During pregnancy, increased pressure on the abdominal wall can cause a condition called diastasis recti. I wish it had a less scary name. Diastasis recti looks like a gorge running vertically down the middle of the belly area. It stretches from the bottom of the breastbone to the belly button, and increases with muscle straining. The middle muscle, the ‘linea alba’, is where our 6-pack usually lies. Chuckle. When the muscles on either side of this line pull apart, women may develop 2 finger’s width of separation (2.7cm or greater) of the abdominus recti muscle (down the centre line of the belly). The area between these two muscles may stick out like a vertical pouch. It’s important to realize that this area is not torn – just temporarily separated.
A birth or labour doula is a woman who attends the birthing family before, during, and just after the birth of a baby. She is also called a “birth assistant” or “labour support specialist”. A birth doula will draw on her experience and training to provide physical and emotional support during your labour.
Remember when maternity fashion was an oxymoron? When insipid little rosebuds on a mu-mu were au courant? Canadian designers are among the top in the world, and as our reputation grows as a world-class travel destination, our shopping options do as well – even for maternity clothes. I remember when I was trying to conceive and kept going to the States to buy out of season Pea in the Pod items on sale in hopes that they’d fit if I conceived right away!! NO MORE. Shop local. Shop Canadian. We are featuring stores that carry maternity clothes in Canada and the ones below are Canadian-based stores dedicated to the belly. We’ve also got a section on nursing bras and nursing wear. Let us know if you have any additions!
Morning sickness is a bit of a misnomer; while morning is the most common time to experience feelings of nausea, morning sickness can be experienced at any point in the day – especially if you are carrying twins. Researchers aren’t entirely sure what causes morning sickness, but there is a general consensus that morning sickness is at least partially related to hCG, (human chorionic gonadotropin), a hormone produced during pregnancy. During a multiple pregnancy, hCG levels are higher than in a singleton pregnancy which explains why episodes of morning sickness tend to be elevated in twin pregnancies. This leaves many moms asking how to cope with morning sickness.
Q: I am a part time esthetician, and go to client’s homes to give manicures and pedicures. No artificials are used, so the fumes are straight from the regular nail polish bottles. Now that. I am trying to get pregnant, I am wondering if I should stop doing my house calls till all is said and done, or is it ok that I continue doing mani’s and pedi’s throughout my pregnancy?
When I was about 10 weeks pregnant I was very excited to see my doctor, because the pregnancy was advanced enough to be able to hear my baby’s heartbeat on the Doppler. We heard it, and it was unbelievable. It made everything seem real – there was, in fact, a baby on the way. I joked to my practitioner at the time, ‘there’s only one in there, right?’ She laughed and said no way was I having twins, I had barely gained any weight and besides, we could only hear one heartbeat.
So you’re thinking about starting a family. And you’re trying to start a family. And trying. And trying. And you’re at the point where, if one more person tells you to “relax” so “it will just happen”, you might lose your [email protected]#* completely.
You’re thinking about seeing a doctor, or you’ve seen one, or three. The idea of IVF has come up. Or maybe it’s come up for your sister, or your best friend. You have questions, but you have no one to ask. You’re scared it won’t work, you can’t afford it, that it’s going ‘too far’. You hate needles. You’ve begun to wonder if there’s a deeper, cosmic reason you can’t have a baby. There are countless reasons why it’s impossible to even try. And then you suddenly start to feel like you’re just done with it all.
Diala’s Kitchen is one of my favourite new food blog obsessions and after getting gluttonous on the (terrible, curse on whoever invented this) “Eat What You Want Day” with a bowl of popcorn to carry me through from breakfast to lunch, an inhaled curry pad thai for dinner, and half a huge bag of dark choc almonds to follow—let’s just say that I woke up this morning hungover, overcome with guilt, and looking to redeem myself.
Diala to the rescue with a dish that’s fresh, healthy, totally yummy, and makes me feel like I might not have to wear a T-shirt over my swimsuit during baby swimming lessons this summer.
I will never forget how connected to my body I felt with each pregnancy. The cravings for nutrients, sleep and extra calories balanced out against my desire to nurture, nest and send love and energy to the little human inside. It’s always yin and yang, somehow, and the abundance of what I was receiving helped the balance output I was expending.
It is vital during pregnancy to care for both the mind and body. Sleep should be increased and embraced, calories increased by 300-500 per day, and clothing sizes will invariably widen so as not constrict your beautiful growing body. Smile.
