it starts from now.....

Local wisdom here dictates that pregnant women 'lao barak' or walk a lot. it is actually very sound advice as lots of walking increases stamina, and also widens the birth canal to make birthing easier. G (who was very petite) walked so much that three times her babies just came out so easily despite her small frame. She said she used to scare the guards at Palacio do Governo whenever she ran up the stairs while being heavily pregnant. She was THAT active till her delivery. I also often spot pregnant women walking up and down the beach front.

Being pregnant here also meant that i have had to take more initiative to find out more about prenatal preparations. One of the first things i got online was a Shiva Rea Prenatal Yoga DVD. It has been a great investment - since it shows how a woman in the various stages of pregnancy can modify her poses for a safer, more comfortable workout. The music is also very soothing, and really calms me down after a day's work. The poses are also very simple, with a lot of emphasis on squats, pelvic rotation, kegels, pelvic tilts - all the exercises that are useful in expanding the birth canal, firming the muscles that will be used in birthing, and strengthening the pelvic floor. I find that even when i'm outside like at the office, i can use some of the poses to stretch myself, and ease my back. The only downside is that this is something i do ALONE. I wish there was a prenatal yoga class for preggers! At least it would be fun to mingle and see other bigbelliedmums. I have stopped attending the regular yoga classes also because i know i am no longer able to hold the poses without assistance such as a chair, or a strap. And like i said, the DVD is great!

I just read in TIME magazine too that prenatal belly dancing is hotting up. I wish i had ordered that one too from Amazon! I can imagine how fun belly dancing is, especially with my bump. but then again, what fun can belly dancing be when it's all done alone? yoga is one thing, but dancing is a social activity! it would be strange to be jiggling on my own to exotic music.....

also, without the privilege of joining prenatal classes back home, i've been reading up voraciously about pregnancy. my 'bible' "what to expect when expecting" is well-thumbed now, also "pregnancy week by week", and "praying for your unborn child" - these are all great resources.

Recently i brought back "Hypnobirthing - the Mongan method" to begin some self study on hynobirthing because i've read a lot about this online but won't have the chance to attend classes. I really can embrace the philosophy of birthing without fear- the gist is that if a woman goes into childbirth having all kinds of morbid thoughts and fears (from past experience, or stories from mother and friends), her body inadvertently seizes up, her mouth clams up, leading to her uterus also becoming rigid. Once that happens, the body simply is unable to react to its natural signals to birth the baby. Hypnosis is also not the kind of abracadabra we see on tv. This is simply learning methods of deep relaxation to control the mind so as to block the hormones that send fear and pain to our brain. Instead, the mind calms the body down, to a state of stillness and awareness. So, ultimately Hypnobirthers don't feel pain but pressure and therefore don't need EPIDURAL. This is the ideal state of course. and i agree completely that for this ultimate state to be reached, mothers have to be hardworking and practise, practise, practise those exercises - otherwise, come birthtime, it will be a painful surprise! I'm still not sure if i am up to 'it' but i'm beginning to practise the relaxation and visualisation techniques. I am beginning to see how if we kick and scream through our delivery, surely the baby would be affected? I mean, the baby's hearing is well-developed by 5th month, so surely they can hear our agony and feel so scared and refuse to come out to that horrible noisy world out there? Once again, the book encourages mothers to do plenty of exercises - which are all COVERED in the prenatal yoga dvd! Above all, in more modern birthing philosophies, what's being encouraged is for mothers and fathers to be CURIOUS, to take an active role in preparing for childbirth by finding out more instead of simply listening to what the medical caregiver has to say. I agree with that!

Last word - i think asian moms have an advantage in natural birthing because (at least for the present and older generations), they grew up in a world of squat toilets, were used to sitting on the floors cross-legged, and are generally more pliant than bigger caucasian women. I can personally attest to this when you see the asian women contorting with ease during yoga lessons! so viva, squat toilets which have such a big role to play in strengtheing the thighs and pelvic floor muscles!