Jill Hoefs - Your Best Pregnancy: The Ultimate Guide to Easing the Aches, Pains, and Uncomfortable Side Effects During Each Stage of Your Pregnancy

Jill Hoefs, MPT

Denise Jagroo, DPT, MTC, WCS

Visit our website at www.demoshealth.com

ISBN: 978-1-936303-61-8

e-book ISBN: 978-1-61705-203-3

Acquisitions Editor: Julia Pastore

Compositor: diacriTech

2014 by Jill Hoefs and Denise Jagroo. All rights reserved. This book is protected by copyright. No part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Medical information provided by Demos Health, in the absence of a visit with a health care professional, must be considered as an educational service only. This book is not designed to replace a physicians independent judgment about the appropriateness or risks of a procedure or therapy for a given patient. Our purpose is to provide you with information that will help you make your own health care decisions.

The information and opinions provided here are believed to be accurate and sound, based on the best judgment available to the authors, editors, and publisher, but readers who fail to consult appropriate health authorities assume the risk of injuries. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions. The editors and publisher welcome any reader to report to the publisher any discrepancies or inaccuracies noticed.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hoefs, Jill.

Your best pregnancy : the ultimate guide to easing the aches, pains, and uncomfortable side effects during each stage of your pregnancy / Jill Hoefs, MPT, and Denise Jagroo, DPT, MTC, WCS.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-936303-61-8ISBN 978-1-61705-203-3 (e-Book)

1. PregnancyPopular works. 2. Exercise for pregnant women. I. Jagroo, Denise. II. Title.

RG525.H64 2014

618.2dc23

2014027371

Printed in the United States of America by McNaughton & Gunn.

14 15 16 17 18 / 5 4 3 2 1

To my three favorite people in the world: Mike, Aiden, and Zoe.
Jill Hoefs

To my family, for their love and support always.
Denise Jagroo

W e met in 2008 at a womens health continuing education class in Minneapolis. Upon realizing we were both physical therapists from Manhattan, we exchanged contact information and stayed connected. We frequently discussed our pregnant and postpartum patients. Some ladies couldnt sit while pregnant because of excruciating tailbone pain. Others couldnt be intimate because of painful scarring after their episiotomies. Many had low back pain that began while they were pregnant and never subsided. Some women were confined to bed and begged for exercises to maintain their strength for motherhood. Foot pain, rib pain, nonstop peeing, C-section complications. The list went on and on. Weve seen it all. Our postpartum patients would tell us about their difficult pregnancies and how many problems they encountered. They were told their symptoms were due to physiologic changes from their elevated pregnancy hormones. There wasnt anything they could do and their symptoms should resolve after their babies were born. They did not know that physical therapy was an option. Well it is! So for all our pregnant women struggling out there, you dont have to suffer. This book is for you. We understand everyone doesnt have access to a womens health physical therapist, so we brainstormed about how we could reach out to all women with problematic pregnancies. Our book idea was conceived in a Manhattan bar one evening in 2009 and there was no turning back. Over the next five years, we polled our pregnant and postpartum patients to determine their biggest complaints. And the list sure was long. We researched everything, spoke to countless experts, and then elaborated on their symptoms, treatments, and outcomes. Their stories are presented throughout the book to help you.

So please know, if you cant find a comfortable position, everything hurts, and youre waddling around town, youre not alone with your pregnancy complaints. That is why we wrote this book. We want to help you and have designed easy-to-follow exercises with clear instructions and photographs. To do the suggested exercises for different conditions, you will need a few supplies.

Resistance bands are a great strengthening tool, as you can easily increase or decrease the amount of resistance needed. Thicker bands offer more resistance and thinner bands offer less. They are color coded to distinguish the different levels of difficulty. Bands can be doubled up or used with more laxity to adjust the intensity. You can purchase them online or in a sporting goods store. (They are sold without latex if you have an allergy.) You can use light hand weights or household items such as small water bottles or larger plastic beverage containers. The resistance bands, water bottles, and weights are all interchangeable. Grab whichever is best for you. If you have room in your apartment or home, you may want to purchase an exercise ball. Please check the size chart to get the right ball for your height.

This book is designed to help you have your best pregnancy, even if youre off to a bad start. So read on!