New-age Mamas-to-be Focus on Holistic Pregnancy Wellness
Fitness junkie Disha R. Hazari wasn’t about to let her pregnancy get in the way of her greatest passion. After getting clearance from her doctor, she designed specialised pregnancy workouts for herself.
Simultaneously, she consulted a nutritionist for a pre gnancy-safe diet plan for each trimester. Now, a few weeks after having delivered her baby boy, she is on track to regaining her pre-pregnancy figure. “I’m so glad I was active throughout my pregnancy and knew how to work out while keeping the baby and me safe. It’s the best thing you can do to have a normal delivery and fast track your recovery,” she says.
Prenatal fitness is booming, with more and more expectant urban women doing some form of physical exercise, including prenatal yoga, Pilates, and strength training.
Delhi-based Dr. Pooja Gupta, a prenatal and post-natal yoga expert and physiotherapist, has been working in this field for nearly two decades, having begun her journey at Phoenix Hospital, Delhi. Her medical background gave her a good understanding of the human anatomy. Her clients benefit from her knowledge about specific health issues like back pain, swelling in the legs, and how to strengthen the muscles to prepare for labour.
While the importance of prenatal fitness can’t be stressed enough, the field of post-natal fitness has also undergone a sea-change in recent times.
Gone are the days when women waited six to nine months after delivery to begin shedding their extra kilos.
According to Dr. Gupta, one can and should begin certain strengthening exercises as early as a day after the baby’s birth to prevent a deformity in the belly known as diastasis recti.
“These exercises can be done from the bed and are very gentle on the body. They are highly beneficial for your recovery, whether you have a normal delivery or a C-section,” she says. She recommends doing them in conjunction with belly binding, which involves wearing a custom-made belt to hold the stomach muscles in place while they heal.
However, Dr. Gupta points out that there are many so-called yoga experts passing themselves off as pre-natal specialists even though they don’t have the correct knowledge of specific exercises for different stages of pregnancy.
MENTAL WELLBEING IMPORTANT TOO
Staying physically fit is extremely important, but expectant mothers are now waking up to the importance of staying mentally fit too. Many mums-to-be are consulting psychotherapists despite never having a history of mental health issues, so they can stay focused on positive things, be productive and plan for the baby’s arrival.
“Mental health is now taken very seriously, and the demands for support and resources in this area have increased. Expecting mothers today are more vocal about addressing mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and postpartum blues, and they are seeking more comprehensive care and interventions to support their emotional well-being throughout the perinatal period. This increased awareness of mental health challenges has led to a greater focus on mental health professionals, support groups, therapy, and other resources,” shares content creator Prachi Sharma, who is expecting her first child.
Even doctors now prescribe therapy as part of pregnancy wellness programmes. Dr. Vaishali Joshi, obstetrician and gynecologist at Kokilaben Ambani Hospital, Mumbai, s h a r e s , “Pregnancy is a lifetime event, and needs a holis-tic approach.
Hence we recommend mental health sessions, as hormones bring a lot of anxieties. Labour pain relief is discussed and interactions of expectant mothers with new parents help visualise family life with a young one.” Mansi Poddar, a trauma informed psychotherapist, sees a number of clients suffering from prenatal depression fuelled by abuse by inlaws and an emotionally absent husband, as well as women struggling to conceive owing to stress, anxiety or other factors. “Despite the widespread prevalence of prenatal mental health issues, I find it sad that the conversa- tion around them is still severely lacking. There’s more to it than just post-partum depression!” she says. Mansi counsels women to look out for themselves and seek help if needed.
Even in cases where therapy isn’t the first port of call, many women take care of their mental health through simple exercises like journaling, meditation and breathing. Radhika Jindal, blogger and author of The Essence of Motherhood, who has a 5-year-old and is currently expecting her second child, chose to attend workshops on art journaling as well as meditation sessions. She also learnt ‘Nadi Shodhana,’ a pranayama breathing technique that helps to purify the nadis or energy channels in the body.
