| For Mom
One of the fundamental aspects of supporting baby wisdom is taking care of Mom first. Mom and Baby are one functional unit and Mom's neurological system is fully supporting Baby. The primary goal of supporting baby wisdom is to help Mom integrate her birth experience into everyday life with simple techniques. The following are a just a few examples to start with.
Knee Squeeze
The Knee Squeeze is a muscle energy technique that uses the adductor muscles to balance the pelvic floor. Fascia is the matrix of all tissue, a net of continuity surrounding every muscle in the body. The pelvic floor is a fascial "sling" which supports the entire pelvis. During the birth experience, the pelvic floor naturally gets disorganized. The knee squeeze allows the pelvic floor to re-organize itself and release torsions that have been restricting pelvic contents. The fascial net that supports all these important organs needs to be continually reset post-partum. Without attention, the ligaments that loosen during the birth do not have the integrity to maintain full-structural support. With a simple knee squeeze, the intestine, the colon, the liver and the bladder can all return and resettle. Associated chronic symptoms such as bladder infection or digestive problems then resolve.
The Knee Squeeze can be done throughout the day in many different spots using a variety of objects. For best results, Mom needs to be horizontal and the object used needs to be non-compressible, i.e. not too squishy, like a soccer ball.
- Lie down with knees up
- Place object between knees
- Squeeze knees gently to release pubic bone
- Hold to the count of five
- Repeat three times
The Pretzel
The pelvis is made up of three parts: two illia and one sacrum. When babies emerge from Mom's pelvis, her sacrum is naturally displaced. This displacement results in fascial entrapment of the nerves that make up the sciatic nerve. The Pretzel is the solution for this displacement and allows Mom to recover from birth more completely. The Pretzel needs to be done as many times as possible, at the very least after waking and before sleeping. Conveniently, both the Knee Squeeze and the The Pretzel may be done in bed.
- Lie down on stomach
- Turn head to the right
- Place left arm at side
- Place right hand next to face
- Bring knees to chest on right side
- Cross feet
- Push feet towards ceiling against gentle pressure from a partner's hands
- Hold for the count of five
- Repeat three times
Figure 4 for Moms
Psoas Muscle
Lie down on your back
With your knees up and your feet on the floor
Put your right ankle on your left knee
Place your right hand on your right knee
(use a yoga block or sports ball to extend your reach)
Press your knee away from your head
Breathe in and as you breathe out
Press your knee against your hand
Engaging your knee towards your head
Resist the movement of the knee with your hands
Reach your sit bone away from your head
Hold the position for the count of five
Repeat three to five times
Preiformis Muscle
Lie down on your back
With your knees up and your feet on the floor
Put your right ankle on your left knee
With your right hand take your right knee across midline
Hold your knee in position with both hands
Breathe in and as you breathe out
Press your knee against your hand
Engaging your knee to the outside
Resist the movement of the knee with your hands
Reach your hip to the floor
Hold the position for the count of five
Repeat three to five times
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