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FAMILIES SOUTH EAST June 2004
Bump to Baby Health by Tanya Shoop. Pregnancy, Labour and Newly Delivered
Mothers
The Alexander Technique is a very helpful skill to learn for mothers-to-be and parents. During pregnancy, your centre of balance shifts enormously.
The tendency is to lean back from the waist to ease any discomfort and to compensate for the extra weight, but this puts a lot of strain on the back and can cause a great deal of pain. An Alexander Technique teacher shows a pregnant woman how to create more space in the torso, taking pressure off the spine and internal organs. It is a very practical way of learning. We explore day to day movements such as bending, standing, sitting and walking which can get trickier as movement becomes more restricted with the growth of the baby. The sooner a pregnant woman begins lessons in the Alexander Technique, the better, as it takes time to stop ingrained habits of tension. A teacher will also help you prepare for labour, exploring dynamic postures, breathing techniques and ways of responding to pain. Once the baby is born, this new found awareness is helpful both for mother and baby. Tensions and poor posture can set in from a very early age as children mimic adults and so it is important to set as good an example as possible for them as well as being able to continue to look after oneself.