Last week I wrote about Prenatal Exercise and introduced the Yoga Journal and Lamaze present: Yoga for your pregnancy
Anyway, today I had my 5-year-old practice writing the numbers assigned to each name entered and then we drew the winning number.
So the beautiful winner of this prenatal yoga DVD is…..
Bianca!!
Congratulations, friend! I’m sure you will enjoy this very much during your pregnancy, labor & birth, and postpartum time with your baby. Now what about those belly dancing classes?
I love being pregnant; having the miracle of life growing inside me. However, I’d be lying if I said I also loved how it changes my body; I rather dislike it. Probably the thing that bothers me the most about being pregnant is all the attention on me, specifically how I “look”. I get all sorts of comments on how “big” I am, ranging anywhere from, “Oh you’re just a darling little toothpick with a cute little basketball attached to you!” to “Oh my, you look about ready to pop!” (And I’ve still got a few months!)
I know that my body has been “beautifully made” and it is truly an amazing thing to watch how it changes and adapts to compensate for the little being developing and growing in me. But it’s hard to ignore the stretch marks shooting across my belly, hips and…ahem…other places. When I was a little girl I remember watching the old ladies at swimming pools walk by and promising myself I would never have legs like theirs; yet, here I am, saggy, wrinkly, flappy thighs and all. You can imagine my horror when I was trying some clothes on in a dressing room a few weeks back and noticed the veins that had popped out and started crawling all over my legs. I had to stifle a scream. My only consolation is that my kids think my veins are really “cool”.
I have no allusions of being a ”skinny” or even ”trim” cute little pregnant woman; let’s face it, those two words and pregnancy just don’t go together. I prefer “healthy” and “toned” for my exercise and “self-image” goals in pregnancy (and also when I’m not pregnant). I have found these goals to be much more realistic and therefore attainable. I’m no expert or health professional but I know that regular exercise during pregnancy is just as important as it is before and after. For me I see this as important not only to have a healthy pregnancy but also for a healthy labor, birth and post-partum time, and it probably benefits the baby for me to healthy too. As soon as I find out I’m pregnant, I go into “training mode” except instead of training for a 5K or marathon I’m trying for labor and birth.
I like to mix up my exercise routines between toning, cardio, relaxation work and ”baby-positioning” techniques. P.S. I like to exercise both in and out of the house, whatever is most convenient. I try and go the Y 1 – 2 times a week to walk and do weights, this past Saturday I did some laps in the pool and it was fantastical; I loved being able to just float with my belly down, so liberating.
At home, I’ve used an assortment of work-out videos in the basement. My kids love going down there with me to “exercise”, which for them usually means watching mama and the “exercise lady”. Before pregnancy I discovered Leslie Sanson and her Walk Away the Pounds series and have really enjoyed these workouts.
I have continued using this one I got as a gift for Christmas on and off again throughout the pregnancy though not quite as much here lately because I’ve been lazy. Her workouts are so simple and I love her realistic approach to exercise and body image.
Then, while searching for simple prenatal exercise videos on YouTube, I discovered Doctor Cathy’s prenatal exercise videos which I’ve included in my Simple Exercises for Pregnant Moms playlist.
If you go through that playlist, you might laugh when you see the last video I included for some belly dancing for pregnancy. Aside from how belly dancing might help encourage good fetal positioning for birth, this video (and others like it) can provide some high quality entertainment and a good laugh a day keeps the epidural away…or at least might help provide some much needed comic relief during pregnancy and labor. ;)
Lastly, aside from the toning, cardio and hip-opening/baby-positioning workouts, I love doing yoga in pregnancy. If there was only one form of exercise I did during pregnancy it would be yoga. I don’t care about all the mumbo-jumbo part spirituality part of yoga, only how it helps me work my body while also relaxing…a very important skill to have when trying to get a baby out a seemingly impossible exit. (Even after doing it 3 times I still have a hard time believing it’s really possible.) Anyway, I discovered this Yoga Journal and Lamaze yoga for pregnancy video with my last pregnancy and really like it.
There’s no crazy stuff, just simple and relaxing yoga for pregnancy. It includes a 30 minute “Energizing & Strengthening” workout, a 15 minute “Relaxing & Rejuvenating” practice as well as some “Birthing-Room yoga techniques that were very helpful with my last birth. There are also some breathing and meditation segments that I honestly haven’t paid attention to.
Now, for the **GIVE-AWAY** part of this post!
So I somehow ended up with 2 copies of this Yoga DVD, both of them have been gently used but are still in very good condition. If you would like to win this extra DVD simply enter your name in the comments below. If you’d like your name to be added into the drawing twice for higher winning chances add a comment about your favorite prenatal workout along with your name.
THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED NEXT MONDAY, MAY 21!
Go You! Share your small successes here!
1. Got my first writing project payment and some new requests/assignments!
2. Made double batches of pancakes and waffles and muffins for the week (made breakfast and snack time that much easier and faster!)
3. ran about 1.6 miles and felt good about it! I think I could have done more but I was getting bored.
Now it’s your turn to gloat and praise God for the small things and give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back.
Yesterday, I was talking with a friend about how it’s important to find a balance between self-sacrifice and taking care of ourselves. It’s important to be willing to give up our lives as God calls us to day after day in every little thing we do. But there are times when we tend to give so much that we’re not really helping anyone anymore. But like my friend said, it’s too easy to fall into the ‘Oprah trap’ and focus too much on our ‘needs’ and sometimes we get all caught up in remembering to ‘take care of ourselves’ that we forget about anyone except for ourselves. Does that make sense?
As a mother with young children I would say that I have more of a need for sanity savers than someone without children but since I do have young children I don’t have as many opportunities for ‘me time’ as someone without children or young children does. I’m not one of those moms who can just drop my kids off with whoever and go out for the evening with my hubby or ‘out with the girls’ whenever my little heart desires. (and believe you me it desires it frequently)
I know it’s just the season I’m in and one day they’ll be all grown up (probably still causing me stress though in a different flavor). They won’t ‘need’ me as much as they do now….which will make me a little sad honestly.
Nonetheless I have learned that it’s important and necessary for me to get away from everyone for my sanity and theirs every now and then. Even if it’s just 30 mins to an hour here and there I find that I always come back a little more refreshed and ready to take them (my sweet innocent children) on again. Plus they seem to appreciate me ever so slightly more…for a few moments at least. It helps us all.
I think every mom can find something they can do that will give them some sanity-saving power here and there. Aside from praying throughout the day or going to the grocery store by myself, one thing that really does the trick for me is excersise. It’s amazing what a little sweat and heart pumping can do for the soul, not to mention my mental health! I really enjoy going to group classes as it keeps me accountable and I get to be around adults! And I get to challenge myself and think about something beyond the home or whatever controversies may be going on in the world. Even though I’m tired after a good workout, the strong feelings of personal accomplishment give me the energy to get through it.
Yesterday I tried a new class called Zumba! and I absolutely loved it! I usually don’t rave but I’m raving about this! It was like getting to go ‘clubbing’ without actually having to go to a club with sleezy guys and slu….immodestly dressed women…unless you consider the Y a club. The latino girl in me finally got a chance to come out and dance! I had so much fun I forgot I was even excercising! I even almost cried because I was so electrified and it felt so great to feel that way for a little bit in my day. Who knew moms could still have fun? Oh and I even hugged the instructor. I came home feeling invigorated and energized and I could tell my family appreciated seeing me happy and excited again.
So if you get a chance and you feel like trying something new I’d highly recommend it! I was going to link a video here but then you’d have to try and imagine me dancing like a hipsta with super tight abs and shimmery skin. However, thanks to James and breastfeeding I would have at least one thing in common with those women but maybe that’s too much information…But you can learn about Zumba wiki-style if you’d like 
Ahem…so what are YOUR favorite mini sanity-savers in your days?
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