Train your body physically and mentally for the big day.

Article & Photo courtesy of Well Rounded NY

Preparing your body for pregnancy and birth is comparable to getting ready for a marathon-meets-Tough Mudder! Although every birth is unique, a healthy, fit mother has strength and flexibility to her advantage to push her baby out like a pro. The birthing experience will be taxing on your body both physically and emotionally, so the more “training” you can do beforehand, the better. Below, find 5 great tips that will help you physically and mentally prep for birth.

Physical Prep:

1. Squat it out. If I were to choose one exercise to perfect, it would definitely be squats because they help prepare for a natural delivery. Whether you play with a TRX squat, a yoga Malasana squat, or a weighted goblet squat, make sure you get low, and wherever the toes go, the knees should follow.
2. Learn to Swim. Swimming takes 90% of the body weight off when you are waddling around winded during your later months of pregnancy. Learn how to swim now, and your body will thank you down the road! Spending time belly down also helps position the baby for a natural birth at 36 weeks pregnant, when you are praying your baby doesn’t flip breeched.
3. Untwist Asymmetries. Do you do any of the following? Turn to look at your computer screen, carry a side shoulder purse, or jut one hip out? Unbalanced movement causes a twist in the spine and pelvis. Why is it important? Two ligaments attach the uterus to the pelvis, and any twist in the pelvis will create torsion of these ligaments. If there’s a twist in the pelvis and uterus during labor, the baby will have difficulty descending and may end up facing the front of the mother leading to immense prolonged back labor. It’s important to get assessed by a chiropractor to help optimize the structure and function of your body leading up to getting pregnant.

Mental Prep:

4. Meditate Daily. Meditation helps us to let go of our extraneous thoughts and habits, allowing us settle into a safe and calm space. The same is true during labor; if we let go of fear and expectations, we drop into a primal, grounded space during contractions and stay present between contractions. Our patients at the Urban Wellness Clinic who meditate daily tend to deliver their babies like rock stars! Our favorite meditation guides include Headspace, a friendly app with short 10-minute meditations under the guidance of Andy, a gentle British bloke; and Art of Meditation with Elena Brower, an innovative and accessible online offering created by my favorite NYC yoga instructor. Find the same time of day to meditate, this helps ease in creating a new healthy habit. Just start, there’s no better way to break procrastination than sit down, close your eyes and breathe.
5. Belly Breathe. Place your left hand on your chest and right hand on your belly, and take a breath. Where did you send the majority of your breath? If it was all in your chest, welcome to the stressed out club of NYC’s dysfunctional breathers, don’t worry there’s hope. The natural breath is mostly belly expansion as we breathe in and the belly softening to the spine as we breathe out, and the sternum (chest bone) will travel forward but not upward.

Tips for belly breathing:
-Place the tongue on the roof of the mouth 1 inch behind the teeth, this helps access belly breathing.

-Focus on the exhale. This is when we actually breathe, when there is an exchange of oxygen to the blood stream.

-Low hum on the exhale. This engages the vocal cords and core muscles will sync up the diaphragm on the exhale.

Get belly breathing down now. During pregnancy, the baby grows which pushes up on the diaphragm and leads to using neck muscles to breathe and reflux. Lastly, the pressure action of the diaphragm is essential in creating force for progression and pushing out your baby in second phase of delivery.

This article is by Emily Kiberd, courtesy of Well Rounded NY. Conceived with love by former magazine editors Jessica Pallay and Kaity Velez, Well Rounded NY aims to be the singular pregnancy resource for city-savvy moms-to-be. Through reviews, profiles, expert Q&As, local guides and more, Well Rounded curates the New York City pregnancy and helps its readers come to terms – and term! – with pregnancy in the city.

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While pregnant, most women experience uncomfortable symptoms such as tenderness, nausea, fatigue, cravings, and increased urination. That is why Nine Naturals is excited to partner with Healthy Mama to bring you helpful tips on how to fight common symptoms, so you can have a happy, healthy pregnancy.

While many suggest that morning sickness might be a good sign that the baby is growing and healthy, let’s face it--feeling pregnancy nausea is miserable. Most experts agree that this common symptom, which affects 70% of pregnant women, is caused by the surge of hormones brought on by pregnancy. Most get relief after the first trimester when hormone levels have evened out a bit, but about 20% continue to feel nauseated throughout the whole nine months.

Feeling like you have the stomach bug for months feels awful and can suck the joy out of having a baby all together. Here are Nine Naturals’ and healthy mama®’s top tips for avoiding and treating morning sickness.

1. Start Strong.

Before getting out of bed in the morning, you may want to eat a light snack--think a few Saltine crackers--and get up slowly. Feel free to sit on the side of the bed for a few minutes before standing up. Don’t start moving around on an eight-hour empty stomach because it can bring nausea on strong. Despite its name, morning sickness can strike at any time of day or night, that’s why many moms-to-be even stash a snack on their nightstands.

2. Stay Hydrated.

Drink fluids often during the day to stay hydrated. Eight glasses a day may be hard when you’re feeling woozy but remember: dehydration will only make the problem worse. The colder the drink, the easier it’ll be to get down. Try Healthy Mama’s refreshing Boost it Up! Caffeine Free Protein Anti-Nausea Energy Drink, which is packed with protein, B-vitamins, fiber, ginger and electrolytes to help fight nausea. This drink was developed by nutritionists to be 100% safe during pregnancy, is OBGYN-recommended, and endorsed by the American Pregnancy Association.

3. Eat Right & Try Ginger.

Eat smaller, more frequent meals and avoid fatty foods -- they’re hard to digest. Foods and drinks with ginger can help too. For many centuries, ginger has been used in traditional Asian, Indian and Arabic medicine to help alleviate digestive problems, including nausea. Modern research, too, indicates that the root’s volatile oils and pungent phenol compounds, such as gingerols and shogaols, can in fact relieve stomach upset. Boost It Up! and Nip the Nausea use ginger as a key ingredient. Nip the Nausea! 100% Organic drops fit easily in your purse so you can take them with you wherever you go! And launching in February is the much anticipated Nip the Nausea! organic morning sickness capsules containing amounts of ginger and vitamin B6 clinically proven to help eliminate morning sickness without the drowsiness of drug options.

4. Enjoy Aromatic Fragrances.

Certain odors may trigger your gag reflex, since your sense of smell is heightened during pregnancy. If specific odors consistently bother you, you can try to minimize your exposure to them or avoid them altogether. Switching to all natural beauty products can help you reduce your exposure to chemical fragrances (as well as other additives that can harm you and your growing baby). Nine Naturals products are all-natural and free of synthetic fragrances; in fact, their light, natural fragrances utilize principles of aromatherapy especially for pregnant women. Nine Naturals' Citrus + Mint Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner, Vanilla + Geranium Regenerative Belly Butter, and Mandarin + Ginger Restorative Conditioner are all made with pure essential oils known to boost energy, lift moods, and relieve nausea.

Morning sickness is definitely not one of pregnancy’s main perks, but with a little bit of proactive planning -- and a few helpful products to help you along -- you’ll be feeling better, and gorgeously glowing, in no time.

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10 emoji phrases to help get you through your pregnancy and baby journey.

Article & Photos Courtesy of Well Rounded NY

I used to call people and talk to them. If they didn’t answer, I left a message. A long and rambling one. And then I got pregnant and everything changed. I was tired. My calls devolved into texts. And then I downloaded emojis. I pretty much stopped using words. Because, really, who needs them?

It started innocently enough with some messages to non-pregnant friends during my first trimester, but it quickly evolved into my chosen method of communication. I realized I could say everything, and say it more eloquently, with emojis. You can too. Here’s 10 pregnancy emoji phrases you just might find yourself calling on during your own baby journey.










What emoji phrases do you use to talk about pregnancy and babies?

This article is by Jessica Pallay, courtesy of Well Rounded NY. Conceived with love by former magazine editors Jessica Pallay and Kaity Velez, Well Rounded NY aims to be the singular pregnancy resource for city-savvy moms-to-be. Through reviews, profiles, expert Q&As, local guides and more, Well Rounded curates the New York City pregnancy and helps its readers come to terms – and term! – with pregnancy in the city.

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Trying to conceive involves many variables from mom but dad makes up half the equation too! To ensure a healthy pregnancy, both men and women have to be ready. Here are PregPrep’s top 4 tips for helping dad-to-be prepare for little one.

CHECK WITH DOCTOR. Healthy or not, men should see a doctor for a full physical exam before trying to get their partner pregnant. Besides chronic disease, medication, and problems with ejaculation/erections/libido, anything can affect fertility, so be sure he reveals his family history to his physician.

EAT HEALTHY. A healthy diet rich in fruits and veggies not only improve sperm quality but certain antioxidants found in said foods, like Vitamin C and E, boost sperm count and motility too. Lean protein, low-fat dairy, and whole grains also enhance overall sperm health. Make sure you and your partner are working on this together--it makes eating healthy a lot easier and more fun.

CHOOSE BOXERS. Some experts claim that testicles can overheat in briefs, thereby affecting sperm production. While this may seem silly, it’s always better to play it safe, right?

RELAX & HAVE FUN. Between tracking cycles and everything else you have to consider, trying to conceive can get stressful. But don’t make baby-making feel like a chore. The process can take many months, so unwind and enjoy each other’s company. Ever consider honeymoon #2?

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An expert gives us the When, How and Why for ingesting your placenta postpartum.

Article & Photo courtesy of Well Rounded NY

I am due at any moment with my first child. Part of my birth plan is to keep my placenta so that I can have it encapsulated to consume as part of my postpartum recovery regimen.

As a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and a women’s health and fertility expert, I have been recommending postpartum placenta consumption for over a decade. Most women in my practice look at me like I’m crazy when I encourage them to keep and encapsulate their placentas, but there are many reasons to do so.

How to Do
First, let’s quickly get past the ‘do I have to handle my own placenta’ worry since the encapsulation part is quite easy. There are services out there, usually run by postpartum doulas. For about $300, they will come to the hospital, pick up your placenta (that has been placed in a cooler that you provide), take it away, dehydrate it, encapsulate it and return it to you the next day. So all you have to do is birth your placenta (which you will do anyway) and bring a cooler to the hospital with you. Easy peasy.

Why to Do It:
As I said, I am practitioner of TCM and in the realm of the medicine I practice, ingesting one’s placenta post-birth has been recommended for the last several thousand years. In the TCM philosophy, the placenta is not only what has nourished your baby in utero—it is a major source of nutrients, namely blood, Qi (pronounced chee—which is the basic substance of life and where our energy comes from as seen in TCM) and essence (which, in TCM, is the equivalent of our genetic foundation; essence is seen to decline as we age and or with major health events such as pregnancy and giving birth).

So, as I was taught: the placenta is the best source of postpartum nourishment for a woman as she can literally take back in her own blood, qi and essence to speed her recovery from the taxing process of pregnancy and birth. Additionally, having this extra blood, Qi and essence from the placenta helps generate healthy, nutrient dense breast milk for the mother to share with her child. And, this extra source of blood, Qi and essence is thought to help ward off any postpartum health issues such as depression, fatigue and hormonal imbalances.

The Evidence:
Interestingly, the benefits of placenta ingesting that TCM has touted for thousands of years have made their way to the mainstream and now many people are following suit. To date, the evidence that speaks to the upsides of supplementing with your placenta post-partumly is mostly anecdotal. However, there are a handful of that have found that placenta ingestion helps with breast milk production, enhancing the nutrition of breast milk, mediating postpartum pain relief, restoring the original size of the uterus and balancing hormones. As well, upon nutritional breakdown the placenta has shown to be rich in amino acids, minerals, vitamins, protective antibodies, growth factors—all of which can help restore and regenerate health.

The Questions:
This may still sound a bit hokey to you, but if we look historically at other mammalian species, the placenta is most always ingested right after the animal gives birth to their young. Some believe these mammals do so for nutrition or because food is scarce and that well nourished humans don’t need to eat their placentas. But, who knows. The true benefits are definitely up for debate as there isn’t a ton of research out there. However, my 10 years of clinical experience–and gut instincts–tell me it definitely can’t hurt. The key is to pay attention to your body and how you are feeling. If you feel benefits from ingesting your placenta, then do it. If you are taking it post-partumly and not feeling the reported potential benefits then stop. It’s as simple as that.

Plan of Action:

If you do decide to eat your placenta, my recommended plan of action for post-partum placenta ingestion is:

-Take about 1.5-4 grams per day of your placenta as soon as possible post birth. The key is to start on a low dose and slowly build up until you see desired results.
-Take your placenta pills for only the first 14 days post birth, unless you are severely anemic, experiencing postpartum depression or lactation issues. Then continue to take them for another 7-14 days. Again, pay attention to how you are feeling and let your body be your guide.
-Begin taking your placenta pills again when your period returns IF you are experiencing any menstrual irregularities such as erratic periods, pre menstrual syndrome or heavy bleeding. As well, if you are planning to conceive again, taking your placenta pills from the last day of your period until one to two days post ovulation can help improve your fertility.
-Lastly, save some of your pills for when you enter into menopause as they are thought to help ease that hormonal transition.

One last thing to mention, in TCM, we don’t usually recommend placenta pills be taken on their own but in conjunction with an individualized Chinese herbal prescription. To further enhance the positive effects of taking your placenta and to aid in postpartum recovery, seek out the advice of an NCCAOM certified Chinese Herbalist NCCAOM.org.

This article is by Aimee Raupp, courtesy of Well Rounded NY. Conceived with love by former magazine editors Jessica Pallay and Kaity Velez, Well Rounded NY aims to be the singular pregnancy resource for city-savvy moms-to-be. Through reviews, profiles, expert Q&As, local guides and more, Well Rounded curates the New York City pregnancy and helps its readers come to terms – and term! – with pregnancy in the city.

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How do you know when to call it quits on the city?

Article & Photo courtesy of Well Rounded NY

It doesn’t happen right away. You have your baby and adapt to your new life in the city: lugging strollers on subways, feeding and changing anywhere you can, running around to playdates and classes–all while exploring this awesome city with your little one in tow.

But, then things start to change. Maybe it’s all of the running around or the second child, (or in our case the third child) that pushes you over the edge. Things are wonderful and amazing, but also so hard. You think about space and convenience. Before you know it, you are researching the suburbs, figuring out these other towns that are near-ish to NYC, learning about new schools. And then it’s done. You moved to the burbs!

As born and raised New Yorker, I never imagined that I would live in the suburbs. It wasn’t really part of my childhood, except for a few summers at sleepaway camp and visits to see family every now and again. Childhood was playing on stoops, in local parks, and hopping on the train whenever we wanted to get anywhere.

When I first had my daughter, there really wasn’t any talk about leaving. I adapted in this new terrain as a mother, and I loved rediscovering NYC through her eyes. When I had my second daughter we moved to a new space: a 3-bedroom apartment, which was a major score in our Brooklyn life. The girls shared a room and we adapted again.

But soon things started to change. With our third baby, everything just got really hard. I found myself constantly running from different classes to different schools, shuffling and lugging. All of those things at home we once overlooked–like no dishwasher and or washer/dryer–was becoming a burden. I struggled to keep up with the day-to-day, even with a work-from-home schedule. That is motherhood, I suppose, but there had to be an easier way.

We thought about moving within our neighborhood, but it was shocking how quickly the rents had risen since we arrived. Plus, we were starting to think more about the future for the girls. Did we want to stay in Brooklyn forever? I wasn’t so sure anymore.

The more and more that we thought about it, the more I realized that Brooklyn life wasn’t for us anymore. And while we were nervous to leave our community and the life that we had grown to love, it was time for something new.

For us, the suburbs was a no-man’s land. I knew a few people that had made the move, but I no idea where to go or even where to start. We only knew we needed a location that was close to the train to make commuting easy. We didn’t have a specific timeline for when (or if) we would move. Then one day my husband saw a listing in Westchester, so we loaded the girls and went.

I fell in love. It wasn’t a huge house or anything fancy, but it was just what we needed. There was space, a backyard and front yard, storage, a play area for the girls and an office for me. There was a dishwasher and a washing machine. After some contemplation and some quick research on the town and the school district, we decided to go for it. A few days later, we embarked on this new adventure together.

It’s been just a few months, and I don’t know why we didn’t do this sooner. The community has been incredibly welcoming, and the girls have made friends and quickly adapted. Our house is also close to the town that I can walk to the train, local stores and library. I love having a quiet space during the day and being surrounded by trees and nature. Having been in the city my whole life, these pleasures feel luxurious.

The day-to-day with 3 kids is still crazy and busy, but I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. It’s amazing to see the freedom that the girls have now. They both are constantly telling me how much they love living here. The transition has been harder on me. Since it’s more of a driving culture, I have found it harder to find moms to connect with, which is a little reminiscent of the feelings of being a first-time mom.

Do I miss Brooklyn? Yes, of course. But we have it nearby and it will always be a place that is close to all of our hearts.

Finding the right suburb is challenging and incredibly scary. You have to be ready–both mentally and emotionally–to embark on this exciting change. The best thing is to do your research, visit the towns and learn about the schools. Feel free to ask me any questions in the comments section!

This article is by Serena Norr, courtesy of Well Rounded NY. Conceived with love by former magazine editors Jessica Pallay and Kaity Velez, Well Rounded NY aims to be the singular pregnancy resource for city-savvy moms-to-be. Through reviews, profiles, expert Q&As, local guides and more, Well Rounded curates the New York City pregnancy and helps its readers come to terms – and term! – with pregnancy in the city.

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