I will be honest, I am not a pet lover. Just don’t tell my little one who wants to be a vet when he grows up. I never really gave pets and newborns much thought until I was approached by a dog trainer in a referral network I belong to.

You have your sweet puppy or kitty curled up on your bed at night. Enter, new baby. All of a sudden adorable pooch is banned to the floor confused and annoyed at this new thing taking up it’s territory. Pets need to start being prepared as soon as the test comes back with a positive.

Here are some great articles to get you started:
The Humane Society
Baby Center

A great video with an education officer from the RSPCA:

If you are in the Portland area and want to meet with a dog trainer, go to http://cooperativedogtraining.com/

Have you hit your due date and ready to be done?  Do you want to avoid as many medical interventions as possible?  This is a video of natural pressure points that can get those contractions started.  Please use with caution and only after you have passed your due date!

Anchoring

Step 1
Think about how you want to feel when you’re birthing your baby, perhaps one of relaxation, feeling in control, or confidence?

Step 2
Now think about a time when you experienced those feelings, bring that moment clear into your mind and everything about that moment. What could you see, what could you feel, smell, taste, really use all of your senses to bring back that memory as vividly as possible.

Step 3
Anchor that feeling either by pressing your thumb and forefinger together, or by associating it to specific music or a specific picture.

Step 4
Repeat this process and each time experience the feeling more vividly and use the same anchor.

Step 5
During birth, or whenever you want to experience that feeling again, use the anchor and those feelings will wash over you.

To ensure they continue to be effective, anchors need to be distinctive, unique, intense and reinforced.

Remember that all of these techniques are not only useful during pregnancy and birth, but also when looking after your baby as well as passing these skills and techniques on to them as they grow up.

There are many more techniques out there which can be learned, if you are interested in an NLP course then contact the original Society of NLP which was founded by Richard Bandler. You can find courses and seminars on this website: www.purenlp.com

Juliet is the founder of the “Natural Birth | Birthdownload” website and the creator of the antenatal programme The Psychology of Giving Birth. You can also follow her on Twitter.

As pregnant women we are inundated with the message of eating well while our cravings don’t comply.  One aspect of our wellness we need to hear more about is our posture.  I know I sound like your mom, “sit up straight!”, “stop dragging your feet!”.  Tune out mom’s voice and keep reading.

As you are sitting here reading this, did you just straighten up a little?  As you are sitting (straight with your core engaged), put your hands under your buttocks.  Do you feel a bone poking out on either side?  These are your “sit” bones.  Now, hunch over and give that core a break.  You don’t feel those bones, right?  Your pelvis is now tipped backward which can encourage your baby to change their position in your uterus.  Prolonged bad posture can cause your baby to be in an unfavorable position for birth.  This can cause a longer labor and “back” labor (most of your pain is centered on the lower back)

You want a labor as short as possible and the most pain you can eliminate the better, right?  Pay attention to posture!  Here are a couple great articles on pregnancy and posture.  Dr Sears and WebMD

Dress it up with some color, or wear it casual with some flats

Friday fashion…..

We always see celebrities as better than us in some way.  I always try to humanize them in my own mind.  I think childbirth is the great equalizer.  Yea, maybe they can afford better surroundings or the best doctor out there.  When it comes down to it, it is still a painful process and there is always a time of healing and adjusting to a new baby.

The good lookin’ Kim Kardashian had her her first little one on the 14th.  He weighed in at 7lbs 6oz and was 19 1/2 in long.  His name is Mason Dash.  It is nice to see a celebrity name their baby something down to earth.  I bet he is going to be one handsome little man!

For those you who are as addicted to Facebook as I am, here is a super cool app.  While you are at it, become a fan of us.