Prenatal Care

Pregnancy and childbirth are physical events, but they are much more than that – they represent a major life transition. The changes that occur with pregnancy and childbirth affect your whole life: your identity, your relationships, your values, and your beliefs. I feel it is crucial to consider body, mind, and spirit during these transformations into parenthood.

Women can begin at any point in their pregnancy – during the first, second, or third trimester. Along with the guidance and advice my therapy can be incorporated into routine prenatal care as an emotional and physical health supplement shown to improve pregnancy outcome and maternal health.

EATING WELL

Before and during pregnancy, and in preparation to giving birth, what you eat will support and have an impact on you and your baby’s development.

Pregnancy is a time to view food not only to satisfy your hunger, but as an important source of nutrition for you and your baby. Right from the beginning, in the first weeks of pregnancy, your baby will be going through important neurological development.

Similarly your body will be going through physiological changes to accommodate your pregnancy. Eating a nutritious, balanced diet will keep your energy levels raised and support you through pregnancy to keep you strong for giving birth.

Together we will build a suitable diet for you and your growing little one.

EXCERSISE DURING PREGNANCY

Pregnancy and labour is physically demanding and it can be easy to use pregnancy as an excuse to lead an inactive lifestyle.

Maintaining some form of exercise during pregnancy keeps you fit and makes giving birth easier. This does not mean that you should start going to the gym or take up running. It just means taking time to balance physical activity and fitness with periods of rest and relaxation.

If you’ve been exercising prior to pregnancy there is no reason to stop. However once your baby and abdomen grows bigger, you may find that you need to tailor your exercise down or to find gentler forms of exercise to accommodate your growing baby and your body’s changes.

EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS

Pregnancy and childbirth cause adjustments not only in your body but how you feel on a day to day basis. This can lead to a feeling of calmness or completion, stress, anxiety or perhaps even test your relationships! You may be concerned about postnatal depression, feeling inadequate or ill-prepared. Having a good support network with your partner and other close friends and family will help keep your emotions and feelings in balance and provide you with the resources needed at this time.

PHYSICAL TREATMENT

As well as helping you put together a balanced lifestyle for this special period in your life, I also provide touch therapies that will help with the physical changes and discomfort during pregnancy and preparing for a healthy, easier birth, and afterwards.

I can offer you a wide variety of treatments to help you adjust to the pregnancy. The treatments may include a type of massage that: reduces stress and promotes relaxation, reduce edemas, varicose vein development, headaches, difficulty breathing, heartburn/acid reflux, chest pains, breast soreness, pressure on your torso (reducing the chance of stretch marks, hernias, pressure on your stomach, bladder, and much more).

Treatments may promote increased blood and lymph circulation, help in the reduction of musculoskeletal strain and pain, while contributing to developing flexibility and the kinesthetic awareness necessary to actively participate in the birth process.