Teach-It Tuesday: 10 Min Hip/Low Back Stretches

With my past two pregnancies, around 20 weeks I started to experience TERRIBLE hip, pelvic and lower back pain. I couldn’t even walk a mile without almost being in tears. I would describe my problems to my doctor and they would just write it off as pain that is common with pregnancy. I would go to the grocery store and end up leaving early, because the pain was so unbearable that I could barely handle pushing the cart. Lots of crying. Lots of frustration, that only got worse the second time around having to chase after an active two year old. I started going to a chiropractor, which was a great temporary fix, but later that night, I was back to the same pain. Turns out I suffer from Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction or (SPD), and no one could give me any answers on how to make it better. 

After giving birth to Verona, I still struggled with that back and hip pain, it was so bad that I wasn’t even able to pick up my right foot to get dressed, I could barely handle carrying Verona to and from the car, and walking up and down stairs became almost impossible. It was pretty scary to be 31 years old,  unable to sit on the floor with my kids or take my kids for walks and push them in the stroller. I felt weak. So I decided to take matters into my own hands, bought a stationary bike, started stretching, yoga and taking spin classes and I ended up feeling so strong and the SPD pain was completely gone. 

When I found out I was pregnant in November 2018, I made my husband promise to make sure I don’t give up on cycling and that I stay active. Now at almost 32 weeks, I feel great! Granted, I’m still pregnant and there is always a level of discomfort that comes with that, groans when getting out of bed, getting up off the couch, etc. But last weekend, we almost walked/hiked three miles and there was no complaining on my part. These stretches have helped me immensely, and when I start to feel a little sore, I stop what I’m doing and make sure I stretch to reset my body. I hope these are able to help you as well! 

All you need is a yoga mat, yoga block & have your socks and shoes off!  I’ve linked the ones I have. 

THE ROUTINE 

• Start with a few rounds of Cat/Cow. (3-4x)

• In a cross-legged seated position, right foot in front of left, walk your hands forward and keep your back long and straight. Hold for 10 sec. Walk hands to the right and then the left & then back to center, holding for 10 sec each way. Switch feet and repeat. (To modify, I sit in a butterfly pose and use a block on my feet to rest my head) Then I added a few side bends.

• Lower your body to the mat, feet should be hip width apart, and bridge your back and bum up, then slowly articulate your spine back down to the mat. Concentrate on getting each vertebrae to touch the mat individually, upper back, middle back, lower back. (Repeat 3x)

• Marching Flow- lift right leg to the sky, cross over left knee letting your leg relax and open up, then back to the sky and back down to the mat. Repeat the same with the left leg. 2x each leg.

• Repeat again with your right leg, cross over left knee, but this time hold it and press down on your hips making more space in your spine and hips. Then thread the needle, by placing both hands around your left leg and pulling it into your chest, holding for 10 sec. Then slide both legs, and grab your ankles for “cow-face pose on your back” and hold for 10 sec. Place both feet on the mat, reset with a bridge and repeat with the left side.

• Walk your feet to the edge of the mat, and bring your knees together so you are “pigeon kneed” then drop both legs to the right, then both legs to the left, almost like windshield wipers. Repeat this 4x total. Then both knees to the left and take your left foot and place it on top of your right knee. Repeat on Right side as well.

• Using your block, place it at the base of your spine, lower back. Pull your right leg to your chest, then stretch your left leg long. Try to rotate your left knee inward to feel more stretch in your hip. Hold for 10 sec. Repeat with other leg.

• Happy Baby: On your back, grab the inside of your feet and rock from side to side.

• Come to a seated position, and repeat the second step, seeing how much more loose and open your lower back and hips feel.

Please let me know if this has helped you, or if you would be interested in more posts like this. We need to stay active! I refuse to go back to all that discomfort and back pain, when carving out 20-30 min a day to make yourself a priority is so easy! Happy Tuesday! <3 

I Said a Change... A Change Will Do You Good.

Pretty sure I just dated myself with that song lyric quote, but for real, change will do you good!! With the exception of the hour I lost just a little bit ago, as I watched a few random youtube videos from Ellen, and this battle that I'm currently losing with this bag of Pretzel thins, I have been REALLY GOOD and intentional with my time! My kids have been happier because mama is happier, and I even fit in time for some family time with a trip to the local greenhouse to pick out our flowers for our summer patio pots! 

The past few days have been the restart I've been needing. Instead of hitting the ground running, already behind the gun because I wasted 30 min scrolling through Instagram first thing in the morning... I've been getting up, washing my face, getting ready for the day, sipping a coffee and listening to podcasts. Followed by breakfast with my sweet kiddos as we laugh and listen to music. As they play on the floor in the living room, I try to accomplish a few small tasks here and there that I had previously written down on my list for the day. Naps. A workout. And so on and so forth, and finally ending the night early, cuddled up with my husband as we are both present to either have a conversation or watch a television show together before bed.

Life is far from perfect. I am FAR from perfect. This week, has NOT been perfect. Believe me, there have been meltdowns, timeouts, tears, arguments, moments of binge eating handfuls of chocolate chips while hiding in a closet, I flooded the laundry room, I caught myself countless times getting caught up in the comparison game on social media... but there has also been Joy. So. Much. Joy. And I have been consciously choosing to focus on that. 

Am I cured? No. Have a fixed all my problems? No. But have I been trying my best to love my family and make them feel loved and heard? Absolutely. And I think that's pretty darn good. Small steps. Progress over perfection. 

Verona Marie: A Birth Story

I have sat down to write this blog post so many times over the past 3 months, and I just knew that I needed a video to help better express our excitement and joy for this new addition. She was the promise that God told me about late at night, as tears soaked my pillow. She is worth every second of those 20 months of waiting, every second of heart ache and pain. She is a sign of redemption. She is my rainbow after the flood. “Rona” means “my joy” in Hebrew and “covenant or oath” in Gaelic. And that is exactly what she is to us. Our sweet rainbow baby.

If you want to hear the most laid-back, stress-free birth story, well I have one for you! Friday, June 30th, I went in for a prenatal massage, told the masseuse to do her worst and send me into labor. Contractions started as soon as I left the room. I began timing them, and for the next 5 hours, I had 30 second contractions every 2 minutes. It was bizarre, but consistent. After a quick call to the on-call doctor, they had me come in to be monitored. We walked around the maternity floor for about an hour, with just a little progress in dilation, they decided to admit me. 

I had a decent night sleep, with the contractions slowly intensifying. But when they checked me at 10:30am, I was still only around 3.5 cm. The doctor called an audible and without a minute to think about it, she broke my water and BOOM. We were moving. My contractions stayed at about 2 minutes apart, but quickly became extremely intense. I labored for almost 2 hours, and then received my epidural. 

After the epidural, I expected my labor to slow down, like it did when I had Jonathan. I washed my face, brushed my teeth and then took a nap. Thirty minutes later, I woke up with the urge to push. The nurse checked my progress and with wide eyes told me, “don’t push, your baby’s head is right there.” At that point my mom and sister in law arrived. I asked if I could quickly put some makeup on because I wasn’t prepared to do this just yet. I got my foundation on, the doctor walked in at 1pm, the lights came on and with 3 contractions, 7 minutes and a few pushes, Verona Marie was here. 

“Wait, did that really just happen?! That was so easy” i couldn’t believe she was here! So fast! So easily! It all felt like a dream. There was this moment that I will never forget though, as she was crowning and the doctor said “oh she’s going to be blonde.” I felt this instant flood of emotion, and couldn’t contain my joy, my excitement, the culmination of all my prayers & dreams, she was going to be blonde, just like God told me she would be. This was HIS story of Rescue and Redemption. His plans for our family, He knew them all along, He just needed me to surrender and allow Him to work. And man did He deliver. She is more perfect than anything I could have imagined for us. She truly is our joy. 

She feels like the piece that was missing, and Ryan, Jonathan and I couldn’t be happier. Welcome Verona Marie, we are so glad to have you here! 

All photos taken by Alyssa Fallon of Grace & Goodness Photo

Can I Bite You? Please...

I often get this crazy urge to bite my children. I just want to nibble on their cheeks, bite their toes or just completely consume them whole. Apparently, this is scientifically deemed a normal reaction. Here I was thinking I was crazy, and it turns out that scientists have actually done studies on people where this is extremely common. Not to be confused with the biological primal urge to eat your young, the term "cute aggression" coined in 2013 by a research team at Yale, refers to the almost-overwhelming urge to do violence to an object that we find incredibly adorable. 

I know I'm extremely biased when it comes to my kids, but has anyone else ever felt cute aggression? It could be when looking at pictures of puppies, kittens, babies, really anything we find adorable! Mine really only comes out when I'm looking at adorable babies. 

I can't help but want to squeeze these sweet chubby cheeks. I found these pictures a few weeks ago, from back when Jonathan turned one and I wish I could jump in this photo and squeeze him tight! 

Obviously, I try to resist the urge to bite my kids, because that would only teach them bad habits and then make them an undesirable play date, friend, human... because let's be real, who wants to be around someone who bites! (full disclosure, Jonathan has done this once or twice out of anger, obviously, we are working on it)