Your Strong, Sexy Pregnancy by Desi Bartlett

Author:Desi Bartlett
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Human Kinetics, Inc.

Whatever your stance is on C-section, the reality is that sometimes babies need help getting into this world. If you are having a C-section, whether planned or emergency, you might wonder if all the exercise you did over the last nine months was for naught. The mamas in my classes who have had C-sections have consistently reported that in addition to exercise helping with the pregnancy (such as feeling strong, or less back pain), it also helps them with recovery. A C-section is major abdominal surgery: The abdominal wall is cut to allow baby to come into this world. Not only do the abdominal muscles need to heal but the pelvic floor muscles need to heal too. All of those Kegels are not just for pushing; they also help hold the weight of your baby throughout the pregnancy. The muscles of the perineum still need to recover after holding the weight of a baby for 40 weeks. “The healthier that you are going into surgery, the quicker the recovery,” says Rajiv B. Gala, MD, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ physician-at-large.

Birth Stories

The following birth stories include my own story and the stories of women I have worked with. The exception is Kim’s story, a close family member who had her baby over 20 years ago. Her story is of particular interest because she was on the forefront of prenatal exercise; she taught step aerobics throughout her pregnancy. Taking step aerobics, let alone teaching step aerobics, while pregnant was very progressive for the 1990s. Fast forward to today, when we have many options for prenatal exercise and much clearer exercise safety guidelines for pregnancy and beyond. You will see that in each story, exercise was an empowering factor for the woman, and that each one of us has a unique and beautiful story. Spoiler alert: Each one has a happy ending.

Desi’s Story: Vaginal Delivery With Medical Intervention

In September of 2007, I was 39 weeks pregnant and knew that my baby would come soon. The first Sunday of the month, my husband and I went to spiritual services. We attend services at the Lake Shrine Temple in the Pacific Palisades, which was built by Parmahansa Yogananda. Yogananda was one of the first teachers responsible for bringing yoga to the United States, and the grounds of the Lake Shrine have symbols of all of the world religions. I was so happy to be there and to have the monk bless my very big belly. Later that day, I went for a swim, which was really just my husband dragging me happily around the pool. After the swim, I fell asleep for several hours.

Around 11 P.M., I woke up with a huge gush of water between my legs. It felt like a water balloon had popped. I realized that my water had broken and I called for my husband. He was delighted and nervous and called the doctor. I took a shower while my husband chatted with the doctor, and I could hear his feet pacing.

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