Bump to Birth and Beyond

WinchestHer Magazine

I was recently interviewed by WinchestHer Magazine about C section massages. So very delighted this has been written and printed. Please share around!

To book a C section scar massage with me :

https://www.pilateswithpriya.co.uk/massage/

KIds Editor, Eleanor, investigates.

https://winchesther.com/c-section-recovery-the-how-why-of-scar-massage/

Choline – What does it do and why do we need it?

An important nutrient if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or thinking about getting pregnant.

dietitianuk.co.uk Choline, one of those lesser known nutrients that is potentially overlooked. It performs lots of roles in the body with extra importance in pregnancy. It is used to make up the lining of cells. It …

THURSDAYS from 13th FEB at 10am.....

The next 6 week Holistic Core Restore course is going to be a daytime, babies are welcome, middle of the week THURSDAY 10am affair, starting 13th Feb but a week off live classes for half term (not a week off your homework however!).

You need this if:
- Your pelvc floor needs some attention.
- You have a mild diastasis recti.
- Your core and whole body needs some exercise.
- You are pre-menopausal or going through the menopause and know your body needs strengthening.
- You need some laughter and love on a Thursday.

I've 6 spaces but 2 are already reserved.

You get:
- 6 weeks of classes with me
- Homework exercises you can use for life.
- Equipment kit to use at home.

Click here to book and get more information: https://www.pilateswithpriya.co.uk/holistic-core-restore/

See how complicated the pelvic area actually is! So if you have pain, leakage, know something is not right do seek help. So many muscles it is a jigsaw puzzle!

Shout out to for this awesome picture of the pelvis with its myofascial attachments!

Fit-School

Great post on how to strengthen your pelvic floor.

NEW BLOG POST. How to strengthen your pelvic floor for new mums. This one's a biggie. I wanted to wade through the variants of advice, arguments and issues out there to get to something close to general best practice. Do have a read. https://www.fit-school.co.uk/2019/11/06/how-to-strengthen-your-pelvic-floor-for-new-mums/

The must-do course for your core and pelvic floor!

Saturdays 10am in November
Possible Thursday daytimes (baby welcome)

https://www.pilateswithpriya.co.uk/holistic-core-restore/

Pelvic floor concerns?
Mild Diastastis Recti?
Postnatal Rehab needed?
Want to build up your fitness?
Pre-menopausal and wanting to keep strong?
Post-menopausal and feeling the difference?
Preparing to have a baby and want your body to be ready?

These can all be reasons ladies come on the Holisitic Core Restore® Everywoman course.

NEXT COURSE STARTS Sat 2nd Nov 10-11
POSSIBLE COURSE Thursday daytimes.

Literally the course for everywoman to do at some point of life if not to regularly do. I get benefits each time I teach it!

You get:
6 weeks of in person sessions
Homework videos you can use FOR LIFE
An equipment bag of balls and bands
Advice on lifestyle, nutrition, and womans health
A stronger, more functional body

To book and read more please click here: https://www.pilateswithpriya.co.uk/holistic-core-restore/

ahhhh now that makes sense.

Hold your babies, people!! Preferably up, as far as the child is concerned... and much to the dismay of tired parents around the world who are exasperated at an infant’s insistence at holding them standing.

A study by Esposito et al. (2013), published in the Journal of Current Biology, demonstrated for the first time that the calming response to parents holding them is a coordinated set of central, motor, and cardiac regulations and is a conserved component of parent-infant interactions in mammals.

Using electrocardiograms (ECG) to monitor twelve healthy human infants’ heartbeats, along with their behaviour and vocalisations, they recorded mother-infant pairs during behavioural tasks that consisted of the child lying in a crib, being held by the mother who was sitting on a chair (), or being held by the mother who was walking continuously ().

The researchers found a sustained elevation of heart interbeat intervals due to carrying in awake infants could not be explained by any known cardiac vagal reflex, including the orienting reflex (brief period of heart rate deceleration by mild sensory stimulus), suggesting that carrying evokes a sustained heart rate reduction in concert with the rapid behavioural changes in human infants via a novel mechanism.

The researchers furthermore found that in mouse pups, carrying induced calming responses similar to those in human infants, even though maternal carrying methods differed. This draws parallels between the carrying-induced state evoked in human babies and other mammalian young such as cats or squirrels who adopt a still, compact posture with their hind legs drawn up when maternally carried. The reduced mobility, reduced distress vocalisations, and reduced heart rate appears to be adaptive.

The calming responses evoked by carrying are thought to be an evolutionary measure to increase the survival probability of the infant in cases of emergency escape by the mother and child, and so ultimately works to strengthen the mother-infant relationship. There is adaptive value in this behaviour in carer-infant relationships and, as a consequence, infant survival.

The study found that the effects of carrying on the infant’s parasympathetic nervous system were significant, and it provides a scientific understanding of this physiological infant response that could be beneficial for parents and early childhood educators to understand.

Considering the physiological response of the infant when being carried may lead to greater parent and carer patience, reduced frustration and an increased appreciation of age-old parenting techniques such as and parenting.

https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(13)00343-6

Such a beautiful pic. Anyone have a palindrome baby?

🤓 Fun Facts Friday 🤓

Did you know that...

Anyone who had a baby both 19.07.19 has something called a palindrome birthday.

A Palindrome is a sequence of words and numbers that reads the same forward as backwards and is a pretty cool birthday and date.

Do you or any of your family have unique birthdays?

Eight years ago we looked after a lady whose baby was born on 10.10.10 at 1044!

Australian senator breastfeeds baby while moving a motion in parliament

Impressive - breastfeeding and being a mum should certainly not hold us back in life. Love the fact the baby was there with her.

However a part of my also thinks she could have been allowed to finish the feed before doing this?

What are your thoughts?

telegraph.co.uk An MP in Australia has addressed Parliament while breastfeeding her baby, admitting that she moved a motion only moments before her daughter “moved her own motion”.

Advert 'normalises' incontinence after childbirth

This is progress. Those incontinence adverts are being spoken about and complained about. Leaking is not normal, and not something we should laugh about, normalise or expect....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49235784?fbclid=IwAR2qzjz_n-UU3CeUxq64XCEU9utb24Qw0ou6CofeFyfQEeebD9HIe7ppWQw

bbc.com The Royal College of Nursing criticises TENA, saying new mothers need more information about treatment.

Totally.

This statement is so true! New mums just need a lot of attention too. Unfortunately often everyone is just focused on the new baby, including the new mum.

When you just had a baby or are about to give birth, then make sure you find some time for selfcare and rest, to recharge your own batteries.

Return To Run: considerations for the female runner - Julie Wiebe PT

Fantastic blog on why we need to rebuild the core and add impact before returning to sports.

A combination of postnatal Pilates and the Holistic Core Restore ®️ courses will do just that.

Let your postnatal mummy friends know!

juliewiebept.com Where a female runner is in the recovery process, their level of preparation for a return to running determines their readiness, not a timeline

Gemma Atkinson reveals when she will go back to training post giving birth to baby Mia

A very sensible approach!

hellomagazine.com Gemma Atkinson has opened up about her fitness regime after giving birth to her first child, baby Mia. The Strictly Come Dancing star welcomed her daughter with Gorka Marquez on 4 July...

Lets not be duped ladies, you can totally work on your pelvic floor and not need Tena lady!

4 spaces left for my September Everywoman course.

Let's do it.

https://www.pilateswithpriya.co.uk/holistic-core-restore/

The LIFETIME COST of TAKING YOUR POWER BACK!!!! Love this by Coach Jayne Hume!! If you're Solihull way and ready for ....she's your lady! https://thewomenswellnesscoach.co.uk/

Please, do not put ice lollies into your va**na to cool down

Just so you know... this is NOT a good idea.

metro.co.uk It really isn't going to help.

Ready, steady…GO! Ensuring postnatal women are run-ready! | BJSM blog - social media's leading SEM voice

Returning to running after a baby is totally doable but you need to build that foundation first.

Getting your pelvic floor and core strong first, practicing running movement patterns and focusing on your posture all help.

I’m running Athlete 12 starting next week. Limited spaces available.

12 weeks of getting you stronger, fitter and ready to run.
Plus you have all the content for life.

https://www.pilateswithpriya.co.uk/athlete-12/

blogs.bmj.com Written by Gráinne Donnelly with input from Emma Brockwell and Tom Goom More people than ever run today, and it’s likely because of the increasing number of girls and women that now run too (Lynch and Hoch 2010). For many women, whether training for leisure or competition, running has the benefit...

Some of you will have heard me talk about C section scar massage. This is the power of it! From a fellow Holistic Core Restore coach. AMAZING.

If you have scars in your body then they can restrict movement and healing. The good news is that some soft tissue work can make a huge difference.

💗 C-section scar massage therapy 💗
How long do you think has passed between the top and bottom picture? Days? Weeks? Months......or 60 minutes?!
These photos were taken yesterday at the start of a c-section massage therapy treatment and again just over an hour later!
Helens scar is 9 years old, she came to me hoping that I could make some changes to her tummy because regardless of exercise or nutrition she always had a bit of an ‘overhang’ (her words not mine!!) which is incredibly common for post c-section ladies. I couldn’t promise her it would go away but I knew that there certainly a lot of ‘stuck’ tissue and if I could release it then it would move a bit more freely.
We did some work through her ribs, into her obliques and then spent quite a bit of time massaging her scar and the area around her scar. As I was working in her tummy I could feel it relax and release and you can certainly see from the pictures we’ve made a huge change in a really short amount of time. Helen now has some homework to do in the form of self massage and some stretching work which I know she’ll do religiously!!

Diastasis Recti, Pelvic Floor and Postnatal Assessments

Got concerns about your pelvic floor, abdominal seperation (diastasis recti) or your core strength?

I offer a 1-1 assessment with soft tissue release, breathing, guidance on movement and then have many ways to support your healing journey from there on....

Postnatal Pilates
Postnatal Massage
Holistic Core Restore ® Courses
1-1 Support
Online pelvic floor course

Check out the offerings here: https://www.pilateswithpriya.co.uk/bump-to-birth/diastasis-recti-pelvic-floor-and-postnatal-assessments/

pilateswithpriya.co.uk Priya is completely passionate about postnatal ladies being given the right support and is well known as a specialist in the field. Local midwifes, osteopaths, womens health physiotherapists and GP…

Bookings open for my September Holistic Core Restore ® course!

https://www.pilateswithpriya.co.uk/holistic-core-restore/

Don't let this be you!!! here: https://www.holisticcorerestore.com/will-these-programmes-help-you/find-holistic-core-restore-coach-near/

A must watch. I am passionate about helping women and empowering them.

We're just in the process of re-building in the HCR Website and this morning we filmed the intro to the website where I described WHY Holistic Core Restore (R) exists and my own story......this meme is part of my WHY and this video is probably the BIGGEST PART OF MY WHY.....to say that I'm annoyed is a huge understatement......what do you think?? Take a look......https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4gtvM5SM90&fbclid=IwAR1epYMNWF-8kXZVuVdM1C1DL-dIXw83os35zT4a_JqhSQTP-6yoNcad5oc

Totally. This is why I work with people in the way I do. Training for real life.

This is IMPORTANT! There's a continuum of 'Pelvic Floor Exercise' and if the person educating you doesn't eventually get you moving in a way that you want to move in real life......that's not going to serve you WHEN YOU WANT TO MOVE IN REAL LIFE!!

This is why I teach people in the way I do. There is a progression from lying and breathing, to squatting, to being back to jumping and moving!

The Holistic Core Restore ®️courses are perfect for this or come see me for 1-1 sessions.

Www.pilateswithpriya.co.uk/holisiticcorerestore

This is IMPORTANT! There's a continuum of 'Pelvic Floor Exercise' and if the person educating you doesn't eventually get you moving in a way that you want to move in real life......that's not going to serve you WHEN YOU WANT TO MOVE IN REAL LIFE!!

10 photos that celebrate and honour ‘imperfect’ post-baby bodies

Celebrate your bodies ladies!

todaysparent.com These bodies gave life, and that's nothing to be ashamed of. A shoutout to all the women sharing images of their postpartum bodies.

Top Tip for pregnancy and posnatally too - squats are IN.

Years ago we would have .....
- squatted to go to the toilet
- squatted to do the washing
- squatted to pick something up
- squatted to sit down

But we've lost this in modern day life, so building some squats into your day is a great idea!

Pelvic Floor Exercise Tip of the Day: Squats can actually be a great exercise for pelvic floor health as the glutes act as a counterbalance to the pelvic floor, plus we squat so much in everyday life that we need to be able to do it in some form. Take care if you have prolapse or a feeling of heaviness in the va**na, modify slightly by keeping legs closer together and don't go down so far until you have better control. Seek expert help from someone who understand pelvic floor, prolapse and exercise.

Prolapse can be a scary word but it is also something that as women we need to be aware of and it is something that we need to talk about and get support with.

If you are suffering from any prolapse symptoms then please get in touch.

June is officially Pelvic Organ Prolapse Awareness this month so, we know that every HCR has this information but to those yet to do our programmes, we'd do our bit to ensure that EVERY WOMAN ends the month, 100% clear on the types of and lots of other key 'science-made-simple' that every 'owner' should have under their belt....
Here's a blog that will also be helpful:
https://www.holisticcorerestore.com/2013/prolapse-explained/

Priya Tew, Dietitian UK

IS YOUR DIET AFFECTING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH?

In a society where disordered eating behaviours have become normalised e.g. removal of food groups, calorie counting and earning the right to eat via exercise, it can be difficult to recognise when our dietary habits may be having a detrimental effect on our mental health. Here are some signs to look out for:

👉🏼Preoccupation with food
Anxiety at the thought of straying from your meal plan or last-minute changes to eating plans
👉🏼Avoidance of social eating and self-isolation
👉🏼Feelings of guilt or shame associated with food
👉🏼Compensating by restricting/skipping meals
👉🏼Justification of eating with exercise
👉🏼Basing self-worth on dietary choice
👉🏼Chronic under-eating

Take Home Messages
⭐️ Diet is an important part of our overall wellbeing and a poor diet can both be a contributing factor and consequence of mental illness. However, it’s important to recognise that mental illnesses have complex aetiologies and require multicomponent treatment strategies. Whilst diet may be a tool to improve symptoms, it is not a cure.
⭐️Nourishing yourself properly and eating regular meals are likely to have a positive impact on your mental health. Research suggests that the may be associated with a decreased risk of depressive symptoms. However, eating well when struggling mentally can be extremely difficult. Feeling guilt or shame due to being unable to prepare meals will only make things worse. It is so important to be kind and compassionate towards yourself-you are doing the best you can.
⭐️Our relationship with food should always allow us to be able to fully engage with other aspects of our lives. Being too anxious to attend a friend’s birthday meal will always be worse for your health than any food you would have eaten.
⭐️Please remember you can have poor health as a result of your relationship with food without experiencing weight changes. Health is not just physical and weight should never be solely used as measure of our health. Feelings of anxiety, shame and guilt are never healthy, no matter what your weight and you deserve the support to overcome these feelings.

Holistic Core Restore

Did you know that there are distinct stages for 'brain development' for your child? Actually all the way into their mid-twenties, the ability to make decisions and emotional responses are developing....helpful when one hits a 'challenging patch'....also I loved and got a lot out of the book and website 'The Wonder Weeks' (https://www.thewonderweeks.com/) which breaks down the birth to toddler years....literally for the times when you 'wonder' what the hell is happening to my child???? https://bigthink.com/philip-perry/knowing-the-stages-of-neurological-development-can-make-you-a-better-parent?fbclid=IwAR39KXdtDANm2uIvo5lkTm5HCEzQhhm3vMVItZriFiJO4ofw4PGQ92l2_38