greeners

I've pm'd you astrid x

Oh and a quick question about maternity wear. Has anybody found any nice maternity coats? I'd like something warm, long and that I can perhaps wear post-birth over baby while carrying in a sling. I don't know whether to go for the classic woollen coat or something like a hooded parka which will be a bit more waterproof and means I can deal with rain hands-free while pushing a buggy. Jojomamanbebe only have one in stock on LL but have a couple online I like. I'm tempted to order both and then return the one I don't like instore. Their clapham store apparently has a bigger selection but I don't fancy trekking out there! Xx

I'll most probably be at yoga tomorrow morning, Tess. Not sure how I'm getting there yet as I always end up parking in kings and paying ?5 which is a bit steep. Might see if I can find a space near Denmark hill train station. I wear glasses and use a purply green woven blanket over my yoga mat so look out for me! How was the class at goose green Drea? I am thinking of trying that one as it is more convenient but I never seem to have the energy after work. I had a midwife checkup this morning and asked about the whooping cough. I'll have it when I'm 28 weeks (25 now) as I work in a primary school so am prone to picking up all sorts of bugs. However it's made me unsure whether I want to have that and the flu jab too, as it might be a bit of a whack to my immune system. The midwife is going to ask the GP for their advice about having both in quick succession. Everything else at the check up was perfect, which is a relief as I've had a bit of traumatic week between developing a skin rash (now getting better) and cracking a tooth quite badly. I want to avoid having lots of dental work so am hoping the temporary fix will last until after baby is born. Will definitely try to make the next meet up. Xx

Ah, sorry girls, I'm not going to be able to make it! I've come home to a very messy house from decorating dust and I need to sort it out before friends come over tomorrow! Please keep me posted about the next one though.

Thanks, look forward to meeting you!

Hi Tess, sorry I forgot to reply about yoga classes. You need to book in advance and pay online, however you can do this at pretty short notice and I've never not got a place for a class. Look for the Sitaram yoga website or google kings pregnancy physio and on there you can find class times for this area. Then you have to join and login and buy class credits to book the class. You can buy just a one off (?13) or I think a set of 4 or 8 for cheaper to use within a certain expiry, I think some you can even use up to 3 months post birth for mum & baby yoga. There's a class tonight but obv can't go as I'll be at the pub (!) and this week i can't make the Thursday goose green one, or the Sitaram sat or Sunday one either, so I probably won't make it to one this week! Everyone I know who's done pregnancy yoga has sworn by it too! I also like the relaxation part at the end and have been using some breathing exercises when I can't sleep or am stressed. Baby seems to like it when I do the deep breathing and relaxation and starts kicking about! Baby also has gone nuts when I listen to my natal hypnotherapy cd! Xx

Ramble, that's great, do you have physio experience then? Yoga - at home have been continuing: (sorry don't know official names!) - the cat stretch from rounded back to curved - pelvis 'smiles' where you rock pelvis from side to side standing up - on all fours, figure of 8s with whole body - apparently good in labour too - on all fours, lean back onto legs and then stretch onto arms (this one is also on kings exercise sheet) Physio exercises from kings - there are quite a lot, I could bring along the sheet tonight? A couple of them actually are done lying on the back now I've looked properly at the sheet. Some of them seem to do the same as the ones the private physio gave me but are from seated position instead, eg using fitness ball to do pelvis rocks side to side and back to front. She also gave us a sheet for pelvic floor exercises and explained how to do certain movements without straining like lifting, getting in and out of bed/car. I'll try not to rely too much on the belt then. It's hard to predict when I'm going to have a really bad night though so it sort of has to be Pre-emptive or I could get up and use it if I wake up and have pain. I think he suggested it as the last time I saw him after a week back at school I was a bit upset and desperate with the pain and tiredness I'd had going back that week! I think my biggest problem in fact is that I work with 5/6 year olds so it is hard to avoid stooping over them at a table, leaning down from my adult chair to speak to them sitting on floor, or having to sit at a low table when working with a small group. When I'm sitting on the floor with a group I sit astride 3 yoga blocks which is the most comfortable seating position I found from yoga class. I'm considering taking in my fitness ball to sit on in class but it's not really an ideal position from which to make notes and write on a low table!

Tess, just saw your post about the yoga classes at leisure centre - that's a shame as they're cheaper than others I have found, but anyway it would have been hard to get to as they're during the working day. I've been going to the Sitaram pregnancy yoga classes held at kings and brockwell lido, they have several sessions in the week and weekend. I also want to try out a class from one of the old teachers from dulwich therapy rooms as they're held at goose green which is a bit closer for me. Think both those classes are about ?11-13 depending on whether you Pre-buy several class tickets.

Ramble and Tess, my GP referred me for this class so might be worth asking them. Same GP also referred me to the private physio as I have some private healthcare because at the time I wanted to see someone quickly and try to resolve the pain before I started school term again and I knew I would not be going to the group clinic until today. Conflicting info was regarding the exercises, massage and a support belt: 1. My private physio has been massaging the affected area (sacroiliac joint which causes me massive hip pain and stiffness every night and stops me sleeping - at night if i get up to go the loo i actually find it very hard to even sit up, stand and walk). This does provide some temporary relief as the whole area is very stiff - today the kings physio said massage will only serve to soften the muscles when they actually need strengthening through exercises. 2. Private physio originally gave me exercises to do on my back, but which i stopped doing as uncomfortable and switched to some yoga exercises instead. kings physio has said avoid exercises on back. Kings physio has given different exercises which I will start doing now as well as yoga. 3. Private physio has given me a hip support belt to wear for nighttime and when standing/walking a lot (which I do a lot of in my job) and this belt really does stop the pain. However - kings physio said to try to avoid support belt use as it only provides an external scaffold of support to muscles/ligaments when actually what you should be doing is the exercises to strengthen your muscles yourself from the inside, so they are strong enough themselves. So basically I think kings physio approach is to do lots of exercise to build up your strength yourself, whereas private physio is doing more to alleviate the pain mechanically. I think i'll just do a bit of both and try not to become over reliant on the belt. It's hard not to though as it does enable me to have a good night's sleep and when I have to get up early and teach 30 young children all day, I need a good night's sleep! Sometimes by the end of the day I am so stiff I find it hard to walk to my car and then can't start driving straightaway as I have cramps in my toes. I got these while swimming the other day and had to stop. But the best thing I've done so far is yoga as the exercises have helped my posture and back pain and the relaxation element is wonderful.

I was at that class too Lulu! Front row, glasses, yellow top... I'm a bit confused because what they told me conflicts with what a private physio has given me but I'm definitely going to start doing the exercises.

We will try to come too. Any ideas for how to spot each other? Oh duh... I've just realised... Look for a bunch of pregnant ladies!! Xx

Hello, can I join you too? I am due on 9th January and planning to have the baby at Kings. We had our 20week scan last week and all is well! Would love to join you on the 12th but it might be touch and go because of work so I'll update on here if I can't make it. ramble, I've also been having braxton hicks pretty much every day and like you, often linked to needing to pee/emptying bladder. it is especially bad if I get hot/dehydrated, stressed and after long car journeys. I hate them as sometimes I get loads and then I start to panic about whether I'm having too many as they say you should get checked out if you get more than 4 in an hour or if they get painful. I'm starting to realise it's probably just normal for me though as I've been checked by the MAU and scanned a couple of times and all is fine. It's hard to know what it normal in your first pregnancy though! X