Welcome back to my Postpartum Weight Loss series. I’ve been writing a lot about ways moms can focus less on slimming down in the first few months after giving birth and more on wellness, self-love, and setting realistic health goals. Most of what I introduced to you in my first and second posts I have been putting into practice, along with slowly introducing more activities in my life that get me moving. From going for walks with the little one strapped to me, to filling my belly with meals that have more nutritional value, I have found that big things happen when you make healthy small decisions.

Out and about in Sanlitun

Now, we mothers don’t need any excuse to get moving, for we are already constantly on the go. If you’re a stay-at-home-mom, your daily activities and responsibilities could take up this whole blog, and if you’re a working mom, it’s pretty much the same deal. It can be hard enough get some downtime when our little one finally decides to go down for their afternoon nap. When can we make time for ourselves to get going with our health and wellness goals?

Lux always naps better after one of our walks

I have been exercising daily. At 7am I’m in the gym and usually train for 90 minutes. This has been a long time coming, and it’s not something that new moms need to concern themselves with. Now that my little one is 10 months old I can be a little more vigorous with my exercise regime, and of course it helps to have an extra pair of hands, such as an ayi, to support introducing exercise back into your life. However, until then I have the perfect health and fitness remedy for women who are not only in the postpartum phase but also in the family-planning stages before pregnancy.

Camila was a chef and is now a certified nutritionist and Personal Trainer

I have teamed up with former chef, personal trainer, and nutritionist Camila, who is fully qualified to provide pre- and postnatal functional training. The kind of training she offers will be specific to the demands of birth and specific to the needs of the trimester, and recovery period. The tailor-made programs Camila offers will cover all elements of fitness to help you build a body that is strong yet supple and able to endure the strains of motherhood.

Pre- and Postnatal Functional Training can help with the following:

• Strengthening your back
• Correcting imbalances caused by pregnancy
• Returning your body to good overall fitness

Along with all these benefits, Camila can also offer nutritional guidance that you can use to work around a busy schedule, with husband, kids and work. Again, this is not about weight loss but about regaining a sense of self, positively connecting with your body again, and focusing on inner wellness, physical strength, and wholeness. All these in turn will produce the physical changes you may be after.

Remember that during pregnancy and birth, the tissues in the abdominal wall and pelvic floor undergo tremendous stretch and strain and the synergy between these two components needs to be regained before the body resumes regular physical activity. Restorative exercises will help retrain the core efficiently and restore your core to help with back pain, pelvic floor disfunction and also lingering pooch. Momma’s, you have already gone through a physical, emotional and mentally taxing life-changing event, take it back to basics no matter what level of fitness you had prior to your pregnancy. Take it slow, rebuild, and progress gradually.

In my first one-to-one class with Camila, I was shown the following isolated movements, which moms can practice in the first 1-4 weeks after birth:

• Core Breath

Core breath can start 1-2 days after delivering your baby. Try and start with it once a day for three to five minutes. Lay on your back or alternatively you can use a stability ball or lay on your side if you need extra support. Place your hands on your rib cage and fill your diaphragm with air. Through pursed lips, you’re going to exhale and try and engage with both your core and your pelvic floor. As you breath out for one or two counts, bring your belly button towards your ribs and your perineum towards the crown of your head. Relax. Repeat. Do as many reps as you can do without breaking form. To engage with your pelvic floor, Camila advised me to imagine trying to pick up a blueberry with my vagina. Now this may sound hilarious but it is the best method to use in order to try and isolate the movement needed to get the best out of this exercise.

• Glutes Bridge

You can begin trying out the Glutes Bridge during the second week after giving birth. You can practice this exercise once a day for three to five minutes along with the Core Breath routine. Lay on your back and raise your knees; shins should be vertical and your feet should be hip-width-apart. Rest your hands on the side and inhale and expand your ribcage. As you exhale, you are going to push the floor away and raise your hips, squeezing your pelvic floor, as you engage your core and bottom. As your lower your hips, inhale and repeat. Again you can do as many reps as you can without breaking form. To make the exercise more challenging you can place a small cushion between your knees. As you raise and lower your hips, you must squeeze your pelvic floor, core, and the cushion.

• Clams

You can introduce the Clam at the three week mark after delivering your baby and practice this along with the other two exercises once or every other day. Lay on your side, support your head with you arm and slightly bend both knees towards your chest. This exercise engages all the muscles around your lateral glutes as well as your core and pelvic floor. Keep your feet together and inhale to expand your ribcage. As you exhale raise your knee like a clam engage your core and as you exhale tighten your pelvis and bring your leg back down to join with the other. Do as many reps as you can without breaking form.

• Laying Bent Leg-Raise

You can introduce the Laying Bent Leg-Raise in week four after delivering your baby and again introduce the practice of this exercise along with the previous routines. Position yourself in the same way you would if you were about to do the Clam. This time instead of keeping you ankles locked together as your raise your knee, you are going to raise your whole leg. Expand your ribcage again when breathing in and engage your core and pelvic floor as your exhale and bring your leg down. Repeat as many times as you can without breaking form.

Next time Camila will be showing me what us moms can do during the 4-8 week postpartum period, and then we will be taking it up a notch with a nutritional food plan and a more rigorous exercise program. Stay tuned for tips, guides, and videos! We would love to receive your comments, and you can get in touch with Camila to find out how she can help you with your prenatal and postpartum goals! Wechat: camilabetin83

Photos: courtesy of Camila, Nicole Bonnah

The birth in Shenzhen of a child with physical abnormalities has reignited the debate about prenatal screening and abortion in China.

Five ultrasound examinations, including a 3D examination, failed to detect that the baby girl is missing an ear and a nostril and has one eye closed. The child’s mother, Youping Lin, is reported to be suffering from clinical depression as a result, and an independent investigation is underway to decide whether the hospital is responsible.

Termination of pregnancy due to birth defects is permitted in China at any stage of the pregnancy, and most of the debate on social media has centered on who is to blame for the failure to detect the abnormality: “The fact that the doctor said the unborn child was normal, even while the right side of the face was blocked by its hand, shows that they had a low sense of responsibility; that was just wishful thinking,” is a typical quote reported on whatsonweibo.com.

However this brings into focus Chinese attitudes to disability. Disabled children are still seen as a source of shame, and people with disabilities are rarely seen on the streets except as beggars. Despite strong legal protection of their rights, disabled children and adults are often subject to physical and sexual abuse; in 2013 pictures of a mentally ill boy chained up like a dog caused worldwide shock and condemnation. This also raises questions about children’s rights to privacy, with a photograph of the Shenzhen baby having been widely shared on social media. We have chosen not to use this picture.

Screening for gender selection is illegal, but reputedly widespread, with boys traditionally being preferred to girls, and the “one child policy” exacerbating this effect. This has led to a gender imbalance described by Chinese health authorities as “the most serious and prolonged” in the world. 114 boys are born for every 100 girls, and many men in rural areas have been forced to offer extravagant “betrothal gifts” to the families of young women in a bid to find a bride. However a recent report suggested that this trend is reversing, with the two child policy recasting the “ideal family” as one boy and one girl. This does not though mean that parents are more likely to let nature take its course. China Daily quotes one mother as saying “If it were a boy, I don’t think we would keep it,” an attitude which might be considered disturbing to western sensibilities.

Photo: Myllissa via Flickr

Pregnancy can be an alternately wonderful and difficult time, full of little aches and pains you’ve never experienced before. Prenatal massages can ease anxiety, stress back and leg pain, and sleep problems while increasing levels of serotonin and dopamine – the “feel good” hormones. Beijing is full of spas and massage parlors, but not all offer prenatal massages in a western-standard environment. Here are three that do.

But first, a few words of caution. One controversy is whether massages can be performed during the first trimester. Though there are currently no studies that show a link between massages and miscarriage, some doctors and spas counsel against first trimester massages to avoid liability issues.

There’s also some disagreement over whether foot reflexology is safe for pregnant women. Considering there are no professional certifications for pregnancy massage therapists in China (unlike in US and Canada), it’s best to avoid foot reflexology here just to be safe.

In any case, be sure to consult your doctor before booking any massage, let the spa know how many months pregnant you are, and stop the massage if you feel any kind of discomfort.

Bodhi Therapeutic Retreat and Bodhi Sense
Both branches of Bodhi offer prenatal massages featuring unscented almond oil to relieve stress on the calves, shoulders, and lower back as well as reduce varicose veins and promote blood circulation. Prenatal massages last 90 minutes and cost RMB 498.

Hummingbird Spa and Salon
At Hummingbird Spa and Salon, prenatal massages are performed with the customer lying on her side. The therapist massages her head, shoulders, arms, and legs. The spa accepts appointments from customers in their first trimester, but will not do foot reflexology. Prenatal massages are available at both Hummingbird branches in 60-minute (RMB 338), 90-minute (RMB 498), and 120-minute sessions (RMB 667).

Kocoon Spa
Last but not least, Kocoon Spa offers perhaps the only prenatal massage in town administered by a foreign-trained therapist. Prenatal massages cost RMB 510 for 60 minutes or RMB 590 for 90 minutes.

Sijia Chen is a contributing editor at beijingkids and a freelance writer specializing in parenting, education, travel, environment, and culture. Her work has appeared in The Independent, Midnight Poutine, Rover Arts, and more. Follow her on Twitter at @sijiawrites or email her at sijiachen@beijing-kids.com.

Photo: J. K. Califf (Flickr)