Sunday, August 31, 2008
Review: Prenatal Yoga with Shiva Rea
Today, I did Prenatal Yoga with Shiva Rea. Even though, I prefer to do yoga classes in person, this is a good stretching/strengthening prenatal yoga dvd. There is a 50 minute workout which includes, seated poses, standing poses, floor work, Kegels and guided relaxation. There is also a Pregnancy Massage section. Some prenatal yoga dvds and classes are too easy and relaxation focused, but this one gives you a workout as well. It is still gentle, but still good. I had this dvd when I was pregnant with Ian.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Are Baby Swim Lessons Worth it?
Short answer: Yes.
I was a little disappointed with my first experience with infant swim lessons. There are some programs that start at 6 weeks old and involve the baby swimming underwater right away. That is what I was expecting. Unfortunately, most swim classes seem to start at 6 months old and are less about actual swimming and more about getting the baby used to the water and ready to learn how to swim. That said, there was a huge difference in quality between the two classes I took. The first class was like free swim with your baby. There was very little instruction, very little group activities. They had some rubber duckies to throw and let the kids go after them and the teacher would take each child and swim around with them once during the class, but I felt like there should have been more.
With the second class, there was more. We sang songs, chased floating toys, practiced skills together (blowing bubbles, getting face wet, kicking, reaching, floating), and talked about water safety including, teaching the babies to climb out of the pool and wait on the side. The teacher was very active and gave the parents a lot of information. Both classes were only 30 minutes (babies can't take much more than that), but the second class was so much better. Of course, the second class didn't really teach Ian to swim, either, but laid the groundwork for him to learn.
A few things I learned:
1. Be patient. It will seem like your baby isn't getting much out of it, but all of a sudden things will click. Just trust the process.
2. Don't push your baby too hard. It should be fun. Push them gently. If your child is screaming, they will not learn. Your pushing may backfire and they may become afraid of the water. One example: I tried to blow in Ian's face and pull him underwater. That was a suggestion in the first swim class. If you blow in their face, it is supposed to cause them to hold their breath. It just made Ian furious. After doing it once or twice, I realized that I needed to relax about it. So instead, I started to let him slip a bit and get his face wet, but not go under. One day, when he was 9 months old and we were at the outdoor pool at the Marriott in Cairo, on our way out of the country, he was holding on to the side by himself and he let go. I let him go under and then pulled him up and he wanted to do it again. Then we tried letting him sit on the side of the pool and slide himself in. He loved it and did it over and over from that day. When he was ready. Not when I was ready for him to do it.
3. Start early (if you can). Babies at 6 months old are not afraid of the water. They may be cold (try a Warm Belly Wet Suit, if so), but they aren't afraid. If you start early, and keep the baby exposed to water through the time that they are 2-4 years old when they have the physical coordination to actually start to learn to swim, they will have a much easier time.
4. Do not use floatation devices. They discouraged us from using them in the classes, though, some people did. They theory is that floatation devices give a false sense of confidence and don't really teach children how to swim. Children develop dependence on the devices and don't want to give them up. Let me distinguish between water wings and the full floatation vests. With water wings, the child still has to do some work to stay afloat. We may look into using water wings next summer. There is another theory that the floatation devices give children confidence and allow them to focus on developing the skills, so of course, it is up to you. But we've had so many people come up to us at the pool amazed that Ian isn't wearing a floatation device and he goes underwater without holding his nose so I am inclined to believe that no floatation is the way to go. Of course, you have to hold your child in the pool or stand right by the wall when they are holding onto the wall, but it is worth it. I actually think it is better because it forces you to keep better track of your child.
Taking a swim class with your baby is fun and not that expensive. YMCA's and city rec centers offer very affordable classes. If you can take classes continuously, that is great. If you can't, taking one session of a class will be enough to teach you what to do with your baby to keep baby exposed to water and developing skills.
I was a little disappointed with my first experience with infant swim lessons. There are some programs that start at 6 weeks old and involve the baby swimming underwater right away. That is what I was expecting. Unfortunately, most swim classes seem to start at 6 months old and are less about actual swimming and more about getting the baby used to the water and ready to learn how to swim. That said, there was a huge difference in quality between the two classes I took. The first class was like free swim with your baby. There was very little instruction, very little group activities. They had some rubber duckies to throw and let the kids go after them and the teacher would take each child and swim around with them once during the class, but I felt like there should have been more.
With the second class, there was more. We sang songs, chased floating toys, practiced skills together (blowing bubbles, getting face wet, kicking, reaching, floating), and talked about water safety including, teaching the babies to climb out of the pool and wait on the side. The teacher was very active and gave the parents a lot of information. Both classes were only 30 minutes (babies can't take much more than that), but the second class was so much better. Of course, the second class didn't really teach Ian to swim, either, but laid the groundwork for him to learn.
A few things I learned:
1. Be patient. It will seem like your baby isn't getting much out of it, but all of a sudden things will click. Just trust the process.
2. Don't push your baby too hard. It should be fun. Push them gently. If your child is screaming, they will not learn. Your pushing may backfire and they may become afraid of the water. One example: I tried to blow in Ian's face and pull him underwater. That was a suggestion in the first swim class. If you blow in their face, it is supposed to cause them to hold their breath. It just made Ian furious. After doing it once or twice, I realized that I needed to relax about it. So instead, I started to let him slip a bit and get his face wet, but not go under. One day, when he was 9 months old and we were at the outdoor pool at the Marriott in Cairo, on our way out of the country, he was holding on to the side by himself and he let go. I let him go under and then pulled him up and he wanted to do it again. Then we tried letting him sit on the side of the pool and slide himself in. He loved it and did it over and over from that day. When he was ready. Not when I was ready for him to do it.
3. Start early (if you can). Babies at 6 months old are not afraid of the water. They may be cold (try a Warm Belly Wet Suit, if so), but they aren't afraid. If you start early, and keep the baby exposed to water through the time that they are 2-4 years old when they have the physical coordination to actually start to learn to swim, they will have a much easier time.
4. Do not use floatation devices. They discouraged us from using them in the classes, though, some people did. They theory is that floatation devices give a false sense of confidence and don't really teach children how to swim. Children develop dependence on the devices and don't want to give them up. Let me distinguish between water wings and the full floatation vests. With water wings, the child still has to do some work to stay afloat. We may look into using water wings next summer. There is another theory that the floatation devices give children confidence and allow them to focus on developing the skills, so of course, it is up to you. But we've had so many people come up to us at the pool amazed that Ian isn't wearing a floatation device and he goes underwater without holding his nose so I am inclined to believe that no floatation is the way to go. Of course, you have to hold your child in the pool or stand right by the wall when they are holding onto the wall, but it is worth it. I actually think it is better because it forces you to keep better track of your child.
Taking a swim class with your baby is fun and not that expensive. YMCA's and city rec centers offer very affordable classes. If you can take classes continuously, that is great. If you can't, taking one session of a class will be enough to teach you what to do with your baby to keep baby exposed to water and developing skills.
I Try Da Divin' Board, Now
This is the second to last weekend for the outdoor pool and it was a great day. The sun was shining and the water was refreshing but not too cold. We had a great time with Ian who alternated between his favorite activities of going down the slide, jumping off the side of the pool and throwing the ball in the pool. He even experimented on his back in the baby pool during a break from the big pool. We did have a crying incident because the concrete was hot and the metal drain covers were even hotter. He stepped on the metal cover and screamed in pain. He didn't know what to do so he just stood there crying. I was in the pool and said,"Come here! Come here!" So he ran to me and we got his feet cooled down. He needed a break after that and his friend from Gymnastics was there in the baby pool so we hung out for a bit before heading back in.
Every time we go to the pool he says,"I try da divin' board, now." Today, we decided to let him. The first two times I jumped in with him, but the third time he insisted,"I do it myself!" So, I went up with him, but let him jump off by himself. I jumped in right after him and then pushed him up to the surface. The water is 10.5 feet deep so it was quite a workout to swim to the side with him. Curt was in the pool just in case I needed help and there was a life guard watching over the diving board area as well so we were covered. Ian wanted to swim to the side by himself, but he just doesn't swim well enough for that, yet. In the shallower part of the floor, where Curt and I can touch, we hold him on his belly and let him kick his legs to the side. But in the deep water, I had to tow him on his back, which he did not like. It didn't stop him from wanting to go back off the diving board, though. We hope tomorrow is nice as well so we can have another pool day!
Every time we go to the pool he says,"I try da divin' board, now." Today, we decided to let him. The first two times I jumped in with him, but the third time he insisted,"I do it myself!" So, I went up with him, but let him jump off by himself. I jumped in right after him and then pushed him up to the surface. The water is 10.5 feet deep so it was quite a workout to swim to the side with him. Curt was in the pool just in case I needed help and there was a life guard watching over the diving board area as well so we were covered. Ian wanted to swim to the side by himself, but he just doesn't swim well enough for that, yet. In the shallower part of the floor, where Curt and I can touch, we hold him on his belly and let him kick his legs to the side. But in the deep water, I had to tow him on his back, which he did not like. It didn't stop him from wanting to go back off the diving board, though. We hope tomorrow is nice as well so we can have another pool day!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Pilates for Pregnancy with Lynne Robinson
The other prenatal workout video that I borrowed from the library is Pilates for Pregnancy with Lynne Robinson. There is a 40 minute workout targeted for those 16 weeks along and further and a 10 minute postnatal section.
Classical Pilates is a series of very targeted, precise exercises that flow into each other. I took Pilates from a great studio in DC called Excel Movement Studios. They trained in the classical way. If Pilates seems easy, you are probably doing it incorrectly. That said, I found this DVD a little too slow. Lynne Robinson is very good about reminding you to "zip up" your muscles which intensifies the workout, but I wish there were more repetitions and the exercises flowed into each other. I think the reason they don't is so that proper position can be achieved. I would rather do aerobics and toning at home with a dvd and take yoga and pilates in a class.
Reading the reviews of prenatal Pilates dvds on Amazon, it seems that some are really hard and fast and some are very gentle. Assess your own fitness level and Pilates experience to choose the right one for you. If you have the opportunity to borrow from a friend or library before purchasing, do it.
I didn't get my exercise in yesterday. I over did it with running around. I waited too long to eat so I was hungry, but nauseated and I couldn't eat much. I was exhausted, but I couldn't settle down to sleep. As for my other daily goals, the house was picked up when we got home. For eating, I had two kinds of leftovers in the fridge and bought some ready to eat things. Curt left the bag with the ready to eat things in the car and made pasta and some sort of chili. It was only when he was complaining and I listed the other options that we realized the bag was still in the car with meat and frozen things. Luckily, we got it in time.
Classical Pilates is a series of very targeted, precise exercises that flow into each other. I took Pilates from a great studio in DC called Excel Movement Studios. They trained in the classical way. If Pilates seems easy, you are probably doing it incorrectly. That said, I found this DVD a little too slow. Lynne Robinson is very good about reminding you to "zip up" your muscles which intensifies the workout, but I wish there were more repetitions and the exercises flowed into each other. I think the reason they don't is so that proper position can be achieved. I would rather do aerobics and toning at home with a dvd and take yoga and pilates in a class.
Reading the reviews of prenatal Pilates dvds on Amazon, it seems that some are really hard and fast and some are very gentle. Assess your own fitness level and Pilates experience to choose the right one for you. If you have the opportunity to borrow from a friend or library before purchasing, do it.
I didn't get my exercise in yesterday. I over did it with running around. I waited too long to eat so I was hungry, but nauseated and I couldn't eat much. I was exhausted, but I couldn't settle down to sleep. As for my other daily goals, the house was picked up when we got home. For eating, I had two kinds of leftovers in the fridge and bought some ready to eat things. Curt left the bag with the ready to eat things in the car and made pasta and some sort of chili. It was only when he was complaining and I listed the other options that we realized the bag was still in the car with meat and frozen things. Luckily, we got it in time.
Belly: 12 Weeks, 5 days
This photo was taken outside of Curt's office. It is a quonset hut. It looks like a rusted tin can that was cut in half and stuck in the ground.
Bronzed Baby Shoes? Not Exactly...
At the Baby Fair at CoEx Mall last week, I saw lots of elaborate baby photo packages that were the cost and quality of wedding albums in the States. There were also bronzed newborn montages:
I thought the bronze molds of hands and feet looked a little creepy. Here's a closeup:
And then I got a closer look at the boy version:
Yes, That is a mold of the baby's testicles and penis. On the wall, forever. Talk about embarrassing!
There is a picture in a photo shop in Itaewon of a male infant in Hanbok (traditional Korean dress) with his penis purposefully exposed. Much more direct than the"I'm a boy" onesies we have in the US!
I thought the bronze molds of hands and feet looked a little creepy. Here's a closeup:
And then I got a closer look at the boy version:
Yes, That is a mold of the baby's testicles and penis. On the wall, forever. Talk about embarrassing!
There is a picture in a photo shop in Itaewon of a male infant in Hanbok (traditional Korean dress) with his penis purposefully exposed. Much more direct than the"I'm a boy" onesies we have in the US!
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