Women across the nation scowl at svelte Hollywood celebrities who have just birthed their glitzy little bundles and wonder, “Seriously! How did she get that body so soon?” Well, trainers are great, but so is the knowledge you’ll get right here at No Fear Birth. We’re from LA, too, so what do you expect?

Step 1 – Get your granny on. What? That’s right. Get a big ol’ girdle and wear it with pride. It’s called “shapewear” now. But whatever it’s called, I call it the great re-shaper. My mom recommended it to me (that was the big secret back in the day) and I can fully attest to its greatness. It pulls all our stuff in and reminds it where it belongs. I wore mine for the first three or four months. Get one that’s made especially for post preggers. Mine was a genuine granny panty made with comfortable yet strong fabric. Your friends will glare at you with loving disdain. And you can just smile and say simply, “Thanks!”

Step 2 – Breastfeed. You know it was coming. Yes, breastfeeding releases oxytocin in your body that causes your uterus to contact back to its original size and place. And it burns a lot of calories to boot.

Step 3 – Eat healthily and drink plenty of water. Yes, you do need more calories if you’re breastfeeding but they shouldn’t come from saturated fats or sugars. Even if you’re not breastfeeding, you should avoid these. And do not eat high fructose corn syrup or trans fat (hydrogenated oils). Some people think they need to consume more fat or drink…

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It’s interesting to me how many women, it seems, don’t really plan on preparing physically for birth. As an average Jane, you wouldn’t wake up and say, “I’m going to run a marathon today.” Even if you plan on an epidural or a C-section, your body needs to be in good shape. The good news is that it doesn’t mean sweatin’ to the oldies.

In a word: yoga. It’s nature is in line with what labor is about: relaxing and stretching and breathing. I tried several yoga videos but many of them were too “spiritual” in a weird way for me. The best one I found is Prenatal Yoga With Shiva Rea, available at Amazon.com. It has three women you can follow depending on your comfort level and trimester. Their names are Shiva, Britta and Poppy, but I’ve got a feeling that their mom’s call them Julie, Pam and Karen respectively. Anyway, my husband on occasion would join me. I was driven to follow Shiva, the first trimester girl, for as long as possible, while he could only follow Poppy, the third trimester girl. What a sight - especially when it came to the Kegel exercises (see below). I say it’s those loose ligaments that helped me. I am usually the one who’s lagging or using all the props otherwise. I recommend doing yoga at least 3 times a week, for 30 mins. (or in two 15 min. increments). I like to set my goals within an easy range so I feel better when I exceed my goal, but that’s me. By “doing” I mean: following a DVD, taking a prenatal yoga class, or even just following the exercises below.

Best poses to prepare for birth (and relieve everyday pregger body stress): You can benefit a ton from these no-sweat exercises. You don’t need special equipment, just comfortable clothes, and blanket, and a little space.

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Memorize your own mantra. To keep you focused throughout your pregnancy and the actual birth, find a phrase, verse or quote that you believe in, one that brings you peace, strength and comfort. Memorize it and meditate on it. For me it was the Bible verse, “God has not given you a spirit of fear, but one of love, power and a sound mind/self-discipline.” It’s my own hybrid of 2 Timothy 1:7. It grounded me and reminded me that fear had no place in me, only love, power and my own ability to bring my baby into this world. I even wrote the verse out on a 3×5 card to have handy while I was in labor for my husband to repeat to me.

Along with this, remember to breathe deeply from your belly. Try to keep your shoulders still. This will ensure that all the breath fills your lungs. And while breathing, visualize calmess and peace filling you, swirling clean powerful air down through your feet. Then on the exhale, breathe out the blackness of tension, fear. Repeat as needed.

If you haven’t already, download the Top 10 Tips available at the top of the site. Some of this is included, along with other solid information to help bring you peace and power. Also, sign up for No Fear Birth email updates so you can get more on how to have the best birth - right in your own inbox.

Cheers and Blessings,
Jennifer

Here are some quotes that I like, too:

“Fear is something to be moved through, not something to be turned from.”
Peter McWilliams, American Writer

“There is nothing to fear but fear itself.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Courage is a special kind of knowledge: the knowledge of how to fear what ought to be feared and how not to fear what ought no to be feared.”
David Ben-Gurion, Israeli Leader

“For remember, fear doesn’t exist anywhere except in the mind.”
Dale Carnegie

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