This is sample from Your Best Pregnancy: The Ultimate Guide to Easing the Aches, Pains, and Uncomfortable Side Effects During Each Stage of Your Pregnancy Buy Now Have a safe, healthy, and comfortable pregnancy. The Ultimate Guide to Written by two physical therapists with over twenty years of combined experience helping women ease sore feet, aching backs, incessant peeing, and many other uncomfortable conditions, Your Best Pregnancy provides simple Easing the Aches, Pains, and solutions and easy exercises to help women feel their best from head to toe. Through detailed photographs, illustrations, and down-to-earth advice that is both medically substantiated as well as easy to understand, you will Uncomfortable Side Effects During learn how to: Each Stage of Your Pregnancy • Treat the most uncomfortable symptoms during pregnancy, such as back and shoulder your best pain, bladder issues, night cramps, sciatica, swelling, and varicose veins. • Maintain a healthy pregnancy, even while on bed rest. • Correctly strengthen the pelvic floor and core to prevent diastasis recti. • Nurse, lift, and care for a baby (or babies) using proper body pregnancy mechanics to avoid strain and injury. “Your Best Pregnancy is fun, interesting, and supportive. It feels like sitting down with a knowledgeable and trusted friend to talk about all the challenging and usually-not-discussed issues of pregnancy. We keep a copy at our practice to offer advice to patients.” —MARC LEVIN, MD, FAMILY PHYSICIAN, MATERNITY CARE COORDINATOR, INSTITUTE FOR FAMILY HEALTH “A must read if you’re pregnant or just had a baby and wonder why your body feels the way it does!... A perfect go-to book for every pregnant woman, whether it’s your first or fourth pregnancy.” —STACEY J. FUTTERMAN, PT, MPT, WCS, BCB-PMD, OWNER OF 5 POINT PHYSICAL THERAPY PLLC IN NEW YORK CITY “Your Best Pregnancy is like having two best friends on speed dial who just happen to also be physical therapists, and in Hoefs’ case, an experienced mom. They give new and professional mothers the scoop on all things health, with an approachable helping of medical knowledge and a touch of sass.” —LESLIE GOLDMAN, MPH, WOMEN’S HEALTH WRITER, LESLIEGOLDMANWRITES.COM Jill Hoefs, MPT is a certified physical therapist and owner of Body Align Physical Therapy with locations in New York City and Summit, NJ. She is a licensed instructor in the Tupler Technique® and specializes in treating diastasis recti. In addition to treating patients, Hoefs teaches classes on child birth preparation and postpartum recovery. www.bodyalignpt.com Denise Jagroo, DPT, MTC, WCS treats pelvic, obstetric, and orthopedic dysfunctions at her practice in New York City. Jagroo lectures nationally and offers workshops on pregnancy, postpartum, and pelvic health. www.Drjagroo.com ISBN 978-1-936303-61-8 Also AvAilAble As An ebook 51995 11 West 42nd Street, 15th floor Jill Hoefs, MPT New York, NY 10036-8002 9 781936 303618 www.demoshealth.com Denise Jagroo, DPT, MTC, WCS $19.95 Cover design by Laura Duffy Published by Demos Health Hoef_mechanical_R5_9.22.indd 1 This is sample from Your Best Pregnancy: The Ultimate Guide to Easing the Aches, Pains, and Uncomfortable Side Effects During Each Stage of Your Pregnancy Buy Now Your Best Pregnancy Published by Demos Health This is sample from Your Best Pregnancy: The Ultimate Guide to Easing the Aches, Pains, and Uncomfortable Side Effects During Each Stage of Your Pregnancy Buy Now Published by Demos Health This is sample from Your Best Pregnancy: The Ultimate Guide to Easing the Aches, Pains, and Uncomfortable Side Effects During Each Stage of Your Pregnancy Buy Now Your Best Pregnancy The Ultimate Guide to Easing the Aches, Pains, and Uncomfortable Side Effects During Each Stage of Your Pregnancy Jill Hoefs, MPT Denise Jagroo, DPT, MTC, WCS New York Published by Demos Health This is sample from Your Best Pregnancy: The Ultimate Guide to Easing the Aches, Pains, and Uncomfortable Side Effects During Each Stage of Your Pregnancy Buy Now Visit our website at www.demoshealth.com ISBN: 978-1-936303-61-8 e-book ISBN: 978-1-61705-203-3 Acquisitions Editor: Julia Pastore Compositor: diacriTech © 2014 by Jill Hoefs and Denise Jagroo. All rights reserved. This book is protected by copyright. No part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Medical information provided by Demos Health, in the absence of a visit with a health care professional, must be considered as an educational service only. This book is not designed to replace a physician’s independent judgment about the appropriateness or risks of a procedure or therapy for a given patient. Our purpose is to provide you with information that will help you make your own health care decisions. The information and opinions provided here are believed to be accurate and sound, based on the best judgment available to the authors, editors, and publisher, but readers who fail to consult appropriate health authorities assume the risk of injuries. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions. The editors and publisher welcome any reader to report to the publisher any discrepancies or inaccuracies noticed. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hoefs, Jill. Your best pregnancy : the ultimate guide to easing the aches, pains, and uncomfortable side effects during each stage of your pregnancy / Jill Hoefs, MPT, and Denise Jagroo, DPT, MTC, WCS. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-936303-61-8—ISBN 978-1-61705-203-3 (e-Book) 1. Pregnancy—Popular works. 2. Exercise for pregnant women. I. Jagroo, Denise. II. Title. RG525.H64 2014 618.2—dc23 2014027371 Special discounts on bulk quantities of Demos Health books are available to corporations, professional associations, pharmaceutical companies, health care organizations, and other qualifying groups. For details, please contact: Special Sales Department Demos Medical Publishing, LLC 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor New York, NY 10036 Phone: 800-532-8663 or 212-683-0072 Fax: 212-941-7842 E-mail: [email protected] Printed in the United States of America by McNaughton & Gunn. 14 15 16 17 18 / 5 4 3 2 1 Published by Demos Health This is sample from Your Best Pregnancy: The Ultimate Guide to Easing the Aches, Pains, and Uncomfortable Side Effects During Each Stage of Your Pregnancy Buy Now To my three favorite people in the world: Mike, Aiden, and Zoe. Jill Hoefs To my family, for their love and support always. Denise Jagroo Published by Demos Health This is sample from Your Best Pregnancy: The Ultimate Guide to Easing the Aches, Pains, and Uncomfortable Side Effects During Each Stage of Your Pregnancy Buy Now Published by Demos Health This is sample from Your Best Pregnancy: The Ultimate Guide to Easing the Aches, Pains, and Uncomfortable Side Effects During Each Stage of Your Pregnancy Buy Now Contents Introduction xi 1 Ouch! What Is Happening to My Body? Help! 1 Back Pain 3 Lower Back Pain 3 Upper Back and Shoulder Pain 10 Bladder Issues 20 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 24 Constipation 29 Heel and Bottom of Foot Pain (Plantar Fasciitis) 32 Lightheadedness 36 Lower Abdominal/Groin Pain (Round Ligament Pain) 38 Night Cramps 39 Pelvic Pain 42 Pubic Symphysis Pain/Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction 46 Sacroiliac Pain 55 Sciatica 58 Separated Abdominal Muscles (Diastasis Recti) 63 Shortness of Breath 76 Sleeping Pains 81 Swelling 84 Tailbone Pain (Coccyx Pain) 88 Varicose Veins 89 Additional Help from Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine 93 Published by Demos Health This is sample from Your Best Pregnancy: The Ultimate Guide to Easing the Aches, Pains, and Uncomfortable Side Effects During Each Stage of Your Pregnancy Buy Now viii Contents 2 It’s Not Time to Put Your Gym Membership on Hold 101 1. “Don’t Exercise, You Will Hurt the Baby!” 101 2. “If You Have Pain While Exercising during the Beginning of Your Pregnancy, Stop Everything Because It’s Only Going to Get Worse.” 107 3. “Don’t Let Your Heart Rate Get Higher than 140 Beats Per Minute When Exercising. And Don’t Exercise for More than 15 Minutes.” 109 4. “It’s Not Safe to Ride a Bike after Your First Trimester.” 110 5. “Too Much Exercise Will Take Nutrients Away from Your Baby.” 110 6. “If You Never Exercised before Pregnancy, Don’t Start Now.” 111 7. “Avoid All Forms of Prenatal Yoga.” 111 8. “You Shouldn’t Stretch during Pregnancy. Your Joints Are Too Loose.” 112 9. “Running Is Too Jarring for the Baby” 113 10. “Don’t Lift That, It’s Too Heavy.” 114 11. “You Should Be Able to Maintain a Conversation While Exercising.” 116 12. “Drinking Eight Glasses of Water Is Enough, Even When You Exercise.” 117 3 Help for the Pelvic Floor 119 What’s a Kegel? 120 Pregnancy and the Pelvic Floor 122 How to Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor 123 4 Between the Sheets during Your Pregnancy 129 Orgasms Will Help My Pregnancy? 130 Pelvic Rest 133 5 Bed Rest: Survival Tips 137 Who Is on Bed Rest? 138 What Is Bed Rest? 139 Is Bed Rest Necessary? 142 The Emotional Toll 142 Let’s Get Physical 147 6 Planning for Labor and Delivery 161 Perineal Massage 162 Birthing Positions 164 Published by Demos Health This is sample from Your Best Pregnancy: The Ultimate Guide to Easing the Aches, Pains, and Uncomfortable Side Effects During Each Stage of Your Pregnancy Buy Now ix Contents Relaxing the Pelvic Floor during Delivery 168 Labor 169 7 Safe and Helpful Ways to Take Care of Your Newborn(s) 175 Lifting 176 Breastfeeding or Bottle Feeding 181 Carrying 182 For Moms Taking Care of Twins 185 When Carrying the Infant Carrier(s) 190 8 Taking Care of the Postpartum Mama 193 The Postpartum Check-Up 193 Pelvic Floor Strengthening 197 Work Those Abs 200 Posture in the Office 202 Sex? Now? Didn’t You See What I Just Pushed Out of There?? 203 The Baby Came Out Already, Why Does My Pelvis Still Hurt? 205 Conclusion 207 Notes 209 Acknowledgments 219 Index 221 Published by Demos Health