Tuning into the nature’s rhythm is the first step towards natural birth. Once your body is able to feel the nature’s rhythm through a regular sleeping routine, your body will able to feel a natural contraction leading to a natural labor with a smooth flow.
For this, it is very important that you go to bed early and get up early. Going to bed early is also important for the healthy growth of the foetus, as it will help your body to release an ample supply of growth hormone. This will also help to keep your basal temperature high to sustain pregnancy. So once you are pregnant, as well as for those wishing to become pregnant, do start going to bed early and getting up early.
While you are pregnant, keep your body, especially your tummy and the ankles warm. Just by keeping warm, you will be able to keep the minor troubles related to pregnancy (such as morning sickness, tension on the belly during the early and midterm pregnancy, constipation, oedema in the legs, backache etc.) under control.
Here again, to go to bed early and to get up early, is important in keeping your basal temperature high. Then to keep warm from outside, it is important to wear a Haramaki (Japanese underwear designed to be wrapped around the tummy to keep warm) and leg warmers, wear two layers of socks, do a moxibustion and have foot baths etc. . From inside also, it is best to avoid eating cold food and drinks as well as sweets (!) to keep warm.
We do emphasise the importance of walking at every consultation. Through going for a walk, the pelvises undergo a “regular rhythmical exercise”, which corrects their alignment. The head and the pelvises are connected so through a regular exercising of the pelvises, a hormone called serotonin is released from the brain. Serotonin is able to tone up the inner muscles in order to help ease the pain during labor, hence it is very important for a natural birth that you nurture this sense of happiness. Walking is also very important in building up stamina for the labor.
Maternity yoga, and Yuru-exercise are also very effective ways to exercise, as the body is able to release tension. Do come and join our classes and once you get used to them, it would be great to do them at home to make it a healthy habit in your everyday life.
Sugars chill your body (please attend Nutrition Class if you want to find out more!). So, do exclude sugar and milin (sweet alcohol used as a sweetener in Japanese cooking) from your everyday cooking. Not only sugar, we also exclude oil/fat in our cooking.
There are two types of fat, one derives from animals and it is solid at room temperature, hence having a greater burden on your digestive system than the other, which is derived from plants. Animal fat is higher in calories and less nutritious than plant fat (oil) so if you are going to use some, use a good quality plat derived oil.
Meals should have rice and vegetables forming the main part, particularly leafy vegetables. Folic acid, which is very important during pregnancy, is high in such vegetables.
By switching to eating Japanese style meals, it naturally cuts out a lot of sugars and oils. Eating in this way will make sure your baby will get a lot of nutrients and be sure to grow up healthy also.
