SNOW DAY ALERT: Looking for something to do on a snow day? There are times, the worst of times, when the weather cancels school but doesn’t deliver fun. That’s when you need the five best things to do indoors on a snow day on the Upper West Side.
Looking for the best cookies in Manhattan? Look no further than the UWS, home to some of the best cookies we have EVER tasted. Read below for cookie descriptions, our personal ratings and links to the best cookies in NYC:
In this interactive article the team at Glow Birth and Body answers your most asked acupuncuture questions
Glow Birth and Body Prenatal Magazine, Issue 1 features self care tips during pregnacy and beyond.
Our MASTER LIST of GLOW APPROVED PRACTITIONERS in CHICAGO & BEYOND
What Acupuncture for Labor Prep Looks Like
Acupuncture to help you prepare for labor is just as relaxing and comfortable as acupuncture that you’d experience at any other time. Along with addressing any pregnancy symptoms, acupuncture focuses on helping your muscles and body deeply relax, training your nervous system to release stress and tension. This helps your baby to get into a good position and makes labor easier, less stressful and more efficient.
So how does acupuncture help with nausea?
Gentle stimulation of specific points on the body sends signals to the digestive and nervous system, stopping the physical process that’s causing your nausea. Some of these points are so effective you can easily find anti-nausea wrist bands that stimulate a popular acupuncture point on your wrist.
Not only is acupuncture completely safe, it’s recommended! Acupuncture itself, when done by a licensed professional, is safe, effective and usually deeply relaxing. It’s safe throughout all stages of pregnancy, and is especially recommended in the first trimester for issues such as morning sickness, fatigue, threatened miscarriage, and constipation.
Is acupuncture safe during pregnancy?
Yes. Acupuncture is completely safe, and won’t harm a pregnancy. It has actually been shown to improve pregnancy symptoms and help prevent miscarriage. It is important to have acupuncture from a licensed acupuncturist. You can find a list of licensed acupuncturists in your area through the national licensing board’s website at NCCAOM.
Here are some quick tips from an acupuncturist to help you on your pregnancy journey.
First Trimester
The biggest symptoms that come up during this time are fatigue, constipation, and of course, morning sickness. This is a trimester of a lot of change; your body is producing more blood, and your hormone levels are shifting rapidly to help support the pregnancy.
Our Moon Cycle and Postpartum massages work with the seasonal elements, essential oils and applied heat to bring relief from period symptoms. Treatment includes a warm wheat bag for your stomach & lower back, and a research-backed blend of essential oils for menstrual support. In controlled studies, our blend of oils reduced pain and bleeding.
There’s nothing better than a good brunch on a lazy Sunday with the family. From fun sized pancakes for the kiddos to bottomless mimosas for the adults: the Chicago brunch scene has it all and then some. Sound overwhelming?
Don’t worry, we’ve narrowed our list down to our top five favorite restaurants for family brunches!
Looking for a powerful way to maintain your health, wellness, and mindfulness during your pregnancy? Prenatal Pilates might just be for you. When practiced correctly, Pilates can provide many benefits for expecting parents including pain relief, balance and breath restoration, relaxation, joint mobility, and full body strengthening. Chicago has no shortage of amazing Prenatal Pilates classes, so here’s our top five favorite studios to help to get you started.
The Windy City has long been famous for its amazing variety of food and eateries. Although it can be daunting finding a restaurant that meets your family’s needs and expectations, you have no shortage of kid-friendly options for indoor and outdoor eating that are sure to make your trip to Chicago memorable and FUN.
Here’s our top five picks for family friendly restaurants here in Chitown.
If you’re reading this, chances are you’re also a fan of massages and are constantly trying to conveniently place your partner’s hand on your back in hopes that they’ll start massaging. For whatever reason, it takes a lot of effort to actually schedule a massage. Not to mention, during COVID they’ve been so hard to lockdown! Sometimes, it feels like maybe it should be something that’s a liiiittle more accessible (hi, partners!).
On top of them being a little hard to schedule/commit to, you may also be hesitant to visit a massage therapist for perfectly understandable reasons (COVID and well, getting naked while your body has changed). Or your reasons for not getting a professional prenatal massage may be logistical. After all, you’re already comfortable at home and settled in for the night. And if you work in a city, who wants to drive home in traffic after a relaxing massage?
For those times you can’t get to the massage therapist, enlist the massage skills of your partner with these tips about when and how to give a prenatal massage. We’ll cover the reasons prenatal massage should be part of your pregnancy journey with specific instructions for body parts under the most strain.
Prenatal Massage is a Panacea for What Ails You
Did you know prenatal massage can lower your cortisol levels? Cortisol is your body’s stress hormone and while it promotes fetal and neural development, too much of it can be a risk factor for miscarriage. Prenatal massage has also been shown to lead to easier labor. Even mamas with a short weekly massage of twenty minutes reported decreased leg and back pain and less depression and anxiety.
If your feet, legs, and hands start swelling during pregnancy, the culprit could be decreased circulation and pressure on your major blood vessels. Massage can help stimulate the soft tissue, move the extra fluid, and reduce the swelling. Plus, since you’re more relaxed, sleep comes easier. Consider how prenatal massage calms your central nervous system. Hello, uninterrupted sleep!
A study also showed that newborns of massaged mamas were less likely to be born prematurely, had lower cortisol levels, and more often a healthy birth weight.
Body Parts to Concentrate on During Prenatal Partner Massage
Let’s go from the ground up with feet. Have your partner sit in a comfortable seated position. Apply a generous amount of massage oil or lotion and loosen the ankle with a gentle shaking motion from side to side. Next, hold the foot with both hands and then rub the top of the foot with firm upward strokes. Always stroke upward toward the heart to increase circulation. Massage the toes by giving them a gentle tug. Rub between the toes. Squeeze mama’s heels too! Extra weight can lead to heel pain. Lastly, rub the bottom of her foot.
You can repeat the above steps on mama-to-be's calves and thighs. When it comes to the lower back, have her sit in a chair without arms, straddling it with a pillow in front of her belly. Begin with light strokes from her neck to lower back. Remember to alternate the amount of pressure by using your fingers to apply lighter pressure and your thumbs, knuckles, and palms to go deeper.
If you follow these steps, while remembering to breathe along with her, you will all benefit from in-home prenatal massages.
Still, need help? Try looking up some videos on YouTube for more tips. For anything mama related, we love Bridget Teyler! Check out her channel here!
Self-care is not a destination but a journey to figure out safe ways to nourish your health. In this blog, we identify 8 safe self-care practices to start during pregnancy and to continue even after your baby is born.
A Body Pillow (Physical Health)
Body pillows are designed to support your neck and lower back and due to their size and weight, don’t shift around as easily as your regular pillow. Body pillows provide the necessary support to your front and back body to alleviate pressure on your ever-growing (and glowing!) body. Body pillows extend the length of your body so side sleepers can have a pillow between their legs. Being in this position maximizes blood flow to the uterus without putting pressure on the liver. Body pillows come in various shapes so research which one works best with your sleeping position and where your pressure points are. The more comfortable you are, the sounder you sleep, and the less groggy you’ll feel in the morning.
Postpartum moms also benefit from body pillows since they offer comfort, support, and pressure relief. Your body may have adjusted to sleeping with one and going back to your regular size pillow (or partner) may feel… less than ideal.
A Lavender Bath Treatment (Emotional Health)
Since lavender promotes calmness and reduces stress/anxiety, it’s a great example of emotional self-care. Additional pregnancy-related advantages include lavender’s ability to ease us into sleep - which is something you should cherish while you can! Lavender can also help relieve nausea that occurs early on in your pregnancy.
Check the label for lavender essential oil because “lavender oil” is usually diluted with fillers and synthetic ingredients.
Meditation (Spiritual Health)
Even busy moms-to-be can find a few moments each day to meditate. If sitting puts unnecessary pressure on your belly, lay on your side using your body pillow. For ambiance, use a diffuser filled with lavender essential oil. If you find meditation difficult, apps like Headspace can guide you through short meditations.
Once your baby is born, especially in those early weeks when they’re actually sleeping, take that time to continue your meditation practice. If you’re lulled into sleep, you’re sleeping when the baby sleeps which still remains one of the best, yet obvious, pieces of advice we’ve ever heard.
Mocktails for Mama (Social Health)
When many of your social situations involve alcohol but you’re pregnant, don’t just dismiss yourself to missing out on seeing your friends. Invite close friends over for drinks while you enjoy a mocktail. And lucky for you, many bars in Oakland and Chicago have finally realized that soda water just isn’t cutting it.
Reclaim Your Time with Meal Delivery (Physical Health)
During pregnancy, the calming, mood, sleep, libido, and bone-enhancing hormone, progesterone, increases. This leaves you especially lethargic in the first trimester. Unfortunately, feeling tired doesn’t mean you’ll necessarily sleep like a baby- where did that phrase come from anyway? Totally inaccurate if you ask us.
Rather than stress about what to make for dinner and spend time preparing it, consider a meal delivery service or meal kit. Read this pregnant mom’s reviews of various subscription meal services. You will end up making fewer grocery store trips when you subscribe to a meal kit and you can customize your meals to get the nutrients your body needs during your pregnancy.
Want a heat and eat option? In Oakland, we like Planted Table and in Chicago, Eat Purely. Time is still a precious resource, pregnant or not, so consider subscribing to a service post pregnancy or add it to your gift registry.
Spoil Moms-to-Be with a Spa Gift Card (Mental, Physical and Emotional Health)
Maybe we’re a little biased, but Glow Birth and Body offers incredible regular and prenatal massages. Prenatal massage has been shown to reduce swelling, lower back pain, provide natural pain relief, and improve the quality of your sleep.
Prenatal massage not only bestows benefits to mama while pregnant but also while giving birth. Studies from the Touch Research Institute suggest mamas who get a weekly massage have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and higher levels of the feel-good hormones serotonin and dopamine. Researchers have linked these hormonal changes to fewer childbirth complications, including a 75 percent reduction in premature births among depressed women.
Remember to drink plenty of water after your massage. Drinking water post-massage helps the body flush out any accumulated materials released.
Massage is beneficial for anyone who wants to lower their stress levels and sleep better, and these needs don’t disappear when you’re no longer pregnant.
Journal Your Pregnancy Journey - Spiritual
Glow Birth and Body’s Journal and Birth Deck set is the perfect gift for expectant moms to record their pregnancy and practice gratitude while the Birth Deck helps their partner support them throughout the pregnancy.
Keep up your journaling post-pregnancy. According to scientific studies, people who journal say it’s therapeutic and one of the best ways to consistently find gratitude when life is overwhelming.
House Cleaning Helps…..A Lot! (Physical)
Pregnancy and harsh cleaning chemicals are not a good combo. If you enlist a house cleaner, ask them to use natural, non-toxic cleaners.
Even before pregnancy, the average time spent cleaning is 6 hours a week. You may need those six hours back because you’re tired, you have pregnancy-related appointments, or you’re preparing your home for the baby's arrival. Having a clean environment, free of clutter can lessen anxiety too and a calmer mom-to-be is a win-win for all parties involved. Because personally, when our cars and houses are a mess, we are too.
What self-care practices have you adopted? What will you keep doing post-pregnancy? You can’t go wrong choosing whatever keeps you calm, well-rested (this is HUGE!) and with more time for the things that matter!
THE BIRTH DECK WAS FEATURED IN FIRST TIME PARENT’S DIGITAL MARCH 2021 ISSUE.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE IN MODERN LUXURY CHICAGO’S MAY 2021 ISSUE HERE.
Mother Knows Best
Doula, childbirth educator and prenatal massage therapist Sara Lyon is a seasoned expert in all things mother and baby and has used her vast knowledge and belief that healthy, nontraumatic birth is a human right to author a book - with a second releasing in June - and found Glow Birth & Body spa.
With a new location set to open in Roscoe Village May 1, the Chicago regular gets real about childbirth, pampering expectant mothers and the key to living well.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON ROMPER.COM
Some people are totally at ease about having sex while pregnant, while others have trouble with the idea (and physical logistics) of it. For that camp, knowing the facts about pregnancy sex can help ease any concerns — like, what does the baby feel during pregnancy sex? And can having sex negatively affect your pregnancy?
When you're pregnant, you become hyper-aware that your body is not just your own. Everything — every bite of food or sip of a drink — that enters your body is shared with baby. But what about when something else enters your body? If your male partner is "afraid to hurt the baby,” it's important to understand that, even if your partner is absolutely #blessed in size, the baby is very well protected within your uterus.
So tell your husband to knock it off with the jokes.