Pregnancy and Maternity

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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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.

In this special "Earth Week" guest post, Melissa Hereford, Marin mompreneur and owner of Marin Kids and Maternity Consignment in San Rafael, offers a few reasons why buying gently used items (and selling or donating yours) is good not only for the wallet but for the environment, too.

Her motto is "Saving the earth, one outfit at a time," and she takes the idea seriously!

As we approach another Earth Day, we find ourselves focusing more and more on the recycling movement with our children, the future of the planet, and the limited space in our landfills in mind! Buying gently worn and gently used items is not only about saving money. That is a wonderful aspect of the practice, but it seems to be ever more important to reduce all the waste inherent in both manufacturing and retail. For example, when you buy gently used items, you:

I think one thing that all expectant and new parents can agree upon is that there can never be too many resources to back you up in this new and unfamiliar part of your life. One of these resources is the new Parents Center, which recently opened in the inside the venerable Heller's for Children store on Fouth Street 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, all about pregnancy, parenting and baby and mother wellness. All parents are welcome, so stop by and check it out.

Classes, workshops, and programs offered at the Parents Center include free lactation consultations on Tuesdays between 12:30 and 2 pm, infant/child CPR and first aid, childbirth, newborn care, breastfeeding and pumping, prenatal yoga, baby massage, infant sleep, baby massage, and more. All class fees are on a sliding scale, which is especially welcome in today's economic climate.

Maternity Xchange is a mobile maternity shop that offers discounted brand-name and designer maternity clothing. They'll be be at the Strawberry Recreation Center in Mill Valley on Saturday, February 7, from 11 am to 4 pm. You'll find a great selection of both new and consignment merchandise from brands including Gap, Mimi Maternity, A Pea in the Pod, Diane von Furstenberg, Japanese Weekend, Olian, Seven for all Mankind, Juliet Dream, Chaiken, A-Wish, 2Chix, Earl Jeans, and more. If you're a new mom, bring in your like-new designer maternity wear and receive 50% of the selling price.

Mention Marin Mommies at the event and save 20% off any one item!

The Strawberry Recreation Center is located at 118 East Strawberry Drive in Mill Valley. For more info about Maternity Xchange, go to www.maternityxchange.com.

Maternity Xchange is a mobile maternity shop that offers discounted brand-name and designer maternity clothing. They'll be be at the Strawberry Recreation Center in Mill Valley on Saturday, November 1, from 11 am to 4 pm. You'll find a great selection of both new and consignment merchandise from brands including Gap, Mimi Maternity, A Pea in the Pod, Diane von Furstenberg, Japanese Weekend, Olian, Seven for all Mankind, Juliet Dream, Chaiken, A-Wish, 2Chix, Earl Jeans, and more. If you're a new mom, bring in your like-new designer maternity wear and receive 50% of the selling price.

Mention Marin Mommies at the event and save 20% off any one item!

The Strawberry Recreation Center is located at 118 East Strawberry Drive in Mill Valley. For more info about Maternity Xchange, go to www.maternityxchange.com.