Mmmm….massage….
The LMT left a little while ago and I’m all aglow. Feeling extremely relaxed and extremely fortunate. Sure, I complain about the fatigue and the rubber-band joints and the weight of the belly and all that, and those discomforts are very real…but they’re normal and pretty much unavoidable in the third trimester. Truth be told, I’ve had a very healthy and relatively easy pregnancy. (Knock on wood.) And I don’t think it’s just luck, though luck has certainly played a part.
Remember back in the early days of the pregnancy when I tweaked my back? Being married to a physical therapist, there wasn’t much question about what I would do next. My OB wrote me a script for physical therapy, and I went to see a colleague of Billy’s who routinely treats pregnant women. She worked on my SI, but also gave me exercises and techniques to help keep me strong and stable as the pregnancy progressed. Guess what? No back pain since then. Sure, the sacrum has felt a little off from time to time as everything loosens up and shifts, but no pain.
The prenatal yoga classes also played a big part in keeping me fairly pain-free and (relatively) agile, I’m sure. I’m really not feeling up to an hour and a half of pretty vigorous yoga anymore, but I’m still making myself walk as much as possible. My yoga teacher’s approach is that she’s training women for a marathon, that pregnant women are not delicate flowers. Delicate flowers should feel free to find a gentle class elsewhere. I agree, and the class was great. But it’s now beyond my stamina, so I’m sticking to light yoga on my own at home now.
And now, today, an hour and a half of some wonderful massage by an LMT who does lots of prenatal massage work. And she’ll be back next week.
I’m spoiled. Or perhaps fortunate is the correct word.
Which is my point, I guess. Throughout the pregnancy I’ve had access to excellent prenatal care and vitamins and good food and clean water and all those important basic things that many pregnant women don’t have and should have. But I’ve had even more than that. Insurance that covered those preventative PT sessions, access to an amazing PT (besides the excellent PT I’m married to), really good yoga classes and the means to take them, massage… It seems that the physical therapy at the very least should be a right available to all pregnant women. I think pregnancy–particularly in the third trimester–could be easier for many women if PT were part of standard care in the first and early second trimester. It’s a real shame that it’s not.
(By the way…not looking to open a whole can of worms here, so I’ll just say that we’re a physical therapy family. Not a chiropractic family. I’ve got certain opinions re: chiropractic that I won’t get into here, but suffice to say that when I say PT should be part of standard care, I specifically mean PT. Not chiropractic.)
It’s good to be reminded of how fortunate I am, rather than where I was at this morning before the LMT arrived. I was grumbly and feeling sorry for myself that we can only afford for me to wait six weeks after Thumper’s arrival before I have to start taking freelance jobs again. Really, I should be grateful that we can go without my income for six weeks, and that I have skills that will allow me to work from home and so stay with Thumper even when I’m working.
Though of course it would be a hell of a lot easier financially if the book would sell. But that’s another can of worms entirely.
Wishing you a healthy delivery and healthy baby! (And for some book sales…since it seems it would allow more time with Thumper and more knitting time)
Posted by: Joanne
Sending good thoughts and positive vibes your way for a fast and easy labor – take care and can’t wait for photos of Thumper! 🙂
Posted by: Laura
Wishing you a healthy delivery and healthy baby! (And for some book sales…since it seems it would allow more time with Thumper and more knitting time)
Posted by: Joanne
Sending good thoughts and positive vibes your way for a fast and easy labor – take care and can’t wait for photos of Thumper! 🙂
Posted by: Laura
Definetly better to think on the bright side. The irony is that last night I was telling my husband how it’s a shame the way they treat new parents in the US.
Here in Canada it’s a much different story. All medical costs are covered, of course, and both mother and father can collect employment insurance while they stay home with the baby (at the same time if they want). Here’s a quote from my company’s HR department “Birth mothers who did take their 17 weeks of pregnancy leave are also entitled to take up to 35 weeks of parental leave.”
So while I agree you are well off, I just know you also deserve better it is possible to recieve better.
Posted by: LaurieM
A good massage really is life-changing, isn’t it! I’m glad you’re enjoying the benefits. And a good PT is one of the best people a gal can know, at any stage…
Posted by: Anne
so glad you’ve had a massage, cari, and to think in just a few weeks Thumper will be out to greet you!
i know what you mean by chiro vs. pt, although after having had acute torticollis (woke up with very stiff neck/headache/couldn’t move it), a chiro was perfect tx and eased the pain immediately. i see chiro as more acute and pt as long-term, prevention, etc. anyway…
fingers crossed on the novel coming out…
Posted by: k
I totally agree about the PT thing. I had a super easy pregnancy too and I contribute part of it to some PT work that I did. We did something called haptonomie (http://www.haptonomie.org/va/index.html) and a good portion of it is teaching you how to carry and support your body. (After the baby is born there are three sessions thatsurround how to support the baby which have been great.) Another cool thing is after you have a baby you are given ten sessions of reeducation of the perinium and the abdominal. I have been doing them and really like it.
I’m glad to hear you are feeling so good! I miss being pregnant a bit…it was such a wonderful time.
Posted by: Sarah
Forunate, and also your health is good in general. All things to be thankful for (I’m calling my LMT – right now, thanks for the nudge).
Posted by: Cassie
Just some thoughts: I don’t think there is any situation other than birthing a child in which you can lose 20 +/- lbs (baby weight, placenta, amniotic fluid) all in one day, although many of us wish we could. It’s almost like you have to retrain your body how to hold itself. Your center of balance shifts quickly and dramatically. If you’re breastfeeding, that can be hard on your back and neck, at least in the beginning. I’d say if ever there is a time in life for PT, it is after the birth of your child. I wish I had thought of it after our 2 were born.
Glad you’ve had great care and have made the effort to care for yourself. My guess is that it will help ease your labor. Wishing you two the best.
Posted by: Siri
You’re very fortunate, and I’m glad for you. Due to circumstances beyond our control I had to be back at work full time three weeks after a c-section (while expressing milk so my kid didn’t have to go on formula). We survived and we were so much more fortunate than so many other families.
Rejoice in your fortune and enjoy your baby when he arrives. All possible good wishes heading in your direction.
Posted by: Rabbitch
It’s good to hear that PT worked for you. I’ve known or heard of so many women that PT was just a waste of time during pregnancy and didn’t help them at all. Actually CP (chirop.) saved my pregnancies but that’s another story. Anyways, now at least I know that it can work (the PT). I have this feeling that it might have to do with support at home and that the women I know overdid housework (not that they didn’t get support but that they didn’t ask for help and wanted to do everything themselves).
Posted by: Sonja
I think this country has its postnatal policies all out of whack. We are the only developed country in the world that makes its mothers go back to work so soon after a birth. I would like to have another baby but I’m stressing about daycare and I get 3 months off! I took a year to nurse my other children, but now I’m the main breadwinner and the choices definitely narrow. Our government is so behind. Sigh.
Posted by: LeAnne
I’m glad you’re taking good care of yourself – it does really help. I do think luck also plays a role, also age. My first pregnancy was wonderful, but I had a lot of issues with my second. And I’m a real clean-eater, exerciser, home-birth kind of mama. Sometimes things just happen, no matter what you do.
I also bless that I now have skills that allow me to work from home. I didn’t with my first child and it was hard on everyone.
Posted by: Patti
Definetly better to think on the bright side. The irony is that last night I was telling my husband how it’s a shame the way they treat new parents in the US.
Here in Canada it’s a much different story. All medical costs are covered, of course, and both mother and father can collect employment insurance while they stay home with the baby (at the same time if they want). Here’s a quote from my company’s HR department “Birth mothers who did take their 17 weeks of pregnancy leave are also entitled to take up to 35 weeks of parental leave.”
So while I agree you are well off, I just know you also deserve better it is possible to recieve better.
Posted by: LaurieM
A good massage really is life-changing, isn’t it! I’m glad you’re enjoying the benefits. And a good PT is one of the best people a gal can know, at any stage…
Posted by: Anne
so glad you’ve had a massage, cari, and to think in just a few weeks Thumper will be out to greet you!
i know what you mean by chiro vs. pt, although after having had acute torticollis (woke up with very stiff neck/headache/couldn’t move it), a chiro was perfect tx and eased the pain immediately. i see chiro as more acute and pt as long-term, prevention, etc. anyway…
fingers crossed on the novel coming out…
Posted by: k
I totally agree about the PT thing. I had a super easy pregnancy too and I contribute part of it to some PT work that I did. We did something called haptonomie (http://www.haptonomie.org/va/index.html) and a good portion of it is teaching you how to carry and support your body. (After the baby is born there are three sessions thatsurround how to support the baby which have been great.) Another cool thing is after you have a baby you are given ten sessions of reeducation of the perinium and the abdominal. I have been doing them and really like it.
I’m glad to hear you are feeling so good! I miss being pregnant a bit…it was such a wonderful time.
Posted by: Sarah
Forunate, and also your health is good in general. All things to be thankful for (I’m calling my LMT – right now, thanks for the nudge).
Posted by: Cassie
Just some thoughts: I don’t think there is any situation other than birthing a child in which you can lose 20 +/- lbs (baby weight, placenta, amniotic fluid) all in one day, although many of us wish we could. It’s almost like you have to retrain your body how to hold itself. Your center of balance shifts quickly and dramatically. If you’re breastfeeding, that can be hard on your back and neck, at least in the beginning. I’d say if ever there is a time in life for PT, it is after the birth of your child. I wish I had thought of it after our 2 were born.
Glad you’ve had great care and have made the effort to care for yourself. My guess is that it will help ease your labor. Wishing you two the best.
Posted by: Siri
You’re very fortunate, and I’m glad for you. Due to circumstances beyond our control I had to be back at work full time three weeks after a c-section (while expressing milk so my kid didn’t have to go on formula). We survived and we were so much more fortunate than so many other families.
Rejoice in your fortune and enjoy your baby when he arrives. All possible good wishes heading in your direction.
Posted by: Rabbitch
It’s good to hear that PT worked for you. I’ve known or heard of so many women that PT was just a waste of time during pregnancy and didn’t help them at all. Actually CP (chirop.) saved my pregnancies but that’s another story. Anyways, now at least I know that it can work (the PT). I have this feeling that it might have to do with support at home and that the women I know overdid housework (not that they didn’t get support but that they didn’t ask for help and wanted to do everything themselves).
Posted by: Sonja
I think this country has its postnatal policies all out of whack. We are the only developed country in the world that makes its mothers go back to work so soon after a birth. I would like to have another baby but I’m stressing about daycare and I get 3 months off! I took a year to nurse my other children, but now I’m the main breadwinner and the choices definitely narrow. Our government is so behind. Sigh.
Posted by: LeAnne
I’m glad you’re taking good care of yourself – it does really help. I do think luck also plays a role, also age. My first pregnancy was wonderful, but I had a lot of issues with my second. And I’m a real clean-eater, exerciser, home-birth kind of mama. Sometimes things just happen, no matter what you do.
I also bless that I now have skills that allow me to work from home. I didn’t with my first child and it was hard on everyone.
Posted by: Patti
We are also a PT family. Thanks to a wonderful PT who has put both me and the husband back together again numerous times after sports injuries.
I’ll bet Thumper also enjoyed that massage.
Posted by: claudia
You’re one of quite a few people I know having little ones this summer, It’s wonderful to hear how well you’re caring for yourself, and I’m sure things will go smashingly 🙂
Enjoy the weeks leading up to labor, I’m sure they’ll fly by.
Posted by: Amber
No pregnancies here, but 20 years of dancing and I also found a PT to teach me all about my sacroiliac. Glad it’s working for you!
Posted by: anne
We are also a PT family. Thanks to a wonderful PT who has put both me and the husband back together again numerous times after sports injuries.
I’ll bet Thumper also enjoyed that massage.
Posted by: claudia
You’re one of quite a few people I know having little ones this summer, It’s wonderful to hear how well you’re caring for yourself, and I’m sure things will go smashingly 🙂
Enjoy the weeks leading up to labor, I’m sure they’ll fly by.
Posted by: Amber
No pregnancies here, but 20 years of dancing and I also found a PT to teach me all about my sacroiliac. Glad it’s working for you!
Posted by: anne