Invest in your Health!

With all different types of baby carriers out there, it can be very hard to decide which one is the best one for you and your baby! So, let's dive in and talk about all the options. But, first let's address one of the main things to look out for when choosing the baby carrier that works best for you and your baby.   Regardless of the carrier you choose, you want to make sure your baby is resting in the M position or a frog position. This position will help support your baby’s hips and decrease risk of them developing hip dysplasia. According to the International Hip Dysplasia Institute, “Hip dysplasia occurs when the socket is misshapen or when the hip is dislocated. Dislocation in babies is almost never painful similar to bending your ear, so this may go undetected until walking age and may also result in painful arthritis during adulthood. The risk of hip dysplasia or dislocation is greatest in the first few months of life . By six months of age, most babies have nearly dou...

As a new mother or father you are lifting, carrying, and holding your baby countless times throughout the day for a few minutes to hours on end. It is extremely important to use proper body mechanics and form when doing all these tasks with your baby to prevent muscle strains and pain to your back, neck, and shoulders. Below are different ways from Medbridge to hold your baby without causing increased stress or strains on your body leading to pain.  When it comes to lifting your baby from any surface you want to stand close to your baby with your feet shoulder width apart. You can have one foot slightly in front of the other for a different stance when lifting. From there you will squat down to the height where your baby is at keeping your back flat and bending with your legs! You will grab your baby and hold your baby close to your body as you push with your legs to stand. This concept can be applied to all different surfaces of where you are picking up your baby or laying down! ...

  When babies are born, their skulls can be soft and they can have weak neck muscles. It is important to reposition your baby often throughout the day in order to help their head and neck to develop properly at that age. Repositioning your baby keeps them from spending too much time in one position. Most of the time, babies spend a lot of time on their backs. However, lying on their back for a long period of time can increase the pressure on the baby’s skull because it is very soft. This pressure can lead to the baby having a flattened area on the baby’s head. Furthermore, babies often turn their heads to one side when placed on their backs, which can lead to a different condition called torticollis. Torticollis is when the muscles on one side of a baby’s neck become tight and increase difficulty to move to the other side or in general. Repositioning them can help prevent these conditions and aid in overall healthy development for the baby. Below are some tips to reposition your ba...

  It honestly depends on your needs and what type of runner you are. In this blog we will discuss the pro’s and con’s of both and let you decide which is best for you! Regardless, running is a lot of work! It is a high impact physically demanding sport, now we add in a stroller which will alter your running mechanics. Therefore, it is so important to run with an upright posture, relaxing your shoulders and mid back and allowing the force of pushing the stroller with your legs and core. With the altered body mechanics and if muscles are weak this is a recipe for an overuse injury! So, we want to prevent injuries by posture awareness and strengthening areas that may have been weakened due to pregnancy! So, now you know a little about posture awareness and changes with running with a stroller. Let’s talk about the two different types! A 3 wheel jogging stroller is great on all different terrains for running. So, if you enjoy running on pavement and trail running this may be a better o...

YES! So many people have told me that their doctor handed them a brochure and was told to do as many kegels as they can in a day to help stop their leaking whether it is from just having a baby or many years later dealing with stress urinary incontinence. So, what happens if you are doing too many kegels in a day or your doctor told you to do as many as you can in a day without a specific regime? The pelvic floor muscles are just like any other muscle in our body. Would you do an unlimited amount of repetitions of your quad or hamstring muscle in your leg? What would happen? They would get tired, compensation may occur with other muscles to do the task due to the fatigue and therefore ruin the entire purpose of the exercise for strengthening a specific muscle. It can cause gait or walking dysfunctions due to pain, and increased risk for further injuries. Overall, your symptoms get worse because the muscle is so tired. The pelvic floor muscles are the same! People need the proper exerci...

Is it normal to leak after a baby? Sure, it may be common, but it certainly does not mean it is normal and it is most definitely preventable and treatable!  So, why do most women leak during or after giving birth? Our pelvic floor muscles become weak during pregnancy due to the increase in pressure down on the pelvic floor while supporting your baby. This can cause difficulty for the pelvic floor muscles to do their job! When they become weak, it allows for urine to pass through. So, when you cough, sneeze or even pick up your baby that increase in intra-abdominal pressure is too much for the pelvic floor muscles to activate and prevent leaking. This is called stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The literature reports that urinary incontinence persists up to 12 years after childbirth for women who experienced urinary incontinence at 3 months post birth and that SUI is more common at 3.5 years post birth than at 8 weeks. (1). Urinary incontinence during pregnancy and postpartum is a ...

  Now that many people are returning to offices, let's remember some helpful tips for our posture to prevent future injuries and pain!  Keep your monitor at eye level, and place your keyboard close to your body. Sit in a chair with back support to avoid slumping.  Make sure your feet are firmly planted on the ground, or use a footstool if your feet don’t reach the ground If possible A desk that can be converted to a standing desk to lessen the strain on your spine  Here are some quick tips to help make talking on the phone comfortable:  Avoid tilting your head or holding a phone between your ear and shoulder  Use a headset or headphones when possible to keep your head in a neutral position.  Use a speakerphone when able to avoid tilting your neck  Keep your muscles loose by taking standing or walking breaks every 30-45 minutes! Prepared By: Britni Keitz Tester Education Date printed: 09/08/2021 Page 1 Disclaimer: This program provides exercises re...