Live Chat with Micky Marie Morrison at 1PM Today

BumpJackie · January 2014

Hi Everyone!

Today, from 1PM-2PM we will have a live chat with Micky Marie Morrison, author of Baby Weight: The Complete Guide to Prenatal and Postpartum Fitness to answer all of your health and fitness questions!

Feel free to comment below with any questions ahead of time. We’ll see you all on tomorrow!

Micky Marie Morrison is a physical therapist, a perinatal fitness educator, and author of Baby Weight: The Complete Guide to Prenatal and Postpartum Fitness. Micky has recorded over 100 videos for the online fitness series featured on BabyWeight.TV and is a regular contributor to The Bump.

www.twitter.com/babyweightbook
www.facebook.com/BabyWeightTV

babyweightbook · January 2014

looking forward to it!!

BumpJackie · January 2014

Hey Everyone! Our live chat begins in 5 minutes! You can start posting any questions you may have for Micky.

babyweightbook · January 2014

I am here and ready to answer all questions!

BumpJackie · January 2014

Hi @babyweightbook! Excited to have you here! Do you have any advice on maintaining a healthy lifestyle while trying to conceive and throughout a pregnancy?

jwal05 · January 2014

What is the best technique for losing that saggy part at my bottom of my tummy! All the newer skin

babyweightbook · January 2014

HI @bumpjackie, thanks for having me! I recommend that all expectant and new moms (and everyone in general) try to fit in at least 20 minutes of exercise a day. The ideal fitness paln involves 20min or more of cardio exercise at least 3 times a week and specific strengtheing / stretching exercises 3 times a week. Cardio can be a brisk walk around the block, a swim, or gym equipment such as the elliptical machine

babyweightbook · January 2014

And of course exercise is only half of the healthy lifestyle equation. Making healthy food choices is important too... you don't have to deprive yourself, jest limit sugar intake and be conscious of your cabs, choose lean proteins, be sure to eat 5 servings of fruits and veggies

babyweightbook · January 2014

@jwal05, how far postpartum are you? this is COMMON question. First, time helps. If you are very soon postpartum, give it a while and exercise the lower abs to firm up the muscles that are most stretched by pregnancy.

BumpJackie · January 2014

Are there certain workouts that could be bad while pregnant?

babyweightbook · January 2014

My favorite exercise for those lower abs that is appropriate for prenatal and pospartum moms is Toe Taps: lying flat on your back with feet off the foor and knees bet to 90 degrees so shins are parallel to floor, press your low back flat and lower one foot toward the flow to tap the toes as you exhale. Keep low back GLUED to floor and lift back to starting position as you inhale. Repeat opposite side

babyweightbook · January 2014

@bumpjackie, yes, any exercise that is "high impact" should be avoided. Joints are more vulnerable due to lax ligaments, and balance is affected so risk of falls is greater. No skiing, horseback riding, high impact classes like zumba or other aerobics that involve jumping, and no running (UNLESS you were a previous runner who has continued to run throughout pregnancy). Also some abdominal exercises should be avoided. It's important to do core exercises that are specific to the prenatal mom to avoid too much strain on the abs, causing a separation of the muscles

BumpJackie · January 2014

Are there any workouts that could help make labor easier?

kyliemcconv · January 2014

Hi Micky! Do you have any tips for new moms who struggle to find time to fit working out into their days? Is there a "good" time to try to fit in a workout?

babyweightbook · January 2014

@bumpjackie Squats are great to open the hips and prepare the body for labor. Just hanging out in the full squat position for up to a few minutes a few times a day is very effective. Also, keeping the abs strong help for the pushing phase, and doing the kegel exercises help you to gain control of the pelvic floor muscles which helps to be able to release those muscles to allow to push and decrease risk of perineal tears.

babyweightbook · January 2014

@bumpjackie- It's tough to find time to exercise, especially for new moms. But if you can make simple adjustments to squeeze in a little exercise here and there, it adds up to make a big difference. For example: dod 3 reps of the stairs in your house a few times a day. Make a game of doing exercises wiht your toddler, squats, abs, some yoga moves. They love it. Exercise wiht your baby.. my CoreMama class on BabyWeight.TV incorporate the baby so you are playing with baby AND exercising. We all make teme to play with baby!

BumpJackie · January 2014

What nutritional advice should a new mom be aware of when nursing?

babyweightbook · January 2014

sorry that was @kyliemcconv!

babyweightbook · January 2014

And @kyliemcconv, nap time is a great time to squeeze in a 20 minute workout and a shower!

BumpJackie · January 2014

@babyweightbook We'd also love to learn more about you. What inspired you to start Baby Weight TV and write your book?

elenam13 · January 2014

I'm breastfeeding. Is there anything I need to worry about with working out? I'm already hungry all the time, so I worry about cardio and burning too many calories to be able to make breast milk. Could that happen?

babyweightbook · January 2014

@bumpjackie, the nursing mom needs about 500 extra calories per day to make milk, which is why it's not a good time to start a strict diet while nursing. However, the nursing mom can use that calorie deficit to her advantage and bost the post-baby weight loss by only replacing some of the extra calories required. Also, the quality of those extra calories is important... make healthy choices. You can have chicken breast, veggies, and whole grain rice for 350 calories, or a jellydoughnut. No need to tell you which is the healthy (and more filling!) choice!

HBirdie · January 2014

Hope I'm not too late to this party!

Will starting a good running routine affect my milk supply at all? I'm 3 months PP and I exclusively breastfeed.

babyweightbook · January 2014

@elenam13, no there are no special concerns, except as I mentioned in the previous comment, making healthy food choices that will help fill you up because increased (voracious!) hunger is common while nursing. Plenty of lean protein is key. But for exercise, anything goes as long as you have doctor approval. A mix of cardio and stregthening that targets the muscles affected most by pregnancy and childbirth is the best approach

kyliemcconv · January 2014

My sister-in-law is 7 months pregnant and has no "symptoms" of pregnancy except back pain at the end of each day. (She's a teacher and spends most of her time standing during the day so when she gets in her car to drive home she says that the pain is less than polite.)

Is there anything she could do to help ease the stress on her back?

babyweightbook · January 2014

@HBirdie- cute baby!!! No, you are just in time!! Running... Should have NO effect on milk supply. If you were a runner before, it's probably ok to start. Beware that your ligaments are lax for up to 20 weeks postpartum. I usually recommend that previous runners wait until 12 weeks (as you are) to start. Start with a slow jog for only a mile max(around 15 min) then walk another 15 minutes. After 2 weeks of this 3 times per week, increase to 1.5 miles for 2 weeks (again followed by walking 15 min). Then to 2 miles after 2 weeks, etc. LISTEN to your body. Back off if your knees hurt!

babyweightbook · January 2014

@kyliemcconv Low back pain is common, especially in the 3rd trimester. The key to prevention and treatment is core muscle strengthening sicne the abs are the stabilizes of the lumbar spine. As long as there is no diastasis recti (separation of rectus abdominus muscles of more than 3 finger-widths) then it's safe to continue core strengthening exercises. But beware that some core exercises are too stressful on the muscles and can cause them to separate. Pregnant ladies should do ONLY core exercises designed for pregnancy to take into account the vulnerable tissues.

BumpJackie · January 2014

Can you tell us a little bit about your workout that we’ll be posting after the chat? How did you pick each exercise?

HBirdie · January 2014

@babyweightbook: Thank you so much! Another question- you said ligaments are lax for up to 20 weeks- could this be why my feet are still a size bigger than they used to be? I can't fit into any of my old shoes anymore. I'm particularly worried about my sneakers- do I go out and spend money on a new pair in my bigger size? Or is there any hope that my feet will go back to normal soon?

babyweightbook · January 2014

And @elenam, as long as you are eating a healthy diet, there is no reason to worry about milk supply with exercise. It's generally only a problem for women who cut calories drastically in an effort to lose weight too soon.

babyweightbook · January 2014

@HBirdie, that is EXACTLY why feet spread during pregnancy. You can try these exercises to help them go back: Towel scrunches: with no shoes and socks, sitting on the edge of a chair, place a towel flat on the floor and foot toward the back of towel. Use your toes to scrunch the towel to draw it back toward you. This is a good exercise to do while nursing, one foot at a time). It helps reshape the arch that once was under your toes.

babyweightbook · January 2014

@HBirdie, if loosening the laces and wearing thinner socks won't work, you may need to go up half a size then wear thicker socks IF your feet go back to normal.

babyweightbook · January 2014

@bumpjackie- the workout I posted for today's fitness challenge is just a simple circuit of a few exercises that brings in a cardio element with full body strengthening. Should I describe more or will it be a spoiler? ;-)

BumpJackie · January 2014

@babyweightbook What are the ok heart rate levels or cardio exercises for each trimester?

BumpJackie · January 2014

@babyweightbook Let's leave it as a spoiler! We'll post your workout immediately after the chat

babyweightbook · January 2014

@bumpjackie Thanks for asking! It's important not to get the heart rate too high during pregnancy. For all trimesters, a good guideline is to sty at or below 70% of max heart rate (220- age). So for a 30 year old, keeping the heart rate at or under 133 is advised.

BumpJackie · January 2014

@babyweightbook we have 10 minutes left for today's chat! What other advice would you like to leave for our members?

babyweightbook · January 2014

@bumpjackie- I'd like to remind all moms and moms-to-be that while my focus is on exercise and maintaining a healthy weight during and after pregnancy, it's not just about the body. While it's true that we all feel better when we are able to wear our favorite jeans, it's important to be patient with your body in this most amazing of times. Focus on health and wellness, make healthy choices and commit to a healthy lifestyle for you and your family. Exercise for health. The beach bod will come in due time.

babyweightbook · January 2014

And as I mentioned before, a little goes a long way. Fit in a few minutes of exercise here and there when you can. Take a couple of short walks, take the stairs, do squats at the kitchen sink while doing dishes...

BumpJackie · January 2014

Thank you so much for joining us today, @babyweightbook!

babyweightbook · January 2014

@bumpjackie MY PLEASURE!!

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