Birth Boot Camp: Class 2

We had our 2nd Birth Boot Camp class on May 7th. It was all about physical training and nutrition. 

P.T. & Chow: noun – physical training and food. Preparing your body – both inside and out — for the challenge of labor is exciting. Learn from a personal trainer how to properly tone the muscles you’ll need to birth your baby. Proper nutrition will help ensure a healthy baby and pregnancy. Following the nutritional program Birth Boot Camp teaches will give you a solid foundation in remaining healthy, strong, and low-risk. Finally, part of your Physical Training is the preparation of the mind, body, and spirit through relaxation practice in each class. Partners will learn helpful hints about the process of practicing relaxation at home. Taking P.T. & Chow seriously will pay off in the natural birth of your baby.

The first half of the class focused on nutrition. In summary you should aim to eat as much clean, unprocessed food as possible, with 80 grams of protein a day. This is easier said than done. It requires a lot of cooking because you can only prepare it in advance for a couple days before it starts tasting old. In the summer this will totally be possible for me, and is a possibility on the weekends, but during the work week it is a struggle. I have to track what I eat for 3 days this week with either the chart they provide in the workbook or using an app like My Fitness Pal, which I have used before. They also want to you to eat the rainbow as they call it, meaning lots of fruits and vegetables of all different colors. We even had to color a balanced meal for the day. This is what Bobby and I came up with, while its not labeled you can see all the different colors. 

The second half of the class we talked about physical training and even did some exercises to help with labor and delivery. They are all very simple and we are supposed to do them daily. We also did a relaxation exercise, but I didn't find it all the relaxing. The relaxing exercises I did in my high school theatre classes were better in my opinion. 

Here are some examples of the exercises we did, it explains how to do them and has pictures. I have done them every night, except 1, so far and I can already tell a difference in my muscle strength. 

Notes from our instructor:

"Labor and birth are endurance sports! This is not a sprint; it is a marathon. Preparing your body physically is often just as important as preparing your head and your emotions and your partner. Our modern and sometimes sedentary lifestyle means that many women have out of shape birthing muscles. This link has some tips and exercises that are safe for the pregnant woman. Remember to consult with your health care provider before beginning.

Many women are wondering, should I Kegel?  This article discusses the function of the pelvic floor, how to properly incorporate Kegels into your lifestyle and alternatives, if Kegels are inappropriate for you.

This post also has tips on healthy pregnancy snacks. Eating healthy snacks is key, and it is often where people make less healthy choices.  Rather than reaching for celery and peanut butter, they grab a bag of chips. Changing those habits is imperative to maximizing nutrients and healthy proteins.

Here is another link with healthy snacks.

This one has an entire day mapped out with non-meat protein for those who are vegetarian or just having a difficult time with meats.

This link from “Midwifery Today” has numerous articles on the importance of healthy eating during pregnancy.

Prepare now so that you can end your pregnancy healthy.

Relaxation Exercise: Tense/Release

Both partners will be practicing this exercise. You will each need two pillows — one for your head and the other for between your knees. If you have been receiving chiropractic adjustments, putting the pillow between your knees (not throwing your top leg over the pillow) will help “hold” the adjustment longer. Regardless, you will likely find this position to be quite comfortable. Choose a position that closely resembles your sleeping position, at least when you are starting to learn how to achieve deep relaxation.

The more you practice this Tense/Release exercise, the easier it will become. Quietly use this exercise at the beginning of each relaxation practice, quickly relaxing the muscle groups where you hold the most tension. This is the most basic of the relaxation exercises. Dads, practice and become comfortable with taking her through the exercise. Enjoy this special time together."

*Disclaimer: This post in no way replaces the Birth Boot Camp class. All things in this post either came from the Birth Boot Camp website, are my insights or my instructors insights from class which have been appropriately cited. I am writing this post in order to help with future pregnancies, labors and deliveries.