Preparing your mind an body for success.

Most athletes will readily advise that Relaxation and Visualisation are crucial to a succesful performance. Sports greats know that stress and tension in the mind equate to stress and tension in the body; the two cannot be spearated. Conqering stress and fear is what allows sports figures to appear to perform so effortlesly.

Clenched fists, a tight mouth, a furrowed brow, all send signals to the birth passage muscles, the very ones that need to be loosened during labour to tighten and fight. Fear, Tension, Pain.  Letting go and relaxing all the upper body will send signals to the lower body parts to do the same.

HypnoBirthing Techniques teach the mother-to-be Breathing, Relaxation, Visialisation and Deepening and thus prepare her mind for the birth process. Learn the techniques but take time to practice every day. There is no subsitute for practice, just reading the book and atending the course is not enough to condition your mind  and body in preraration for birthing.
Conditioning involves your Mind & Body. A runner would never atempt to run a marathon unless his body was well conditioned.

Once you have been taught the techniques establish a daily routine. Select a time to relax when you won't be disturbed. Turn your phone off. Select the same time each day of possible and dedicate yourself to that time.  Choose a comfortable spot that ha soft, dimlighting that you can use daily. Wear comfortable clothes and use the HypnoBirthing CD's or music tha consists of tones and rhythms so that your body can respond to the beat.

Remember that relaxation should become second nature to you. By the time that your body goes into labour for birthing your relaxation response will be automatic. 

Practice does make perfect! 

Feeling Attractive and Looking Good during Pregnancy

All pegnant women have to grapple with body issues, but everyone else sees a woman who is going to have a baby. The times have changed and privately or publicly, modern pregnant women think of themselves-and their condition- as sexy. It is all about being excited about pregnancy,feeling arrtactive and looking good.

Staying cool and comfortable is the most important thing when coosing your wardrobe As your pregnancy advances try to avoid restrictive clothing epsecially over your tummy. Invest in comfortable well fitting underwear, bras and swim suits. You don't want a pregnancy-weggie. Thanks to fluid retention, you will find your feet growing too. This is not the time to be strutting about in stilettos, wear comfortable flats or slip ons to relieve the problem of reaching your feet below that growing tummy!

One of the most impulsive things women do during pregnancy is changing their hairstyle and colour dramatically. I know I did and regretted it all too soon! Due to the presence of your changing hormones the texture of your hair may become thicker or thinner. Playing with your hair may feel like the last bit of control you have over your body that is raging out of control.

 Is it safe to dye your hair?
There are no conclusive studies on the subject of hair dye but most experts agree that you should NOT dye your hair during your First Trimester of Pregnancy. No one really knows whether using chemical dyes during pregnancy is completely safe or not, Ultimately the choice has to be yours. If colouring your hair makes you feel good, go for it. If you choose to colour your hair while expecting then wear gloves or go to a salon where there is good ventilation to minimise your exposure to the harsh chemicals. Alternatively there are vegetable dyes instead.

In addition to the teltail Rosie glow caused by the increased blood flow, pregnancy may cause some  unwanted skin changes. Make up can hide uneven patches of skin or rashes.

No matter what you wear I think that you look amazing.

EMPTY NEST SYNDROME!

My new website is about to launch called Ask Kiki All about PREGNANCY. Yes you have guessed, it is to fill a gap left by my youngest daughter who has just go into Art school in the UK and leaves home in September.

A cliche I know! I do have a great job after all working in an Obstetric clinic in the mornings, patient visits in the afternoons, teaching HyonoBirthing in the evenings and on call for up to 4 births a month but still. I was worried about my afternoons being empty!

 No school pick ups, listening to cheerful chatting, laughing and singing, having nobody to hound to do homework and worry about on a daily basis will be very odd.

And so I will be posting bi weekly Positive information about Pregnancy, labour and childbirth for you to read.