A new decade is just a few days away! In the spirit of a new decade, a new year and new connections, Sherry Anshara of QuantumPathic Center of Consciousness gives us a glimpse into the impact of connecting with our children from the very beginning…

The joy of pregnancy is deeper for mothers and fathers, when they allow themselves to still their minds and mindfully connect to their babies as the babies experience their nine month journey of physical, mental, spiritual and emotional evolution. Parents and babies have the extraordinary opportunity to know each other at the deepest levels of awareness from inception, to connect with each other at that pure cellular level of unconditional love. The new children, sometimes identified as Indigo and Crystal Children, bring to the Earth, a clearer awareness of who they are and their purpose.

Parents who are blessed with these children have unlimited opportunities to learn from them. Keep them chemical free, nurture them with healthy foods and love them unconditionally. Keep in mind that a healthy parent/child relationship begins from inception at the cellular level. Be open…while pregnant talk about yourselves to the baby, sing your favorite songs and play music for the baby. The baby will respond as you create healthy memories right from the womb. Through each stage of the baby’s nine month development, you have the opportunity to create a healthy conscious relationship with the baby right from the very beginning of his or her life.

Medical intuitive Sherry Anshara is founder of her Scottsdale, Arizona-based QuantumPathic^® Center of Consciousness, developer of the QuantumPathic Energy Method®, and teacher/developer of the Intuitive Powers/Practical Applications courses. In her private practice she teaches individuals, couples and families locally, nationally and internationally how to connect to their cellular memory by using their intuition to consciously create their lives. For more information visit Sherry’s web site at www.quantumpathic.com.

Follow Myryka as she teaches the sexiest moves for staying fit. Pregnant or not, these moves will deliver!

The term “Belly Dance” originated with Napoleon’s soldiers who were most likely the first Europeans to see the dance ritual. They labeled it “Danse du Ventre”, which is French for “Dance of the Stomach”.  Sacred dancing featured the abdomen, the source of the Goddesses’ fertility.  It is believed that belly dance was used to help pregnant women through the birth process. The mother-to-be was surrounded by concentric circles of women who danced with repeated abdominal movements while the woman gave birth. Sometimes the mother-to-be would dance with them as the movements relaxed her muscles and increased the flexibility of her hips and eased labor pains.

Belly Dancing reduces stress, increases energy and flexibility and improves strength, posture, muscle tone and coordination. It has been said that it heals and balances the body, mind and spirit all at once. Belly dancing can also burn as many calories as power-walking or riding a bike.  It’s a great way be creative and expressive.

This video provides advice on exercise and fitness. Amon Maternity encourages you to consult your physician prior to engaging in any of the activities or exercises presented on this website.

Myryka Nunya won the 2006 Bellydancer of the Universe People’s Choice & Congeniality Awards. She began her career as a showgirl at the age of 18 at Bally’s Jubilee, and quickly went on to work in shows at The Flamingo, Stratasphere, & Ceasar’s Palace in Las Vegas.  Myryka teaches pre-natal belly dance classes in Scottsdale, AZ.  More information can be found on her website www.myryka.com.

You can apply firm pressure with the thumbs to stimulate the self adjusting and healing mechanisms of the body. There are different pressure points that can be used during labor for baby rotation or descent, to speed up stalled labor, against nausea etc.

The Inner Gate point can alleviate nausea during labor or also helps when you experience morning sickness during the pregnancy.

The point is located on the inside of the wrist, three finger widths below the wrist line on the hollow between the two bones of the forearm. Take your thumb and index or middle finger and press firmly on the points on both sides of the wrist when you feel nauseous.

You can also purchase or make your own wristband that applies pressure to the correct spot. They usually have a knob or flat button positioned over the acupressure point. You might feel relief as soon as you put it on, but after your body grows accustomed to the pressure, you’ll need to press down on the acupressure point for extra relief.

Greta Sprenkeling of AZ BirthConnection, LLC is a certified doula, prenatal massage therapist and pregnancy yoga instructor. Since 1995 she has supported over 300 families to have a healthy pregnancy, better birth and easy recovery. Learn more about Greta by visiting her website www.superdoula.com.

Nesting is inevitable during pregnancy. Internally, our bodies create a sacred “nest” for our babies to grow and develop. Externally, we often receive an instinctual impulse to clean and redecorate our homes just in time for the arrival of our children. Interior Designer, Anita Lang challenges us to consciously reflect our family’s values when we are nesting.

Interior Design is past pretty rooms.  It is a way to create emotional responses, create function and organization and reflect who you are to the world. In this process there is a great opportunity to highlight the values and habits we want to pass on to our kids as part of their heritage.

One area is Sustainable Design and teaching responsible stewardship of our earth. Do we have an organized, easy area for recyclables for our family? When it comes time to a freshen space, can we look for ways to repurpose furniture or other items instead of adding to a land fill. A fresh coat of paint can go far.

If we involve our kids in the design of a space it helps create respect for belongings and a pride of ownership. I have had clients tell me that they’ve never seen kids keep their rooms so neat before. By thinking through function and organization in designing a space we can help develop some good habits that are easier for kids to implement. It’s easier for kids to put toys away when they know the games go in this drawer and the dolls go on this shelf.

Taking the initial time to think through the interior design of our homes is worth the effort since it becomes the backdrop of our family’s life.

Interior Motives, Inc was founded by Anita Lang, a member of American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) for over 17 years. She has been recognized with 24 ASID Design Excellence Awards over the past seven years. As well as the Designer of Distinction Award in 2008 for the work her firm does within the community. As an extension of her philosophy of the power of good design, IMI’s Inspire Foundation, a nonprofit 501(3)(C) corporation was created to benefit local community organizations as well as nurture young design talent. For more information, visit www.interiormotivesaz.com.

Are you experiencing back pain? This week the Get Comfortable video takes us inside the Prenatal Yoga Center (oh yes! a yoga studio specifically devoted to pregnant women). Debra Flashenberg, Founder of Prenatal Yoga Studio in Manhattan teaches us simple moves to improve our health. Now we can all look and feel as fabulous as the expecting moms of NYC!

Whether your pregnant or not, take a peek and don’t be afraid to cat/cow. Instant back relief DELIVERED.

Watch

ALLEVIATING BACK PAIN WITH PRENATAL YOGA. The Prenatal Yoga is the first yoga center in New York City to focus on moms and moms-to-be. Over the past 7 years, over 6,000 women have come through their door to take classes and workshops. For more information or to contact The Prenatal Yoga Center please visit http://www.prenatalyogacenter.com.

Dr. Cathleen Harris shares her expertise:

If you’re 35 or older and you’re thinking about having a baby or maybe you just found out that you’re pregnant, you may be excited, but a little nervous too.  Some women wonder—could I be too old for a healthy pregnancy?

The good news is that most women over 35 can have successful, healthy pregnancies.  We believe that a skilled prenatal care team along with your commitment can result in a healthy baby and a healthy you!

There are some important things to know about:

• Women can take longer to become pregnant, and their risk of miscarriage is somewhat higher.  It’s important to take folic acid prior to conceiving, and to seek early prenatal care to confirm a viable pregnancy.
• Due to natural hormonal influences or fertility treatments, the rate of multiple pregnancies is higher in this group, so it is especially important to determine the number of babies at your initial visit.
• A detailed fetal anatomy ultrasound is routinely done in the midtrimester to ensure that the fetus and placenta are developing properly.
• Women have a number of options for genetic screening or prenatal diagnosis, since the risk of chromosome abnormalities (such as Down Syndrome) is higher in this age group.  Speak with your doctor about the risks and benefits of the various available tests.
• We check women periodically for signs of gestational diabetes and for preeclampsia, a pregnancy-related high blood pressure disorder, and watch for signs of premature labor.   Cesarean delivery is more common as well; your doctor may advise you regarding situations in which cesarean is recommended.

With a few precautions, the outlook for healthy moms and babies is excellent, and we encourage you to speak with your health care provider about plans for a pregnancy to learn more.  So we say--NO, you’re not too old to have a baby!

Cathleen Harris is the co-founder of AMOMI Pregnancy Wellness ~ Spa and Scottsdale Perinatal Associates. Dr. Harris received her medical degree at Loyola Stritch School of Medicine. Along with her expertise in managing high-risk pregnancies, Dr. Harris is also highly knowledgeable in the area of traveler’s health and public health issues affecting pregnant women. She has served as the Medical Director of the Women’s HIV Program at the University of Chicago and worked internationally in Lithuania, Latvia, Kosovo and Peru. Dr. Harris is the Director of Ultrasound and Prenatal Diagnosis for Scottsdale Perinatal Associates. For more information on AMOMI Pregnancy Wellness ~ Spa, please visit www.amomispa.com.

We all remember our childhood homes. As moms we have the opportunity to create a space that is not only the backdrop but also part of the experiences. For kids it can go past just being pleasant to feeling magical.

When designing a space it is good to view it from the kid’s perspective, get on your knees and see how differently you see the space. It will influence the design, even where you hang the art to having built in stools at vanities and such. Think through the activities and functions, the kids will be performing in the space, reading corners, play area with storage for toys, nooks that can magically turn into anything from a castle to a grocery store.

Kids rooms don’t need to be over designed or thematic. In fact keeping a looser design, still well done, with interesting colors, textures, and patterns and of course scale creates an environment that has a positive emotional response. Its better to have a design that becomes a platform for your children’s imagination versus it laid out in a theme specifically. You can use interactive finishes that allow for input such as touch or white board, chalk board paint, or metal wainscot with magnets for display.

Design is a powerful tool that can be used in creating an amazing experience for your family.

Interior Motives, Inc was founded by Anita Lang, a member of American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) for over 17 years. She has been recognized with 24 ASID Design Excellence Awards over the past seven years. As well as the Designer of Distinction Award in 2008 for the work her firm does within the community. As an extension of her philosophy of the power of good design, IMI’s Inspire Foundation, a nonprofit 501(3)(C) corporation was created to benefit local community organizations as well as nurture young design talent. For more information, visit www.interiormotivesaz.com.

During pregnancy, could your thoughts and feelings be communicating with your baby? What types of connections are made before the baby is born? Sherry Anshara shares her “ipod” metaphor in the following video and article:

The joy of pregnancy is deeper for mothers and fathers, when they allow themselves to still their minds and mindfully connect to their babies as the babies experience their nine month journey of physical, mental, spiritual and emotional evolution. Parents and babies have the extraordinary opportunity to know each other at the deepest levels of awareness from inception, to connect with each other at that pure cellular level of unconditional love. The new children, sometimes identified as Indigo and Crystal Children, bring to the Earth, a clearer awareness of who they are and their purpose.

Parents who are blessed with these children have unlimited opportunities to learn from them. Keep them chemical free, nurture them with healthy foods and love them unconditionally. Keep in mind that a healthy parent/child relationship begins from inception at the cellular level. Be open…while pregnant talk about yourselves to the baby, sing your favorite songs and play music for the baby. The baby will respond as you create healthy memories right from the womb. Through each stage of the baby’s nine month development, you have the opportunity to create a healthy conscious relationship with the baby right from the very beginning of his or her life.

Medical intuitive Sherry Anshara is founder of her Scottsdale, Arizona-based QuantumPathic^® Center of Consciousness, developer of the QuantumPathic Energy Method®, and teacher/developer of the Intuitive Powers/Practical Applications courses. In her private practice she teaches individuals, couples and families locally, nationally and internationally how to connect to their cellular memory by using their intuition to consciously create their lives. For more information visit Sherry’s web site at www.quantumpathic.com.

What comes to mind when you hear a ” Bundle of Joy?” A precious little newborn perfectly wrapped in a cozy blanket? In an effort to help you and baby Get Comfortable, presented below is Swaddling. Learn why mothers for centuries have wrapped their babies as well as how to swaddle your baby from doula, Forrest Redford-Burke.

Swaddling is an incredible tool to help your baby sleep better and therefore help you sleep better. It can keep him from being disturbed by his own startle reflex and most importantly, it can help to calm your baby. It is thought that being tightly wrapped gives a feeling of security, similar to being in the womb.

Use a blanket that is large enough and with a little stretch. To swaddle your baby, lay the blanket on a flat surface and position him with his head across the corner. Wrap snugly from one corner side around and under the baby. Wrap the other side around and tuck. Swaddling can generally be used for the first six weeks of life but it depends on your baby.

Forrest Anee Redford-Burke is a Doula: a birth and postpartum assistant, educator, and companion. She made a choice to pursue her certification through both Doulas of North America and the Childbirth and Postpartum Association because she feels passionate about mother, babies, and families getting the optimum support during this very special time in their lives. She believes that it is her job to help families thrive and not just survive and has dedicated her life to this purpose. Every mother deserves the perfect support she needs to have her baby through and into loving empowerment. Start your new life with your precious newborn with all the loving support you deserve. For more information, visit www.motherdivinedoula.com.

Grab a brush and watch how easy it is to Get Comfortable. We asked Heidi Golden, a certified massage therapist,  ” What can all mothers do to better both their health and the health of their baby while pregnant?” Heidi shares Dry Brushing.

The skin is the largest organ of the body. It eliminates more than one pound of waste per day. If the skin becomes inactive by build up of millions of dead skin cells clogging our pores the impurities remain within the body. We wash it daily and protect it from the suns harmful rays but we forget one of the healthiest things we can do for our skin and ultimately our overall health -- “dry brushing”.

Dry brushing stimulates movement of the circulation & lymphatic systems. Lymph is considered part of our immune system and is made of white blood cells called lymphocytes and the interstitial fluid that bathe our cells, bringing our cells nutrients and removing their waste. All detoxification occurs first and foremost through the lymph. Our bodies contain far more lymph than blood, so you can see how important this might be. Dry brushing literally moves the lymph containing large proteins and particulate matter that cannot be transported in any other way back into circulatory system.

Dry brushing can remove cellulite, strengthen the immune system, remove dead skin layers, tone muscles and help digestions.  Dry brushing during pregnancy is a great way to keep toxins flushed, enhancing and cleansing the lymph system which can become sluggish during this time and creating unwanted swelling. Of course, brush very gently on your belly, more vigorously on arms and legs.

To dry brush, use a soft natural fiber brush with a long handle, so that you are able to reach all areas of your body. One with a removable head with a strap for your hand is a good choice. Some guidelines, always brush towards the heart. Treat major lymph areas first -- e.g. armpit area before the chest and arms and the groin area before the legs & abdomen. Before your morning shower is a great way to start of your day with a clearer mind and boosted spirit.

Heidi Golden’s career began in 1994 and she prides herself in giving attention to each client’s individual needs, working with them to provide the most beneficial massage & home protocol recommendations at each visit. Heidi is currently working with Macrotherapy of Scottsdale, under which she is working with microcurrent therapy for post surgical massage & adhesions. Heidi’s hobbies include essential oils, mineral & crystal collecting & designing. She incorporates her hobbies into her massage practice. Heidi is a nationally accredited licensed massage therapist.