If you read Megan's post We Can Do Better last week, you know that we need to change the way we take care of women during pregnancy and post-pregnancy. For that reason, Mind the Mat is hosting a FREE Expert Forum called M-Power to Empower at our Del Ray location this Saturday from 2:30-4:30pm. That big capital M stands for MOM and remember the old adage: "if mom isn't happy, no one is."

 Post-pregnancy fitness 

There are so many ways to support moms during pregnancy and after birth that we almost never hear about. Some of the clients who come to my prenatal and post-pregnancy classes were born in Africa, Asia, India, South and Central America, where many of these practices are still alive and well, and they talk to me about the difference in care here in the United States. For example, did you know that it takes a woman forty days to fully recover from birth, physically (both internally and externally), hormonally, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually? Traditions from all over the world acknowledge and respect this. In the first forty days after birth, mothers get massaged, fed bone broth soup daily, go through a full body cleanse regimen with special herbs, take herbal baths, and are wrapped periodically to help their joints and internal organs come back into place and stabilize. During this time, mom's job is to rest, feed, and bond with her baby.

Cupping during an acupuncture treatment

In many other countries, this kind of care happens when a woman has a healthy, unmedicated birth. What if she has had a C-section? What if her abdominals have separated and she has diastasis recti? What if she is depressed and anxious? Wouldn't it make sense that she would need even more time to recover and extra care?

Taking pulses during acupuncture treatment

The truth is that the way a woman is cared for during and after pregnancy will effect how she bonds with her baby, as well as her overall health in the short term and in the long term as she ages and goes through menopause. At Mind the Mat's Free Expert Forum this Saturday, top professionals in the fields of chiropractic, physical therapy, doula work, acupuncture, holistic obstetrics, and naturopathic medicine will share what they know about taking care of women. You will learn about concepts and practices that you may never have heard of before. Did you know, for example, that endometriosis can be successfully addressed through physical therapy and visceral manipulation, that vaginal steaming can remedy fibroids, or that acupuncture is one of the most effective treatments for hormonal imbalance and infertility issues? 

Who will be there to answer your questions? These five experts!

Dr. Adrino Flevotomos, Chiropractor

Dr. Laurena White, OBGYN

Dr. Elizabeth Polis, Physical Therapist

Njemile Carol Jones, Licensed Acupuncturist

Stuart Saltzman, RN and Complementary Medicine Practitioner