Women's Health and Issues

Both my children were born at Marin General Hospital. Overall, it was a great experience—their staff is awesome and they’re a great resource for new parents. Not only were we well taken care of, but we were also able to take advantage of the wide variety of classes offered by MGH to help smooth things along for new and expectant parents. These classes are offered to the public.

Some of the classes available at Marin General include prenatal and postnatal instruction classes for expectant parents, infant care, CPR, breastfeeding help, a free mom’s support group, and help for siblings adjusting to a new brother or sister.
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I decided that I’m going to do something for myself this year—I finally joined our local health club and I’m going to get myself back into shape. I signed up at the Marin YMCA a few weeks ago, and have to say that it was the best decision I’ve made so far this year. Not only am I able to take advantage of the workout room, but our entire family can participate in the classes and programs they have to offer as well.

One of our favorites features so far is the indoor pool. Believe it or not, we have been making a lot of use of it during on these recent rainy weekends, and my kids are able to burn off some energy as well as brush up on their swimming skills. My son wants to join the swim team in the spring and he needs to be able to swim the length of the pool first, so we’re getting in some valuable practice time.

There’s something I love about swimming in an indoor pool on a rainy day. At first thought it seems a little odd to want to go swimming when it’s cold and wet out, but once you get to the pool it’s warm and pleasant and a contrast to the yucky weather going just on the other side of the windows and walls.
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Are you a chronically late mom? CBS News has contacted Marin Mommies to help find Bay Area moms to interview for their new segment in January on chronic lateness. The segment will feature the book, Never Be Late Again, 7 Cures for the Punctually Challenged (www.neverbelateagain.com). The ideal interview subject is a woman in her 30s or 40s who must balance a job with kids, doctor appointments, chauffeur duties, etc., but anyone who is chronically late is encouraged to apply. You can live anywhere in the Bay Area.

If you're interested or have any questions, please call Diane DeLonzor at (415) 407-7237 or email her at delonzor1@yahoo.com. CBS will want the following information: sex, age, occupation, marital status, and city of residence.

Since it's the beginning of a new year (which of course always includes those New Year's resolutions), we thought we would re-post this guest article by Marin fitness expert Michele Vaughan. There's one helpful tip here for each week of the year! Michele is president of The Balance Workout, Marin's premiere fitness studio.

Here are 52 things that you can do for the new year 

1. Put yourself first. Write your exercise in your date book as if it were a doctor’s appointment and keep it! If we aren't healthy then we can't take care of our children or partners.
 
2. Put your fork down between each bite of food. It takes 20 minutes for the stomach to signal the brain that it is full.
 
3. Make dates with your girlfriends around fitness and health. Go for a walk, hike or run instead of going out to eat a high calorie lunch.
 
4. Never go to the grocery store hungry.

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Marin mompreneur Stephanie Ziegler decided to ditch the corporate world and fulfill her dream of opening her own Pilates studio. The result of her efforts is Pilates Studio Tiburon, located in downtown Tiburon at 78 Main Street.

We asked Stephanie a few questions about her business, what led her to open her own studio, and living in Marin.

Please tell us a little about you and your background, and what inspired you to open your own Pilates studio?

My background has always had a focus on “helping others” with a health & fitness component. When my daughter, Skye, was born I wanted to be there with her as she grew. My career as a healthcare consultant had me traveling quite a bit. The companies I worked with spanned from eHealth start-ups to national health insurance companies to the Military Health System. I was going across the country in every direction. It was tearing me apart to be separated from Skye.
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Marin Mommies is pleased to present another great guest post, this time by Zeina Grifoni MPT, Certified Pilates Instructor and owner—with her husband Tiziano—of Synergy+ Physical Therapy and Pilates Studio.

Pregnancy, birth, and now the aftermath—a beautiful baby, but what about mommy?

Pregnancy and new motherhood are amazing, life-changing experiences. Throughout pregnancy, an OBGYN or midwife makes sure that both mommy and baby are healthy and happy. Once the baby is born and the initial stages of healing are complete, all the attention shifts toward baby. While it is wonderful to focus on baby, many women are left wondering what is happening to mommy!

Join The Parents Center, Heller's for Children, and the Novato Mother's Club for a free infant/toddler sleep and breastfeeding panel on Wednesday, October 28 from 7–9 pm and features a panel discussion with infant/child sleep consultant (and frequent Marin Mommies contributor) Angelique Millette and lactation consultant Margie King. A brief lecture will be followed by question and answer session. Best of all, this event is free to the public. RSVP to georgia@theparentscenter.com

The Parents Center is located inside the Heller's store at 514 Fourth Street (on the east side of 101) in San Rafael. Located in Heller's loft area (in space donated by Heller's), the Parents Center is a comfortable, welcoming place that offers support and education for new and expectant parents. Moms are invited to come in, feed and weigh baby, have a cup of tea and relax. There's even a special rocker for breastfeeding moms with an optional privacy screen. There is a library of books and dvds for loan, and classes, workshops, and programs are also offered. For more information, visit www.theparentscenter.com.

Marin Mommies is pleased to present a guest article by massage therapist, doula, and yoga teacher Elizabeth Shelhart on the many benefits of prenatal massage.

When a woman becomes pregnant, her body begins to rapidly adjust to the new levels of hormones circulating throughout her system and her emotional balance is also affected. Throughout pregnancy, a woman’s body changes in ways she never imagined before. Muscles soften, ligaments lengthen, skin stretches, and organs shift around as the baby grows in its underwater home. Pregnancy is by far one of the most transformational experiences a woman will ever go through.