Life After Baby , livre ebook

Turner Publishing Company - Victoria Dolby Toews

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144 pages

English

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Description

'Life After Baby' brings a welcome measure of honesty and sanity to the discussion of how women can rediscover and reclaim their health, their verve, and their joie de vivre after a newborn joins their family.

Sujets

Santé et bien-être

Santé du quotidien

Vie de famille

Maternité

Santé au quotidien

Fitness

Health

Women's Health

Informations

Publié par	Turner Publishing Company
Date de parution	15 avril 2012
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781591203247
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0950€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

LIFE AFTER BABY
L IFE A FTER B ABY
R ediscovering and R eclaiming Y our H ealthy P izzazz
Victoria Dolby Toews, M.P.H.
The information contained in this book is based upon the research and personal and professional experiences of the author. It is not intended as a substitute for consulting with your physician or other healthcare provider. Any attempt to diagnose and treat an illness should be done under the direction of a healthcare professional.
The publisher does not advocate the use of any particular healthcare protocol but believes the information in this book should be available to the public. The publisher and author are not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting from the use of the suggestions, preparations, or procedures discussed in this book. Should the reader have any questions concerning the appropriateness of any procedures or preparation mentioned, the author and the publisher strongly suggest consulting a professional healthcare advisor.
Basic Health Publications, Inc. 28812 Top of the World Drive Laguna Beach, CA 92651 949-715-7327 • www.basichealthpub.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available from the Library of Congress.
Copyright © 2012 by Victoria Dolby Toews, MPH
ISBN-13: 978-15912025-8-5
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the author.
Editor: Diana Drew Interior design: Gary A. Rosenberg • www.thebookcouple.com Cover design: Mike Stromberg
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: Losing the Baby Weight
Chapter 2: Kitchen Table Woes
Chapter 3: Supercharge Your Nutrition
Chapter 4: Supplement Savvy
Chapter 5: Fitting in Exercise
Chapter 6: Rediscovering Beauty Basics
Chapter 7: Reconnecting with Passion
Chapter 8: Fighting Fatigue
Chapter 9: Stress and Sanity
Chapter 10: After-Baby Health Concerns
Appendix: Herb and Dietary Supplement Safety
Glossary
References
About the Author
To my son, Dolby, and my daughter, Sabine, with love and appreciation. You both gave me profound joy in becoming a mother.
Acknowledgments
Working from a home office while raising children can be challenging at times. A special thank-you to my husband, Jeff, who didn’t mind my ducking out of one more round of “balloon tag” or “aliens from the planet kushy-wushy” because I needed to finish something up in the office (some of the times I really did need to; other times—as he suspected and I am now publicly copping to—I just couldn’t face one more round of balloon tag!). So thanks for not calling me on that, Jeff, and for every other way that you make my life wonderful!
With grateful appreciation, I thank all the new (and not-so-new) moms who shared their experiences and stories with me.
Introduction
F rom the moment your pregnancy test showed that you were pregnant, your body was no longer just your own. From then on, your thoughts likely centered on how you could make the best choices for the life growing inside you. Then, when your baby was born, you were probably too sleep-deprived and overwhelmed with the responsibilities of caring for a newborn to spend much time on yourself. Not surprisingly, you took a back seat to your new baby.
This is how it should be … at the beginning. But at some point it is okay to put yourself back on the list of priorities. For certain moms who are lucky enough to have a mellow baby who sleeps through the night early on, this could come after just a few months. But for the rest of us, it will definitely happen sometime within the first few years. Your body will never be quite the same as prebaby, but you can get to a new normal—and for some women this is an even healthier place than before they had a kid.
If you’ve picked up this book (or perhaps a well-meaning friend passed it along to you—nudge, nudge), then you’re ready to devote a little more time to yourself. Consider this your road map to redefining yourself postkid.
Forget about the new-mom celebrities who look red carpet–ready mere weeks after childbirth. They have trainers, personal chefs, night nannies, stylists, and who knows what else. This is the real world, where new moms find that, on more days than they’d like to admit, pulling their hair back with a scrunchie takes the place of a daily shower.
This is not a book just about how to shed postbaby flab (although that will be covered in Chapter 1 , “Losing the Baby Weight”); it’s much more than that. It’s about everything a new parent is adjusting to—body and soul—based on sane, sensible, and realistic advice.
Starting a family may derail a mom’s good food choices for herself. While you may be ensuring that your toddler gets nutrient-dense foods, you probably end up grabbing convenience and comfort foods for yourself. In Chapter 2 , “Kitchen Table Woes,” you will find out about sugar alternatives, the importance of fiber, how to sleuth out potential food sensitivities, and how to tell if you would benefit from digestive enzymes. In Chapter 3 , “Supercharge Your Nutrition,” you’ll learn even more about some key foods that can really crank up the nutritional quality of your diet, as well as the lowdown on organics and why antioxidants are so important.
As a nutritional backup plan, consider taking a daily multivitamin/ mineral supplement, as explained in Chapter 4 , “Supplement Savvy.” You’ll learn which nutrients most often fall short in a woman’s diet, when is the best time to take your supplements, what are safe amounts to take of the most common vitamins and minerals, why women on the pill need to give special attention to their supplement plan, and get answers to your questions about kids and supplements.
Exercise is the key part of a weight loss plan, as you’ll learn in Chapter 5 , “Fitting in Exercise.” Find out how to design a new exercise plan, protect yourself from sports injuries, and the best nutritional support for athletic moms.
From postpregnancy acne to stretch marks, having a baby can wreak havoc on your looks. Turn to Chapter 6 , “Rediscovering Beauty Basics,” for detailed information and tips about caring for your skin, hair, nails, and teeth.
And what about your sex life? You can find ways to balance your intimate relationship with your new role as a mom in Chapter 7 , “Reconnecting with Passion.” Learn here about why your libido seems to be on hiatus and natural ways you can lure it back.
The topics of getting enough sleep and staying awake when sleep isn’t an option are biggies for new parents. Check out Chapter 8 , “Fighting Fatigue,” if you are looking for ways to nutritionally bolster your energy levels, as well as information about treating insomnia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and restless leg syndrome.
It’s normal to feel thrilled to be a new mother, but it’s also okay to feel other ways at times: frustrated, scared, overwhelmed, and confused. You’ll find ways to cope with those feelings in Chapter 9 , “Stress and Sanity.”
As soon as a woman gives birth, it sometimes seems as if there isn’t any more discussion about or attention paid to the mom (well, aside from postpartum depression). But there is so much going on with a new mom’s body and mind in the year (and longer) after birth. Many women find that their own health is shunted aside in place of family and job demands, yet there are many health concerns that are unique to this period. You can find information and natural remedies for these health troubles in Chapter 10 , “After-Baby Health Concerns.”
Detailed safety information about every single herb and supplement mentioned in this book appears in the Appendix, “Herb and Dietary Supplement Safety.” However, keep in mind that even if certain herbs or supplements have been safely used for many years, there is often a lack of scientific data specifically relating to pregnant and lactating women. Consequently, the safety picture with herbs and supplements is far from complete for these demographics. When the information is available, you’ll see specific warnings about and contraindications involved with some of the herbs and supplements discussed in this book. But it is also important to keep in mind that pregnant or breastfeeding women should not use any medication or dietary supplement without their health care provider’s input. And readers with specific health concerns should work with their doctors to ensure that a particular supplement does not interfere with other conditions or treatments.
CHAPTER 1

Losing the Baby Weight
O f course you’ve gained some weight; you’ve just grown a human being from scratch, for goodness sake! But now that the new person has vacated the premises, you’re probably ready to get your old body back. Although it may not feel like it right now, good health and a slimmer waistline are within reach.
It’s important to be patient with yourself and not try any drastic weight loss schemes. At a couple of weeks’ postpartum, it’s normal to still look five months’ pregnant. In fact, it’s helpful to think of pregnancy as an eighteen-month journey: It takes nine months to gain weight during pregnancy and at least another nine months postpartum to return to a prepregnancy shape. You might feel anxious to drop the extra pounds, but now is not the right time for an extreme diet, especially if you’re breast-feeding. Nursing moms need to continue eating enough calories to support lactation.
“I was so ready to drop the baby weight that I was skipping meals sometimes, but when I realized that my milk supply was being affected, I knew that I couldn’t rush the weight loss when it meant my new daughter could suffer,” shares Liz. “Instead I focused on getting outside and walking with my baby while making healthy food choices, and the weight did slowly—ever so slow