For today’s guest post, I’m happy to introduce you to my friend, and ex-coworker, Janelle, who I’ve mentioned before in the past because I worked with her on my posture and body aches (especially while pregnant). Janelle works for the Egoscue Method and has helped me get rid of back pain and stopped me from throwing out my back all through virtual sessions and exercises that I do from home.

If her one-on-one sessions are out of budget, she now offers an online group Function & Flow class for $59 a month (unlimited classes) or a drop-in fee of $10 per class. The best part is that they’re all virtual so you can do them from wherever you live.  They focus on postural alignment and balancing all of the muscles in your body to ultimately aid in pain issues stemming from postural dysfunctions. For more info on the class, you can email Jenna@egoscue.com

Janelle is also a mama to a sweet baby girl, Zuri, and has some tips for other new moms out there who want to carry their baby more comfortably. Enjoy!

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When you’re carrying your baby in a carrier have you noticed that one strap keeps falling off? Have you adjusted the straps only to get the same result? You start to think that you bought a faulty unit but it’s usually not the carrier that is off but rather your body.

There is nothing more draining than experiencing discomfort while carrying around your little one. Especially if that is the only way to get them to sleep. When my daughter was born the only way I could stop her from crying was by carrying her around, but it was taxing on my body as I was still healing from a surprise C-Section.

As mothers, our bodies go through a huge transformation when we are pregnant. We not only grew a baby inside of us but also developed a new organ (I’m talking about the placenta). Our abs had to separate to create the space that was needed to accommodate the growth of the baby and our hips had to expand and change positions for childbirth. Your body isn’t where you left it and it isn’t going to bounce back in just a few days. It may take months for things to feel “normal.” Babywearing is very demanding on your body and if your body is already compromised this can lead to pain, which is the last thing a sleep-deprived mom needs.

About a month after my daughter’s birth I started wondering if I was going to ever get my old body back. I had heard time and time again that your body would never be the same again but what if it was possible to have your body be better than it was before having a baby?

Listening and paying attention to your body, which can be very hard to do, is key. Use that motherly intuition you have that informs you what your baby needs and listen to it when it tells you what your body needs. Just like your life needs to be balanced so does your body. Pain is a signal to the body that something is off. Each body is different and poses different challenges and unique imbalances so the exercises to align it will vary. However common factors that you want to be aware of are making sure your shoulders, hips, and feet are working as well as possible before baby carrying.

Take a moment and look at your posture in the mirror. Do you notice that one shoulder is lower than the other? When you close your eyes and bring your feet together, do you notice a shift in your weight? If you answered yes, then the alignment within your body is compromised and you are in need of a tune-up!

What can I do to balance my body?

Arm Circles

• Stand facing a mirror with your feet pointed straight ahead. Place your fingertips into the pad of each hand and point your thumb straight out. This hand position is imperative to the exercise being done correctly. It is called the “golfer’s grip.”
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together backward and bring your arms out to your sides at shoulder level.
• With your palms facing downward, circle up and forward for the repetitions specified. With your palms facing upward, circle up and back for 40 and repeat.
  Remember to keep your feet straight and your shoulder blades squeezed together.
• Check out a video of arm circles.

Elbow Curls

• Stand against a wall with your feet pointed straight ahead.
• Keep your heels, hips, upper back, and head against the wall.
• Place your knuckles against your temples with your thumbs pointed down to your shoulders.
• Open your elbows so that they are against the wall and close your elbows together in front of your face.
• Repeat 25 times.
• Check out a video of elbow curls.

Overhead Extension

• Stand with your feet pointing straight and hip-width apart.
• Interlace your fingers together and reach your arms overhead, pressing your hands to the ceiling with palms up.
• Look up toward your hands and keep your arms straight, do not bend at the elbow.
• Do not lean back.
• Try to keep your arms directly overhead, not forward of your head.
• Relax your stomach muscles.
• Hold.
• Check out a video of overhead extensions.

To get a copy of these exercises and to learn more about what I do, click here.