Birthing Ball Guide

Fit Mum, Healthy Baby

Setting the right exercise habits early can make pregnancy an easier and happier experience for you and your baby.

Just 20 minutes per day is all it takes.

Whether you are lacking energy in your first trimester, or you are coping with a changing body in the second, mum it is time to get moving.

The BABYGO® 20 Coin

We recognise that making exercise a daily habit can be a challenge.

If this is you, then the BABYGO® 20 coin is designed to help.

These coins are there to be collected each day of your pregnancy and are a simple reminder of the rewards.

The coins value is just 20 minutes of your time.

Each side of the coin represents the rewards from your twenty minutes. The rewards are both mental and physical.

Bank Your Rewards

There is one 20 coin up for grabs each day of your pregnancy. And a maximum of seven coins per week.

That is 140 minutes of healthy benefits.

You can collect more than one, 20 coin per day, for example, if you do forty minutes of exercise.

But no more than seven coins per week. You will not benefit from exhausting yourself.

If you do not collect all seven coins up for grabs in a week, do not worry. You can only do as much as you can.

A little is better than nothing at all.

Keeping a Count of Your Rewards

There is one 20 coin up for grabs each day of your pregnancy. And a maximum of seven coins per week.

That is 140 minutes of healthy benefits.

You can collect more than one, 20 coin per day, for example, if you do forty minutes of exercise.

But no more than seven coins per week. You will not benefit from exhausting yourself.

If you do not collect all seven coins up for grabs in a week, do not worry. You can only do as much as you can.

A little is better than nothing at all.

The Here and Now

Exercise is a great way to boost your mood, especially on those days you are feeling a little low.

Use your BABYGO birthing ball® to release endorphins and trigger a real positive feeling.

Endorphins lower stress and anxiety, this will help you to relax, focus and feel happy in the months to come.

Low-level tiredness is common in early pregnancy. It is also a common misconception that rest will improve the situation.

So, while you should never push yourself to exhaustion, push yourself to 20 minutes to overcome your fatigue.

An active mum is a hungry mum. A replenished mum is a happier, more energetic mum and is likely to be getting a steadier supply of healthy nutrients to their baby.

And of course, exercise can help balance those early pregnancy hormones too. This can help to improve the quality of your sleep and may even limit morning sickness.

Preparation

A stronger body unlocks the potential for a more comfortable pregnancy and an easier birth for you and your baby.

As early as your first trimester the relaxin hormone is released to make your joints and ligaments extra stretchy to help accommodate your growing baby.

This weakens your muscles, especially those around the core.

Stay in control of the changes to your body and use our targeted exercises to improve your posture and to strengthen your core.

Better posture will allow you to manage the weight of your baby more comfortably in the third trimester and limit aches and pains in the lower back and pelvis.

Building your strength will give you the endurance to push your baby for an easier and faster birth.

A healthier posture and stronger core will help to reduce the risk of pregnancy and delivery complications.

And of course, the more you increase your fitness, the faster you will recover after birth. This is because the stronger your muscles, the faster they repair.

Intensity Levels

Before getting started, it is important to understand intensity levels.

After all, you want to exercise to the right intensity to enjoy the best benefits from your 20 minutes.

Intensity is measured in MET’s and is scored on three levels.

Low, moderate and high.

If you and your baby are to get the most out of your activities, 20 minutes of moderate exercise should be your goal.

Moderate exercise is a sure way of covering both sides of the coin in just 20 minutes.

It will help you to control your blood pressure and weight, increase your energy, improve your mood and promote a stronger core without exhausting yourself.

Listen to your body, keep well hydrated and remember to pause for a break if necessary. You can split your 20 minutes up into two sets of ten, or four sets of 5 and still get the same benefits.

Track the intensity of your activities on our intensity scale to help get your 20 minutes that make the difference.

Intensity Scale

* Keeping your intensity high is fine in early pregnancy if you feel comfortable. Reduce this down in your third trimester.

* Low intensity walking is beneficial when done for longer than 20 minutes.

* Daily exercise at a low intensity is recommended in addition to your 20 minutes of moderate exercise per day.

Your muscles become very tight during pregnancy. Improve flexibility, increase circulation and blood flow to your muscles with the following warm-up (Can also be used as a light workout).

Hamstring Stretch

Watch Video

• Resume seated ball position.
• Slowly raise your right leg up until extended and elevated at 90 degrees.
• Keep your left leg bent and foot planted on the floor.
• Lean slightly forward until you feel a stretch in the back of your right leg.
• Begin to feel the stretch in your hamstring the longer you hold the position.
• Ease back down into your starting position. Switch sides.

Leg Raise

Watch Video

• Resume seated ball position.
• Place your hands on the ball and inline with your hips.
• Shift your weight onto your right foot.
• Slowly raise your left foot 6 inches off the floor.
• Begin to feel your quad and glute muscles the longer you hold in position.
• Calmly back down into your starting position. Switch sides.

Calf Raise

Watch Video

• Resume seated ball position.
• Raise both heels off the floor, keeping your toes pointed on the floor.
• Slowly feel the stretch in your calf muscles the longer you hold in position.
• Ease back down into your starting position. Repeat.

Pelvic Lateral Shift

Watch Video

• Resume seated ball position.
• Place your hands on your hips.
• Slide your hips to the right. The ball should slightly move to the right with you.
• Reverse and slide to the left. Repeat.

Side Stretch

Watch Video

• Resume seated ball position.
• Place one hand on your thigh or hip.
• Slowly bring your other arm up and reach this arm over your head.
• Lean slightly to the side as you come through the.
• Keep your arm slightly bent at the elbow.
• Begin to feel the stretch down your side muscle.
• Calmly come back down into position. Switch Sides.

Hip Flexor Stretch

Watch Video

Reduce tension in your back, maintain and improve your muscle tone.

• Resume seated ball position.
• Place one hand on your thigh or hip.
• Slowly bring your other arm up and reach this arm over your head.
• Lean slightly to the side as you come through the.
• Keep your arm slightly bent at the elbow.
• Begin to feel the stretch down your side muscle.
• Calmly come back down into position. Switch Sides.

Adjust Your Focus

If you have not been very active in your pregnancy so far, do not worry, it is never too late to start moving.

20 minutes is just 2% of the time you will spend awake today.

For those that have been active, your focus will have been on the two sides of the 20 coin. You will now be feeling the benefits.

Do not stop, keep it up.

But now you have hit 28 weeks, it is a time to adjust your focus.

Your third trimester brings on extra responsibilities.

One Large Window

Typically we view our third trimester as one large window.

This makes it more difficult to focus on the small changes that make the final stages of pregnancy a happier and a healthier experience.

It is time to switch up tradition.

Four Small Windows

Rearrange the traditional third trimester window into four.

Each window has an action and can help you to prepare and relax a little easier.

It can be the best start for your baby's health in the future and your health post pregnancy too.

Breaking A Sweat

Let us start with the 20 coin. There are plenty of benefits for breaking a sweat after 28 weeks. Your baby weighs around just 2 pounds at the start of your third trimester.

Incredibly, this will increase three times over the next twelve weeks. And for some as great as five times the weight.

That is because during the final twelve weeks your baby will develop most of their fat tissue.

Stay in control of the changes and reach out and grab as many of those 20 coins as you can.

These mums who exercise in the third trimester are more likely stay within a healthy weight range.

Exercise increases blood flow. It helps you to maintain stronger muscles and a healthy heart. It will minimise swelling too.

As the weight of your baby increases, switch out some of the core strengthening exercises and use your BABYGO® birthing ball to relieve tension in your back and pelvis.

Focus on your breathing.

This will help you to relax rather than tense up when you feel discomfort. A helpful skill for when you give birth.

An active body encourages active bowels. This will help with constipation and help keep those dreaded haemorrhoids away.

And a mum with a stronger cardiovascular system is likely to give birth to a fitter baby with a healthier heart born at a healthier weight.

Body Movin’

In addition to your twenty minutes of intense exercise.

It’s time to rock that pelvis and get those hips groovin’.

At week 28, begin targeted movements on your BABYGO® birthing ball and help to turn your baby into a head-down position ready for birth.

Optimal Foetal Position

During engagement, your baby knows what to do and when to do it.

They do however need a little help with the preparation.

A head-down anterior position, whereby your baby’s back is facing the front of your tummy, helps your baby to move more easily through the pelvis.

The result. An easier and faster birth experience with less pain. Yay!

to be more painful and increases your odds of a caesarean section.

birth.

If they are not, and are in a posterior position, do not worry, there is still time.

Ask your midwife to help you work out the position of your baby.

Try spending more time on your BABYGO® birthing ball.

Sitting more regularly on your ball will help to distribute your weight more evenly and prevent you from slouching. This gives your baby more room to turn.

While adopting more forward leaning positions and allowing your belly to hang can have the same effect and give your baby more encouragement.

Lightning

Your baby still has some more growing to do at week 33.

But now your baby has settled into a heads-down position they are ready to drop.

How far your baby's head has moved down into the pelvis is measured in stations.

Each station is defined by a positive or a negative number and is an indication of your baby’s position.

Typically, your doctor or midwife will use a scale of eleven positions.

The difference between numbers is equivalent to centimetres.

-3 signals the start of lightning and then follows a drop of 3cm.

As your baby gains weight and drops lower into your pelvis the added pressure can lead to a soreness around the perineum.

Sitting on your BABYGO® birthing ball is a real comforting way to counter the pressure, whilst leaning on your ball can relieve downward pressure completely.

Help your baby to drop, use your BABYGO® birthing ball for gentle bouncing and rocking of your hips, this can help open your pelvis and move your baby down with the help of gravity.

Once your baby is at 0, they are fully engaged into the pelvis and have fully dropped.

If your baby has not dropped yet do not worry. For some your baby will not drop until labour begins.

This is completely normal too. It just means you might be in for a longer labour.

7 Signs Your Baby Has Dropped

• Your belly hangs lower
• You can eat more in one sitting
• You can breathe a little easier
• You experience less heartburn
• More trips to the toilet
• Braxton Hicks contractions
• Increased pelvic pressure

Term Time

Congratulations, once you have hit 37 weeks, you have hit term time. The arrival of your baby is just around the corner.

Only around 5% of babies are born on their due date. Remember your due date is only a guide.

The best date is when your baby is ready.

This means, if your pregnancy has been a healthy one to date, waiting until at least 39 weeks, and waiting for labour to begin on its own has extra benefits.

This is because your baby’s brain, lungs and liver go through a crucial period of growth between 37 weeks and 39 weeks.

Giving birth at 39 weeks though to 40 weeks and 6 days is the sweet spot, now classed as full term.

This gives your baby the best possible chance for a healthy start in life.

Land Of Confusion

What to eat. What to drink. Nutrition can be confusing.

It can be doubly confusing when you are pregnant. It is obvious. A good nutritious diet will keep you healthy and help your baby to grow and develop.

But how can such a certain statement create such uncertainty?

Unpredictability

We are often fed the idealistic scenario. (Excuse the pun, terrible we know!)

You will have morning sickness and nausea in your first trimester, experience a little loss of appetite and then BOOM!

You are in your second trimester and your cravings pick back up. You turn into some super eating Pac-Woman, eating everything in sight to get those much-needed nutrients to feed your ever-growing baby.

But mum, we are not going to sugar-coat it. (That pun was not intended!)

For some, your appetite is going to be up and down.

It is going to be erratic. You will have easy days. You will have difficult days.

The sooner you come to terms with this, and the sooner you embrace the uncertainty, the better prepared, more relaxed, and stronger you will become.

There is one thing that is certain.

You are stronger than what you think.

Three Little Birds

As Bob Marley sang in Three little Birds.

Mum...

"Don't worry about a thing
'Cause every little thing gonna be alright"

The BABYGO® Approach. The W Pyramid

The BABYGO W Pyramid is designed to tackle our nutritional fears and misconceptions head on.

It gives us a clear point of focus, amongst all the confusion, by simply reminding us to think of the 3 W’s.

Why do we eat? What do we eat? When do we eat?

For some, a lack of appetite will have developed into an unwanted habit, leaving you feeling anxious of what to do next.

For others, you too might be able to adopt something new.

The good thing about habits is that they are there to be challenged.

Negative habits can become positive habits. Just as, good habits can become even better habits.

The First Rule Of The W Pyramid

Why do we eat?

It is time to refresh and reset your mind.

Food = Nutrients Nutrients = Fuel

It is simple. Nutrients are the fuel that power your engine.

And just like your car, your body needs fuel to run properly.

Yet it is simple for your car; it runs on just one fuel. Your body runs on 7 types of fuel.

And what is more, you need to keep all 7 topped up to feel at your best.

The Second Rule Of The W Pyramid

What do we eat?

It is time to visualise your fuel tank.

What we eat and drink during pregnancy is your baby's main source of nourishment. This means we now must adjust how we fill it.

Your bodies fuel tank.

Your fuel tank is made up of two groups. Macro (nutrients) and micro (nutrients).

Eating a well-rounded diet with the right mix of nutrients is important for a healthy pregnancy.

A Game of Pac-Man

Throughout your pregnancy you baby will take nourishment from each of your 7 fuel tanks.

At no point will they stop pinching the good stuff away from you.

Imagine the inside of your body as the first level in a game of Pac-man. Starring in the role as Pac-man. Your baby (hooray!).

Pac-man does not know how to stop eating until completely full.

The same applies for your baby too.

To ensure you are eating the right things for your own health and your baby’s too, it is important to understand:

Number 1

If you do not top up your fuel tanks enough, your baby does not know when to stop and will not leave enough left over for you.

And this can affect your energy levels and mood.

Number 2

Your baby’s brain is yet to develop the skill to distinguish the good stuff from the bad stuff.

Put too much of the bad stuff in your body and they will pinch these nutrients too. This can be bad for their development.

Energy Macro (Nutrients)

Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats provide us with 100% of our energy and make up the bulk of our diet.

Now you are eating for two, getting the balance right during pregnancy can be confusing.

But it is simple. The ratios stay the same as they were before pregnancy.

Energy is measured in calories, and as such 75% of your energy should come from:

The remaining 25% is flexible and allows you the freedom to top up each energy macro as you wish, dependant on your goals.

Be smart and do not waste your flexible 25% now you are pregnant. Remember, your baby eats what you eat, and each energy macro has other specific benefits for your baby’s development too.

Counting The Calories

During the first trimester your daily calorie intake should be the same as it was before pregnancy.

This is based on your BMI, age, and daily exercise.

Your calorie count should slightly increase in the second and third trimesters to support your baby’s growth and development.

Try to get these additional calories from nutrient-dense foods.

Nutrient-dense foods are foods relatively low in calories, but high in vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats.

*The amount of healthy weight gain in pregnancy varies. The below is guidelines only.

Remember this.

1. Your weekly calorie ratio is flexible, there is 25% left over to adjust to your pregnancy needs.
2. Water, fibre, vitamins, and minerals do not contain calories.

Service Macro (Nutrients)

Think of water as your courier service.

Water collects and absorbs essential vitamins and minerals. It then delivers these out to your baby.

Drink the recommended amount and expect a same day delivery, drink anything less and expect a slower service.

Just as water acts as a courier service for your baby, it provides the same service for you too.

Staying well hydrated will help you to feel more relaxed, promote a positive mind, and keep troublesome discomforts at bay.

Fibre is essential for your own health and maintenance.

When paired with good hydration, fibre does the plumbing work to keep your digestive tract moving along smoothly.

Fibre can help you to feel fuller for longer and can help you to feel less bloated, gassy, and constipated.

Micro (Nutrients)

Now, these little fellas pack a mighty punch.

Vitamins and minerals might be needed in smaller amounts than the five macronutrients, but they are vital for your baby’s development.

No wonder your baby is so keen to snap them up when they are in supply.

Vitamins and minerals make up such a small share of our diet it can be difficult to detect if we are getting the right amount in our diet.

Especially when we have to raise these levels in pregnancy.

Deficiencies can be common until you adjust, and some supplements can help. It is important to speak to your health carer about your intake, as they can advise best on your individual circumstances.

To help you out we have marked in green those vitamins you might want to pay special attention to.

To help you out we have marked in orange those minerals you might want to pay special attention to.

Macro and Micro in Collaboration

Micronutrients not only do their own thing; they are needed to fine tune the macronutrients you load up on too.

When macronutrients provide you with your energy, several B vitamins do the work to help release this energy.

Similarly, some vitamins rely on other minerals, and vice versa to get the best out of each other.

For instance Vitamin K helps absorb calcium.

You might be fuelling on the right amount of calcium, but a deficiency in Vitamin K might mean you are not getting the optimum benefits.

The Nutrition CAVE

We realise it is not always easy to eat or drink the right things, especially when you do not have much of an appetite.

To help balance your foods and to keep your seven nutrient levels topped up think of the Nutrition CAVE.

Creative ideas, rather than familiarity, are more likely to trigger your appetite.

This makes it easier for you to get a healthier and larger variety of nutrients to your baby. Whilst nutrients in greater amounts will help to boost your energy.

What is more, more energy can help you to reach out and grab more of those important 20 coins.

Challenge your nutritional habits.

You do not have to look too far or spend too long looking for inspiration.

How does 20 minutes sound?

Online recipes, magazines, dedicated pregnancy recipe books.

You will be amazed at the variety of tasty meal and snack ideas, with just the nutrients you need.

Pancakes, tacos, wraps, oats, smoothies and much more.

The Third Rule Of The W Pyramid

When do we eat?

A predictable food routine is an easy trap to fall into.

Familiarity and timing have a huge influence on appetite loss when you are pregnant.

It is time to challenge when you eat.

Eat Less More Often

Whether your decreased appetite is a result of sickness, heartburn, or just a predictable food routine - portion control is key.

Try six small meals instead of three large meals. Eating less more often will help your tummy to feel more settled and minimise the discomfort of having a full stomach.

Remember the rules of the BABYGO Nutrition Box®. It can really help inspire small meal ideas.

Try Not to Let Yourself Go Hungry

There are some days, no matter how well you have prepared, you just cannot escape that feeling of sickness.

Your baby will pinch the extra nutrients from you, leaving you weaker.

Your bodies fuel tank.

Healthy snacking can help to stabilise your blood sugar levels, build your strength and give your appetite a real boost.

While your baby will benefit from a steady supply of nutrients too.

A Late Night Snack

Making time for a late night snack can be invaluable.

Stabilising your blood sugar levels before bed can help you to sleep better and re-energise your body.

A re-energised body minimises that dreaded morning sickness.

Exercise

One of the best natural ways to increase your appetite is to keep active.

Just like it is a good habit to refuel every couple of hours, make it a good habit to jump on your BABYGO® birthing ball every couple of hours too.

When you exercise, your body needs to replace the calories it burned and this is most likely going to trigger your hunger hormones.

Exercise is also a great wat to increase your calorie count in the third trimester.

It can trigger hunger hormones later in the day, making you want to eat more than usual and it easier for you to get those additional calories needed.

Birth Plan Essential

That is right, you can pack it in your bag.

If there is one birth plan essential you want to remember, it is your BABYGO® birthing ball.

Why?

It is natural that when we think about giving birth that we automatically think about pain and how we can avoid it.

Fast Acting Pain Relief

Breathing and relaxation techniques with your BABYGO® birthing ball can help to ease your anxiety fears, help you to feel comfortable and help you forget about the pain.

It might be hard to imagine labour as a time to relax when it feels like you don’t have time for it. You might think -

How can I relax when I am in labour!?

But by staying calm, comfortable, and confident you can promote your body’s production of natural pain-relieving hormones.

Oxytocin

Oxytocin reduces stress, brings a feeling of calm and it also helps with pain during labour.

It hangs around after birth too.

It helps you to feel more relaxed, nourished and bonded with your baby.

Beta-endorphins

One of the many benefits of endorphins, are the fact that they act as a natural painkiller. 200 times stronger than morphine.

The importance of balancing your hormones is perfectly illustrated by this hormone.

Keeping calm during labour will release beta-endorphins and reduce your reception of pain. However, if you allow your stress levels to get on top of you, your body will release too many beta-endorphins, and this can become counterproductive, prolonging labour.

Adrenaline

Adrenaline is the fight or flight hormone.

By fight, we are preparing ourselves to forcibly resist something.

Flight is our natural response to run away from something.

If you feel scared during labour it is likely that you will produce high levels of adrenaline. This can slow labour or stop it altogether. Your sense of panic will increase the pain.

This is why at BABYGO®, we recommend you think about the comforting measures that you can take to help you to stay calm and relaxed.

Have trust and confidence in your body and your capabilities, after all, it is true that a calm mind brings inner strength.

Hypnobirthing

Hypnobirthing is growing in popularity and is a technique that helps to minimise the feeling of fear and tension.

The result – a shorter and more comfortable birth for mum and baby.

Hypnobirthing is not something new. In fact, it was first taught in 1989 in the United States by Marie Mongan.

It was British obstetrician Grantly Dick-Reid who first described what has now become known as the Fear-Tension-Pain cycle.

He suggested fear causes a pregnant woman to become tense, and that tension increases pain. Increased pain increases more fear and then the cycle repeats.

Two Different Approaches

It’s a trend that is growing popular with celebrities too. Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie and Jessica Alba have both used hypnobirthing techniques.

Whilst British celebrities Fearne Cotton and the wife of England football star Harry Kane gave birth using hypnobirthing techniques.

The Techniques

Hypnobirthing is growing in popularity and is a technique that helps to minimise the feeling of fear and tension.

The result – a shorter and more comfortable birth for mum and baby.

Hypnobirthing is not something new. In fact, it was first taught in 1989 in the United States by Marie Mongan.

It was British obstetrician Grantly Dick-Reid who first described what has now become known as the Fear-Tension-Pain cycle.

He suggested fear causes a pregnant woman to become tense, and that tension increases pain. Increased pain increases more fear and then the cycle repeats.

The 6 simple techniques:

• Relaxation
• Deep breathing
• Visualisation
• Mindfulness
• Pregnancy and birth affirmations
• Self-hypnosis

When and Where Can I Start

We recommend that you begin learning Hypnobirthing techniques towards the end of your second trimester and the start of your third trimester.

There are lots of ways to learn whether it be a class in your local area or by listening to CDs and podcasts too.

And of course, many of our pregnant ladies have found using the BABYGO® birthing ball with hypnobirthing techniques has allowed them to deeply relax and focus.

Did You Know...

Although not yet scientifically proven, it is said that babies born using hypnobirthing techniques are likely to be calmer, more settled and likely to be better feeders and sleepers.

Inspirational Quotes to help you to prepare and relax

Try to relax and remember these inspirational quotes, they can be a god send in your time of need!

"A calm mind brings inner strength and self-confidence, so that's very important for good health." Dalai Lama.

"Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is to relax." Mark Black.

"Give your stress wings and let it fly away." Terri Guillemets.

"Your calm mind is the ultimate weapon against your challenges. So relax." Bryant McGill.

"For fast-acting relief, try slowing down." Lily Tomlin.

In Labour

"She who is best prepared can serve her moment of inspiration." Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Just like breathing techniques, we recommend that you start to think about labour positions with your birthing ball towards the end of your second trimester, and at the start of your third trimester.

Preparing early and practicing labour positions is a sure way to help keep you relaxed, reduce your fear of pain and boost your self-confidence.

When you hit labour head on, you will be ready. Armed with numerous comfortable positions for you and your baby!

As well as winning the battle of the mind games, if you have followed our exercise plan, set out earlier in this book, you are sure to have the extra endurance and pushing power for a faster and easier birth without the need for assistance.

Labour Positions

There is no right or wrong way how you decide to give birth. It is you own personal choice.

Listen to your body, experiment with different movements and do what is most helpful for you.

The comfortable and bouncy surface of the BABYGO® birthing ball can help:

• Lower stress and anxiety levels.
• Take your mind off the pain you may experience from your contractions.
• Act as a counter-pressure to your perineum and thighs.
• Loosen up your pelvic and lower back muscles to aid in a smoother delivery.
• Position your baby properly in the foetus minimising the chancing of a breech baby birth.
• Increase blood flow to the uterus and placenta - as well as your baby.

Sitting

Watch Video

Sitting on your BABYGO® birthing ball can give soft and comforting support to the perineum.

Keeping your balance should be easy.

Maintain an upright posture and keep your feet shoulder-width apart.

Bouncing

Watch Video

Gentle bouncing is a great way to cope with pain in between contractions.

It is a good way to balance your hormones.

Practice and see how easily you can let go of the stress and find yourself more relaxed when you are focused on bouncing.

Rocking

Watch Video

Sit on your BABYGO® birthing ball and gently rock backwards and forwards, and from side to side.

This will help to move and align your pelvis into a more comfortable position, easing the discomfort between contractions.

These simple movements to align your pelvis can lead to a speedier birth for your baby.

Leaning Against The Ball

Watch Video

When exhaustion begins to kick in, leaning on your BABYGO® birthing ball can feel like a life saver.

This position is also a triple win.

You get the comfort of leaning forward, as well as the comfort of standing up and your birth partner can massage your back.

Place your ball on a bed, and as you tip your belly forward feel the pressure taken away from your lower back and gravity guide your baby deeper into the pelvis.

Leaning Against The Ball, On All Fours

Watch Video

This position gives you a little extra stability than leaning against your ball on a bed or high surface.

You still get all the benefits too.

Simply wrap your arms around your BABYGO® birthing ball and give it a giant hug.

Although this position might be a little discomforting on your knees, you can always put down a pillow or cushion for extra comfort.

The BABYGO® Approach. The REB Triangle

The Babygo® approach to a happy postpartum is simple.

Mum’s you got to REB!

Why?

The BABYGO® approach to a happy postpartum is simple.

Mum’s you got to REB!

Each side of the BABYGO® REB triangle shares equal importance.

The triangle allows you to focus on what matters.

Dividing your time between your own needs, your baby’s needs and your collective needs.

It’s Flexible Too

You can fully focus on one side of the BABYGO® REB triangle at one given time, or you can connect sides of the triangle together.

You might want to take some individual time to relax or exercise whilst your partner or parents’ bond with your baby.

Each side of the BABYGO® REB triangle shares equal importance.

The triangle allows you to focus on what matters.

Dividing your time between your own needs, your baby’s needs and your collective needs.

Connecting The Sides

You might want to connect two sides of the triangle and take your baby for a walk in the pram.

You can even connect all three sides. Relax, exercise and bond with some baby yoga.

The importance of this approach is to make you realise that by dedicating some time to each and clearing your mind of anything else, a simple focus on the 3 sides of the BABYGO® REB triangle can help to balance your hormones, boost your confidence and propel you and your baby to an even happier place!

Relax

Whether it is your first baby, or your second, it is easy to become overwhelmed by the demands.

Rule number 1 of the BABYGO® REB triangle...

Relax.

It’s okay to say no to people and to pass on plans and visits. Your family and friends will still be there no matter what.

Do what feels right for you. It’s healthy to see people, of course. But don’t overdo it. Take a few weeks to settle into your new life.

Now you have settled into your new lifestyle, make planning some "me time" a priority.

You will be surprised at how natural it becomes. It will become a habit. A very good habit.

You might think planning some "me time" is impossible. I haven’t got the time.

Wrong. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people for help. Your partner, family, friends.

When we relax, the flow of blood increases around our body giving us more energy.

We have a calmer and clearer mind. We think and feel positive. Our concentration, memory and decision making improves.

Tension and stress, vanish.

All good for the relationships with those who matter the most to us!

10 Ways to Replenish and Re-fuel

Bond

The rewards are the same for us all. Some of us just take a little longer to get there.

Rule number 2 of the BABYGO® REB triangle...

Bond.

Some of us feel unconditional love and attachment the moment our baby is born, others might take weeks or even months.

Whenever it happens, the important thing to remember is, it will happen.

Try not to feel anxious or guilty. Keep calm and relaxed.

There is no shortcut. So, don't put yourself under pressure to create one.

Small steps, in short bursts, are the winner.

Imagine a race around a 400-meter running track.

As the whole point of this analogy is to make you realise that the bonding process is not a race, let's call it the 400-meter bonding event!

The 400-meter bonding event.

The bonding event includes 8 mums who gave birth on the same day.

Mum in lane 8 begins the bonding event ahead of mum in lane 7.

Mum in lane 7 begins ahead of mum in lane 6, and so on.

In fact, mum in lane 8 starts the bonding event some 50-meters ahead of mum in lane 1, for no reason whatsoever, other than the luck of the drawer.

The event begins.

When all mum's approach the 400-meter line in the bonding event they are all level.

Why?

All mum's in the bonding event did the same things. In fact, there was nothing any of them could have done any better.

Eventually those mum's who were a little behind caught up. And those mums who began in front gained no further advantage from starting ahead.

Mum in lane 1 didn't put herself under any extra pressure, even though she began 50-meters behind mum in lane 8. She knew that by doing the same as everybody else, she would catch the rest up.

All mums were feeling the same unconditional love and attachment by the end!

10 Ways to Bond with your Baby

Exercise

The one that is often forgotten.

Rule number 3 of the BABYGO® REB triangle...

Exercise.

There are many wonderful, yet essential benefits adding a little exercise into your daily routine can have.

Luckily, here at BABYGO® we don't believe in abandoning our mum's after pregnancy, 'to simply get on with it' and 'figure it out themselves'.

Whether your individual goals are to:

• Stay healthy
• Feel more energetic
• Feel less stress
• Get a better night’s sleep
• Repair and recover after childbirth
• Strengthen and tone abdominal muscle
• Lose Weight

We are here to support you, and to help you feel good about yourself once again!

If you have had a healthy pregnancy and a normal vaginal delivery with no complications.

Then good news.

You should be able to start exercising a few days after giving birth.

If you had a caesarean birth or experienced other complications, however.

You might have to wait a little while.

The good news is. You should only have to wait a few weeks.

In both cases, please we ask, get the permission of your midwife, health visitor or GP first before you start.

Plan your day using the BABYGO REB Triangle

Plan your day using the BABYGO REB Triangle focusing on the 3 sides that matter.

REB Triangle Planner

The First 6 Weeks

Before all else, you want to focus on recovering the areas that demanded the most of you during your pregnancy.

It makes sense, right?

You’ve got to nurture your pelvic floor and deep abdominal muscles.

Almost all pregnant mums suffer from a gap between the left and right abdominal wall muscles during pregnancy (diastasis recti).

Whilst your pelvic floor muscles are weakened during labour.

Remember the relief your BABYGO® birthing ball gave to your perineum during pregnancy?

And the pressure it took off your lower back?

Well don’t toss your BABYGO ball to one side just yet! You are going to need that comfort just as much now.

If you are experiencing swelling, dedicate some time to the warm-up and circulation plan at the front of this book.

Light exercise will improve blood flow.

Remember the rules of the BABYGO® REB triangle. Focusing on what matters includes focusing on you too.

Breathing Technique

Before jumping straight in, practice your breathing technique.

Squeezing your stomach without exhaling can cause an increase of pressure on your abdomen.

Inhaling

Exhaling

Exhale out through your mouth as if you were blowing out a candle.

Kegel Quick Flicks

Strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Regain control of your bladder.

See exercise

Kegel Long Hold

Strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Regain control of your bladder.

See exercise

Deep Abdominal Muscles (TVA) Basics

Watch Video

1. Resume seated ball position.
2. Place your hands on your stomach and breathe normally.
3. Keep your spine in a neutral position, shoulders back and with good posture.
4. Squeeze your core and draw your belly button in and up toward your spine.
5. Simultaneously and controlled exhale out.
6. Hold muscles for 3 seconds. Build up over time to 10 seconds.
7. You should feel your belly flatten toward the spine as you exhale.
8. Relax as you inhale. Repeat in a slow controlled rhythm. Perform seated or standing.
9. Build up repetitions overtime.

Double Arm Reach

Watch Video

1. Resume seated ball position.
2. Sit nice and tall and relax your shoulders back.
3. Engage your deep abdominal muscles.
4. Lift up onto your heals, at the same time, roll slightly backwards on your ball.
5. Reach your arms forwards and out, palms facing inwards.
6. Be sure your abdominal muscles (TVA) is still engaged.
7. Bring your arms back in and touch your tummy.
8. Repeat.
9. Do what is comfortable and build up your repetitions over time.

Trunk Rotation

Watch Video

1. Resume seated ball position.
2. Sit nice and tall and relax your shoulders back.
3. Engage your deep abdominal muscles.
4. Lift up onto your heals, at the same time, roll slightly backwards on your ball.
5. Keeping your left hand on your belly, gently rotate from your left hip.
6. Simultaneously reach your right arm out and around as you rotate to the left.
7. Keep your arm slightly bent at the elbow and fingers open.
8. Be sure your abdominal muscles (TVA) is still engaged.
9. As come back to the middle, rest your right hand on your belly.
10. Switch sides. Repeat.
11. Do what is comfortable and build up your repetitions over time.

Post 6 Weeks

Continue what you started. And be gentle and patient with yourself.

You don’t want to stop now. You want to feel comfortable, confident and have a good aura of control.

For most, this will be another 6 weeks, building on the progress you have already made.

For most, this will be another 6 weeks, building on the progress you have already made.

Slowly begin to introduce relaxation techniques.

These techniques will help to balance your hormone levels, improve your quality of sleep and boost your energy levels.

A refreshed mum is a happy mum!

Eat. Sleep. Rave. Tummy. Repeat.

Don’t be silly, you can forget about the raving.

We’re talking about your baby's schedule here. And besides, you are a parent now.

In the early 90’s doctors made an important discovery.

A front-sleeping baby, was at a higher risk of SIDS, compared with a back-sleeping baby.

So, it became, as it is today, a prerequisite for your baby to sleep on their back for at least the first 6 months.

The results since have been astonishing. To this day cases of SIDS have dropped by a whopping 50%.

But with this success.

There came a new challenge.

Overcoming Obstacles

Babies are now losing up to 15 hours of daily tummy time from sleeping on their backs.

An essential part of their motor and sensory development lost in the first year.

This has led to a big rise in babies taking longer to develop these skills.

But pause a moment and ask yourself this.

Does it have to be this way?

The answer is simple. No, it doesn’t.

So how do I overcome this obstacle?

Make It A Daytime Thing

Make tummy time a daytime thing and include it in your REB triangle.

Place your baby on their stomach whilst they are awake.

Begin as soon as your baby comes home from hospital and initially aim for a few minutes, several times per day.

By the time your baby is 3 months of age, you want to be aiming for 1 hour per day.

A Habit You Will Grow to Love

Make tummy time a daytime thing and include it in your REB triangle.

Place your baby on their stomach whilst they are awake.

Begin as soon as your baby comes home from hospital and initially aim for a few minutes, several times per day.

By the time your baby is 3 months of age, you want to be aiming for 1 hour per day.

Hitting That Sweet Spot

Ideally you want to encourage tummy time after your baby wakes up from a nap.

And not immediately after they have been fed.

You want to hit that sweet spot and catch them at their happiest!

Remember. Eat. Sleep. Tummy. Repeat.

Watching Your Baby Blossom

Okay, I get that I should do some tummy time with my baby, but why is it important again?

It is essential if your baby is to avoid delayed motor and sensory development.

Motor development helps coordination of your baby's trunk, arms, legs and hands.

Sensory development helps your baby to recognise and associate the environment around them through sight, sounds, smell, taste and hearing.

Eventually all these elements come together helping your baby to roll, sit, crawl, stand and walk.

Breaking Down The Barriers

To begin with you want to break that ice. Gradually encourage your baby into tummy time.

Tummy to tummy, Tummy down carry, and lap soothe positions can all help your baby to become more comfortable on the floor.

But sometimes this just doesn’t seem to work.

Making it Fun

Your BABYGO® birthing ball can make tummy time easier, more fun and help to encourage your baby to break down boundaries on the floor!

Baby yoga classes are a popular option too. They have some additional benefits and are a great addition to your REB triangle.

And what’s more, it ticks all three sides of the REB triangle in one swoop!

Make sure your baby’s head is evenly turned to both the left and right sides during all activities on your BABYGO birthing ball.

BABYGO® BB Tummy Time Incline.

The best place to start.

Make sure you have a good grip of your baby and gently place them tummy-down on top of your BABYGO® birthing ball.

Angle your baby at a slight incline.

This position is more comfortable for a baby who is just beginning tummy time.

To your baby, it feels like being held up against your shoulder.

BABYGO® BB Tummy Time Straight Line.

When your baby becomes more familiar with being on their tummy from an incline position, introduce a straight line.

This is a more challenging position for them.

Again make sure you keep a good grip on your baby.

BABYGO® BB Tummy Time Back and Forward Roll (Behind)

Is your baby comfortable with the straight line position?

If so, you can begin to slowly roll them backwards and forwards on your BABYGO® birthing ball.

Position yourself behind your baby.

Make sure you maintain a good grip and keep a check that your baby is comfortable with the speed you are moving at.

BABYGO® BB Tummy Time Back and Forward Roll (Front On)

Once you baby becomes stronger, try the back and forward roll in front of your ball.

This position is a great way to bond and to make things even more interactive and fun.

Make eye contact, pull funny faces, stick out your tongue, sing away!

BABYGO® BB Tummy Time Side to Side Roll

Changing up direction provides a new sensation to your baby's vestibular system.

The vestibular system is responsible for sensing movement and developing balance.

This simple shift in movement will give your baby a sense of where they are.

They will need to think how they can resist against the ball's surface and maintain their balance as they are gently rocked from side to side.

The Lowdown on Baby Yoga

Wandering what baby yoga is?

Here's your lowdown. First things first. There is no requirement to be a yoga guru. We can all do it!

Unlike traditional yoga, baby yoga is a little different. Classes are designed for babies around six to eight weeks, up until they turn one years old.

Poses and movements are super targeted and are extremely fun for both mum and baby.

10 Reasons Why We Love Baby Yoga

Tummy Timeline

Track your baby’s progress and look out for these milestones along the way.