pregnancy

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 father class, a free mom’s support group, and help for siblings adjusting to a new brother or sister.

They also offer a childbirth and infant-care “value package” for $170 per couple. This seven-class series covers pretty much everything you need to know about bringing home a new baby, and includes topics like breastfeeding, post partum expectations and realities, care of your newborn, and home and car safety. Classes are two hours each, and the first three classes can be taken as a single one-day childbirth class. Programs take place in MGH’s convenient location at 250 Bon Air Road in Greenbrae.

Marin Mommies presents a guest article by local fashion expert Katie Rice Jones.

Maternity wear is constantly evolving by improving its styling, adaptability, and comfort. Due to this evolution, an impressive crop of new-fangled, maternity-styled, problem-solving gizmos has found its way into the market. I like to call these gizmos “mother helpers”. Some of these helpers aid in smoothing and slimming the pregnant body, while others correct dressing and fit problems associated with pregnancy. Here are some of my favorite mother helpers along with the bump problems they solve.

Problem: Nothing to Wear

Mother Helper Solution: Magic Maternity Tube by Boob Design ($58, pictured)—It’s a skirt. It’s a dress. It’s a top. Actually, it’s all three and then some. Just one Magic Maternity Tube offers a variety of flattering looks that you change up according to your mood or occasion saving you time in the closet and money from your pocket book.

Problem: Saggy, Baggy Maternity Jeans

Mother Helper Solution: Belly Ups Suspenders ($13)—You can avoid pregnant plumber’s butt when you don a pair of handy mini suspenders. Belly Ups attach from your bra to your waistband rendering jean hitching completely unnecessary.

With spring upon us, Laurel Fertility Care offers some tips on how to improve your chances for motherhood by being good to both yourself and Mother Earth.

This spring, clean Mother Earth while improving your chances of motherhood. “Women trying to conceive often forget the importance of taking care of themselves,” commented Dr. Lee Kao. “We often see patients who are so focused on caring for everything else that they actually decrease their success by not focusing on themselves first.”

On behalf of Laurel Fertility Care, below are four tips to help you on your journey to motherhood while making the Earth a better place to grow your family.

1. Clean your kitchen: increase your veggies; decrease your red meat. Researchers reported that “shifting entirely from an average American diet to a vegetable-based diet would reduce the same emissions as 8,000 miles driven per year.” Harvard doctors suggest in The Fertility Diet to replace one meal of red meat with veggies per week to increase your fertility success.

This guest article is from our friends at Laurel Fetility Clinic, a local fertility practice with offices in Mill Valley, San Francisco, and Modesto. Visit them online at www.laurelfertility.com.

Vitrification is the latest method for freezing unfertilized eggs to preserve fertility options for hopeful mothers. “This cutting edge practice is still fairly new and not many programs are doing it,” commented Laurel Fertility Care Lab Director Dr. Marlane Angle, PhD. “However, survival rates using vitrification are much higher for eggs and embryos when compared to previous freezing methods like slow cooling.”

Why Choose Vitrification?

“It's the technology of the future,” commented Dr. Angle. “People, especially women, need this and are asking for it. We were originally used fertility preservation for women undergoing cancer treatment. These women often experience fertility challenges following radiation or chemotherapy. If these women preserve their fertility before cancer treatment, they have a much better chance of conception down the road.”

Marin mom and childbirth educator Tara Brooke took her lifelong interest in pregnancy and motherhood and developed Power of Birth, a studio offering childbirth education classes, doula services, new parent support, and more. We asked Tara to tell us about herself, her business, and her passion for helping new moms and moms-to-be.

Please tell us a little about yourself. What's your background?

I was born and raised in Princeton, New Jersey.  I spent most of my adult life in New York City. I began practicing as a labor and postpartum doula in New York over a decade ago. I opened a studio called Power of Birth that housed doula services and childbirth education classes. A lifestyle change brought us to Marin and now I practice as a childbirth educator and postpartum doula coaching parents during the 0–3 months age.

The Fall 2010 San Francisco Birth & Baby Fair is coming to Fort Mason Center's Herbst Pavilion this Sunday, November 21, from 10 am to 5 pm. Event highlights include gift bags, door prizes, rejuvenating spa areas, refreshments, local resources for moms and moms-to-be, shopping, free workshops, demonstrations and more.

Tickets are $8 each or two for $12; children 18 and under are free. The first 150 families to enter will receive a gift bag with discounts and products from many of the fair exhibitors and sponsors. Free and discounted passes are available from event sponsors. Check their website at www.birthandbabyfaircom to see who's handing them out and to get all the details about this event. Fort Mason Center is located in San Francisco at 99 Marina Boulevard, at the intersection of Buchanan Street.

Photo: iStockphoto

This guest post is from the nurses at Laurel Fertility Care, a local fertility practice with offices in Mill Valley, San Francisco, and Modesto. Visit them online at www.laurelfertility.com.

As a parent with one or more children, it’s hard to imagine not being able to conceive again. However, secondary infertility is a heartache experienced by many parents. “Often parents have a difficult time knowing whether the challenge for growing their family is just a fluke or a problem,” states Dr. Collin B. Smikle of Laurel Fertility Care, “many say if it happened before, it will happen again and sometimes parents wait too long to find out if there is a problem and their chances of conceiving become even less likely.”

Similar to infertility, there are a few key signs that may signal a higher chance of secondary infertility. These signals include:

1. Unsuccessful conceiving after trying over six to twelve months: If you have been trying to get pregnant longer than the amount of time it took with previous pregnancies, it’s time to talk to your doctor or a reproductive specialist. Your OB/GYN may be able to give some insight into what’s happening. However, it’s best to visit a reproductive endocrinologist if you have any concerns, especially if the female is over 35.

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!

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.