|
Pre-Conception Care, Pregnancy & Parenting NEWS
January 2009
|
| Greetings!
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year.
In this edition you will find out how you can improve your ability to use the advise you're given in relation to your health, you will read about a good plan of action (or non-action!) for the first four weeks after the birth of your child, you'll discover my hot tip on baby carriers from first hand experience of carrying my baby for a couple of hours every day and if you're pregnant or in that field for work, you'll find out about an acupressure workshop to decrease pain during labour.
Skip to your favourite section which will take only two minutes to read.
The clinic will officially open again on Saturday February 7. Should any of you require appointments before that, please get in touch and I'll see what I can do. I will be working on Wednesday and Thursday from 11am till 6pm and Tina Song, who has been seeing clients for me whilst I've been on maternity leave, is joining the clinic permanently and will be seeing clients on Tuesday from 11am - 7pm and Saturday from 9am to 5pm. Tina and I studied together and both have very gentle techniques which means you hardly feel a thing other than complete relaxation! For all the details on Tina, please visit my website and scroll down to the section "Rebecca Mar Young & Team".
There has been a price change this year. All acupuncture sessions will now be $80. We take cash, cheque or direct deposit to Rebecca's account and both Tina and I are registered with all private health funds.
Tina and I look forward to taking care of you this year and we wish you all the very best for 2009.
Kind wishes
|
|
|
PRECIOUS PRE-CONCEPTION CARE
KNOWING WHAT TO DO CAN BE EASIER
THAN DOING IT
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 How can you improve your ability to carry through with the advice and ensure the money you spend is money well spent? The answer is simpler than you think. It's important first to consider and write down your life goals. So it may be that you'd like to have a child by such and such an age. You may also like to do certain things, go places, own the house of your dreams etc. You may have previously talked about it but writing them down does something to your brain chemistry more than random thoughts can do.
For one, random thoughts can become negative thoughts and you may not even realize it and two, writing down abit of a life plan helps move your destiny in that direction and three, you may realize your partner has quite different ideas when it comes to fertility which then gives you the opportunity to discuss them.
Okay, so now you may be thinking, why am I writing down life goals? What do these have to do with following through with any advice on fertility? Well, it's all about creating a firm base from which to grow. Planning well at base camp means you are more likely to make it to the summit. Having life goals gives you direction and then more will power to ensure that they come true.
So take a moment now to write down at least five life goals and give them some sort of time frame and try to be as specific as you can.
After making the life goals, I'd like you to choose one of them, preferably one in relation to your fertility and/ or health and make a list of what you can do to achieve this goal. You could research information on the internet, you could seek out professional opinions from different areas of medicine, you could write down how you feel every day in a journal - you get the idea.
Then ask yourself (and write it down), what it would mean to achieve this goal? How would it feel when it was achieved? How do you feel about it now? Be completely honest and just write down some of the random emotions you are feeling now. You may be well on the track of fertility and fed up with the whole process, write it down. You may just have started and be full of excitement, write it down. Whatever you feel, make sure you're authentic and honest with yourself. That is the key and that is what will shift any stuck emotions.
Once you have done that you will see more clearly what you have to work with. You may have a whole basket of negative emotions that need dealing with. You may not resistance towards getting help but once getting it, resistance to doing what you've been advised to do. You may realize you have things you need to talk to your partner about before you go any further. You may find that you're positive about some aspects and not others. All of these things will help you to spring clean your mind and realize which way is the right way forward for you. And if part of your journey towards your goal involves holistic treatment from an acupuncturist and herbalist such as myself, then you'll be more ready to take on the advice with gusto and the results might just amaze you.
|
|
TAKING TIME OFF AFTER BIRTH
IS JUST WHAT THE DOC SHOULD ORDER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In many cultures there is a period of time after the birth of a child where the woman doesn't do anything but rest and feed her baby. The washing and cleaning is done for her and all her meals are cooked. This allows her to replenish much needed energy and sleep after the birth which is such an enormous physiological and emotional change, no matter if it's the first, second or fifth time.
You may be interested to note that this not only happens in China, but also in India, Fiji and Greece. That's quite a lot of people out there doing something that can only be good for new mums. In our culture, most people are bombarded at hospital by well meaning visitors and then as well for the first couple of weeks at home. A friend of mine recently said when I called her a couple of weeks after her first baby was born, "I will never again visit anyone in hospital, and how could I ever have thought that was helpful!"
As a recent new mum myself, and after talking to quite a few friends of mine and women in my mother's group, we all unanimously feel that we really could have done with far less visitors and more helpers during those first few weeks.
I was very fortunate to have my mother and mother-in-law to tag team and look after me for the first couple of weeks as my husband had to keep working. So I didn't quite have the 24-7 care like some women receive in China, India, Fiji and Greece but it was pretty close to it and for that I am eternally grateful. I asked friends not to come to the hospital as I wasn't up to it but it was hard to ask that as it is so expected to visit the new mum in our culture.
So, if you are a mum-to-be reading this, it really is a good idea to gather as much help around you for those first four weeks. A friend of mine who had her fourth baby last year said she hired a nanny to help her as she was living away from family and it had made an enormous difference. Even though you may think you can't afford it, it can be money well spent as it is a great form of preventative medicine.
Other things I found really useful during the first four weeks were Chinese herbs* to re-build my energy and blood, a practitioner strength multi-vitamin and good quality fish oil. I really do feel that it was a combo of the help I received plus my supplements that had people telling me how great I looked because as hard as it was in the beginning, I rarely did feel dog tired. So to my mum, my mum-in-law, my husband, my aunt and the friends and family who cooked and cleaned for me, I humbly thank you with all my heart.
*If you're interested in Chinese herbs to improve your recovery post birth, please email or call Rebecca to chat about your situation as it is best to have a plan in place before the birth as there is no time to chat after! This way, a face-to-face consultation can be had before to gain all your details and assess your health so that herbs can be sent out to you once you've had the baby.
| |
|
MY HOT TIP ON BABY CARRIERS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
If you're into carrying your baby around, or you would like to more often, then the ergo baby carrier is the go. It is awesome because it carries the weight of your child through your hips which means you are much less likely to sustain any back pain. I used a sling for the first few months which was great as well as the Bjorn. However, I found by the time my little one was three months old I was struggling with the Bjorn as all the weight was born on my shoulders and I soon sustained back and shoulder pain from it. The ergo is the best all rounder and gets five out of five stars from me - and I walk with my baby A LOT! You are able to use it until your child is around three years old - now that's impressive!! Both these websites below stock the ergo baby carrier but you can get it from Babies Galore in Camperdown and possibly other locations but I'm not sure.www.babesinarms.com.au, www.greenkids.com.au |
|
ACUPRESSURE WORKSHOP TO DECREASE PAIN DURING LABOUR
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
If you are keen to have a natural birth then this is the workshop for you.
Learn effective pain relief techniques in a supportive and informative environment using acupressure. Find out how to encourage labour to progress, calm the mind and diminish nausea - all with acupressure.
In this workshop, developed by Debra Betts - midwife and acupuncturist, you will develop an understanding of where the acupressure points are, how best to put the appropriate amount of pressure on them and when to do it. You & your partner will come away with valuable tools to effectively assist a natural labour. You will also receive a booklet with pictures of where all the points are and info on what they do, as well as a quick reference guide for the big day.
If you're pregnant, it's preferable to bring along the person who is going to be supporting you so they can become familiar with where the points are on your body.
"I found using acupressure during labour brilliant. Having used acupressure I wouldn't even consider being in labour without it. The difference was amazing - I felt a lot calmer and able to cope and much more relaxed. It was really good for me to have my partner so closely involved with each contraction - I felt connected and supported. Acupressure helped me stay focused and calm."
By Sarah Doherty, Wellington.
Your investment: $65 per person or $120 when two people book together (includes booklet).
When:Sunday 22 Feb 2009 from 2.30 - 5pm
Where: Samadhi Bliss Yoga, 36 Lennox Street Newtown
Facilitated by: Rebecca Mar Young who is an acupuncturist specializing in pregnancy and who has also recently had a baby and put these techniques to the test.
For bookings: call Rebecca on 0404 457 911 or email rebeccamaryoung@gmail.com or book with Samadhi yoga on 9517 3280. Full payment secures your place. Refunds will not be given unless the workshop is cancelled by Rebecca or Samadhi or you have gone into labour.
|
|
CONTACT INFO
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ phone: 0404 457 911 for bookings and all enquiries
Address: 34 Lyne Street Alexandria
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
|
