for your baby that will have long standing effects on their movement patterns and development. You can do it!