Your Best Pregnancy

112 Pages·2014·4.6 MB·English

This is sample from Your Best Pregnancy: The Ultimate Guide to Easing the Aches,
Pains, and Uncomfortable Side Effects During Each Stage of Your Pregnancy
Buy Now

Have a safe, healthy, and comfortable pregnancy.
The Ultimate Guide to
Written by two physical therapists with over twenty years of combined experience helping women ease sore
feet, aching backs, incessant peeing, and many other uncomfortable conditions, Your Best Pregnancy provides simple Easing the Aches, Pains, and
solutions and easy exercises to help women feel their best from head to toe. Through detailed photographs,
illustrations, and down-to-earth advice that is both medically substantiated as well as easy to understand, you will Uncomfortable Side Effects During
learn how to:
Each Stage of Your Pregnancy
• Treat the most uncomfortable symptoms during pregnancy, such as back and shoulder
your best
pain, bladder issues, night cramps, sciatica, swelling, and varicose veins.
• Maintain a healthy pregnancy, even while on bed rest.
• Correctly strengthen the pelvic floor and core to prevent diastasis recti.
• Nurse, lift, and care for a baby (or babies) using proper body
pregnancy
mechanics to avoid strain and injury.
“Your Best Pregnancy is fun, interesting, and supportive. It feels like sitting down with a knowledgeable and
trusted friend to talk about all the challenging and usually-not-discussed issues of pregnancy. We keep a copy at
our practice to offer advice to patients.” —MARC LEVIN, MD, FAMILY PHYSICIAN,
MATERNITY CARE COORDINATOR, INSTITUTE FOR FAMILY HEALTH
“A must read if you’re pregnant or just had a baby and wonder why your body feels the way it does!... A perfect
go-to book for every pregnant woman, whether it’s your first or fourth pregnancy.”
—STACEY J. FUTTERMAN, PT, MPT, WCS, BCB-PMD,
OWNER OF 5 POINT PHYSICAL THERAPY PLLC IN NEW YORK CITY
“Your Best Pregnancy is like having two best friends on speed dial who just happen to also be physical therapists, and
in Hoefs’ case, an experienced mom. They give new and professional mothers the scoop on all things health, with
an approachable helping of medical knowledge and a touch of sass.”
—LESLIE GOLDMAN, MPH, WOMEN’S HEALTH WRITER, LESLIEGOLDMANWRITES.COM
Jill Hoefs, MPT is a certified physical therapist and owner of Body Align Physical
Therapy with locations in New York City and Summit, NJ. She is a licensed instructor in
the Tupler Technique® and specializes in treating diastasis recti. In addition to treating
patients, Hoefs teaches classes on child birth preparation and postpartum recovery.
www.bodyalignpt.com
Denise Jagroo, DPT, MTC, WCS treats pelvic, obstetric, and orthopedic dysfunctions at
her practice in New York City. Jagroo lectures nationally and offers workshops on pregnancy,
postpartum, and pelvic health. www.Drjagroo.com
ISBN 978-1-936303-61-8
Also AvAilAble As An ebook
51995
11 West 42nd Street, 15th floor Jill Hoefs, MPT
New York, NY 10036-8002
9 781936 303618
www.demoshealth.com Denise Jagroo, DPT, MTC, WCS
$19.95 Cover design by Laura Duffy
Published by Demos Health
Hoef_mechanical_R5_9.22.indd 1
This is sample from Your Best Pregnancy: The Ultimate Guide to Easing the Aches,
Pains, and Uncomfortable Side Effects During Each Stage of Your Pregnancy
Buy Now

Your Best Pregnancy
Published by Demos Health
This is sample from Your Best Pregnancy: The Ultimate Guide to Easing the Aches,
Pains, and Uncomfortable Side Effects During Each Stage of Your Pregnancy
Buy Now

Published by Demos Health
This is sample from Your Best Pregnancy: The Ultimate Guide to Easing the Aches,
Pains, and Uncomfortable Side Effects During Each Stage of Your Pregnancy
Buy Now

Your Best Pregnancy
The Ultimate Guide to Easing the Aches, Pains,
and Uncomfortable Side Effects During
Each Stage of Your Pregnancy
Jill Hoefs, MPT
Denise Jagroo, DPT, MTC, WCS
New York
Published by Demos Health
This is sample from Your Best Pregnancy: The Ultimate Guide to Easing the Aches,
Pains, and Uncomfortable Side Effects During Each Stage of Your Pregnancy
Buy Now

Visit our website at www.demoshealth.com
ISBN: 978-1-936303-61-8
e-book ISBN: 978-1-61705-203-3
Acquisitions Editor: Julia Pastore
Compositor: diacriTech
© 2014 by Jill Hoefs and Denise Jagroo. All rights reserved. This book is protected by copyright. No part of
it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Medical information provided by Demos Health, in the absence of a visit with a health care professional,
must be considered as an educational service only. This book is not designed to replace a physician’s
independent judgment about the appropriateness or risks of a procedure or therapy for a given patient.
Our purpose is to provide you with information that will help you make your own health care decisions.
The information and opinions provided here are believed to be accurate and sound, based on the best
judgment available to the authors, editors, and publisher, but readers who fail to consult appropriate health
authorities assume the risk of injuries. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions. The editors
and publisher welcome any reader to report to the publisher any discrepancies or inaccuracies noticed.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hoefs, Jill.
Your best pregnancy : the ultimate guide to easing the aches, pains, and uncomfortable side effects
during each stage of your pregnancy / Jill Hoefs, MPT, and Denise Jagroo, DPT, MTC, WCS.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-936303-61-8—ISBN 978-1-61705-203-3 (e-Book)
1. Pregnancy—Popular works. 2. Exercise for pregnant women. I. Jagroo, Denise. II. Title.
RG525.H64 2014
618.2—dc23
2014027371
Special discounts on bulk quantities of Demos Health books are available to corporations, professional
associations, pharmaceutical companies, health care organizations, and other qualifying groups. For
details, please contact:
Special Sales Department
Demos Medical Publishing, LLC
11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10036
Phone: [phone] or 212-683-0072
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [email protected]
Printed in the United States of America by McNaughton & Gunn.
14 15 16 17 18 / 5 4 3 2 1
Published by Demos Health
This is sample from Your Best Pregnancy: The Ultimate Guide to Easing the Aches,
Pains, and Uncomfortable Side Effects During Each Stage of Your Pregnancy
Buy Now

To my three favorite people in the world: Mike, Aiden, and Zoe.
Jill Hoefs
To my family, for their love and support always.
Denise Jagroo
Published by Demos Health
This is sample from Your Best Pregnancy: The Ultimate Guide to Easing the Aches,
Pains, and Uncomfortable Side Effects During Each Stage of Your Pregnancy
Buy Now

Published by Demos Health
This is sample from Your Best Pregnancy: The Ultimate Guide to Easing the Aches,
Pains, and Uncomfortable Side Effects During Each Stage of Your Pregnancy
Buy Now

Contents
Introduction xi
1 Ouch! What Is Happening to My Body? Help! 1
Back Pain 3
Lower Back Pain 3
Upper Back and Shoulder Pain 10
Bladder Issues 20
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 24
Constipation 29
Heel and Bottom of Foot Pain (Plantar Fasciitis) 32
Lightheadedness 36
Lower Abdominal/Groin Pain (Round Ligament Pain) 38
Night Cramps 39
Pelvic Pain 42
Pubic Symphysis Pain/Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction 46
Sacroiliac Pain 55
Sciatica 58
Separated Abdominal Muscles (Diastasis Recti) 63
Shortness of Breath 76
Sleeping Pains 81
Swelling 84
Tailbone Pain (Coccyx Pain) 88
Varicose Veins 89
Additional Help from Acupuncture and
Chinese Herbal Medicine 93
Published by Demos Health
This is sample from Your Best Pregnancy: The Ultimate Guide to Easing the Aches,
Pains, and Uncomfortable Side Effects During Each Stage of Your Pregnancy
Buy Now

viii
Contents
2 It’s Not Time to Put Your Gym Membership on Hold 101
1. “Don’t Exercise, You Will Hurt the Baby!” 101
2. “If You Have Pain While Exercising during the Beginning
of Your Pregnancy, Stop Everything Because It’s Only
Going to Get Worse.” 107
3. “Don’t Let Your Heart Rate Get Higher than 140 Beats
Per Minute When Exercising. And Don’t Exercise for
More than 15 Minutes.” 109
4. “It’s Not Safe to Ride a Bike after Your First Trimester.” 110
5. “Too Much Exercise Will Take Nutrients Away
from Your Baby.” 110
6. “If You Never Exercised before Pregnancy,
Don’t Start Now.” 111
7. “Avoid All Forms of Prenatal Yoga.” 111
8. “You Shouldn’t Stretch during Pregnancy.
Your Joints Are Too Loose.” 112
9. “Running Is Too Jarring for the Baby” 113
10. “Don’t Lift That, It’s Too Heavy.” 114
11. “You Should Be Able to Maintain a Conversation
While Exercising.” 116
12. “Drinking Eight Glasses of Water Is Enough,
Even When You Exercise.” 117
3 Help for the Pelvic Floor 119
What’s a Kegel? 120
Pregnancy and the Pelvic Floor 122
How to Strengthen Your Pelvic Floor 123
4 Between the Sheets during Your Pregnancy 129
Orgasms Will Help My Pregnancy? 130
Pelvic Rest 133
5 Bed Rest: Survival Tips 137
Who Is on Bed Rest? 138
What Is Bed Rest? 139
Is Bed Rest Necessary? 142
The Emotional Toll 142
Let’s Get Physical 147
6 Planning for Labor and Delivery 161
Perineal Massage 162
Birthing Positions 164
Published by Demos Health
This is sample from Your Best Pregnancy: The Ultimate Guide to Easing the Aches,
Pains, and Uncomfortable Side Effects During Each Stage of Your Pregnancy
Buy Now

ix
Contents
Relaxing the Pelvic Floor during Delivery 168
Labor 169
7 Safe and Helpful Ways to Take Care of
Your Newborn(s) 175
Lifting 176
Breastfeeding or Bottle Feeding 181
Carrying 182
For Moms Taking Care of Twins 185
When Carrying the Infant Carrier(s) 190
8 Taking Care of the Postpartum Mama 193
The Postpartum Check-Up 193
Pelvic Floor Strengthening 197
Work Those Abs 200
Posture in the Office 202
Sex? Now? Didn’t You See What I Just Pushed
Out of There?? 203
The Baby Came Out Already, Why Does My
Pelvis Still Hurt? 205
Conclusion 207
Notes 209
Acknowledgments 219
Index 221
Published by Demos Health