Exercise might be the last thing on your mind after you give birth, but it’s worthwhile. In fact, exercise after pregnancy might be one of the best things you can do for yourself.

Benefits of exercise after pregnancy

Regular exercise after pregnancy can:

• Promote weight loss
• Improve your cardiovascular fitness
• Restore muscle strength
• Condition your abdominal muscles
• Boost your energy level
• Improve your mood
• Relieve stress
• Help prevent and promote recovery from postpartum depression

Better yet, including physical activity in your daily routine helps you set a positive example for your child now and in the years to come.

When to start

In the past, health care providers often instructed women to wait at least six weeks after giving birth to begin exercising. The waiting game may be over, however. If you exercised during pregnancy and had an uncomplicated vaginal delivery, it’s generally safe to begin exercising within days of delivery — or as soon as you feel ready. If you had a C-section, extensive vaginal repair or a complicated birth, talk to your health care provider about when to start an exercise program.

Exercise safety tips
1.  Invest in a good support bra. Your breasts are going to be larger than normal from the milk production and will need a lot of extra support.
2.  Be careful of high-impact sports due to lax pelvic ligaments and joints left over from pregnancy. This is why core (abdominal work is key after pregnancy preventing lower back and joint injuries).
3.  Make sure you drink lots of water to replenish yourself, especially when breastfeeding.
4.  Listen to your body. If you’re feeling tired, go easy on yourself. Try not to push yourself until you feel ready.
5.  If you start to feel light headed and nauseous, or notice a change in the color of your vaginal discharge, consult with your doctor. You may be exercising too strenuously.

So now you’re convinced to start exercising now the question is what to do? I was ready to start exercising but wasn’t ready to put my baby in gym childcare center and I needed more consistency than just whenever my husband could watch him so when my son was 6 months old I started doing Stroller Strides,  not only did I get back in shape but I got the support I needed as a new mom and meet some of my best “mom” friends that I’m still friends with 4 years later.

What is Stroller Strides®?

Stroller Strides is a total fitness program that moms can do with their babies. It includes power walking/running and intervals of strength and body toning exercises using exercise tubing, the stroller, and the environment. Taught by certified instructors, it’s a great workout for any level of exerciser.

How do I start?

Arrive at all classes at least 15 minutes before start time. We begin promptly and some classes leave the warm-up area.

What do I need for class?

We suggest athletic shoes, a towel or mat for our ground exercises and plenty of water. For outdoor classes, please bring a hat and/or sunblock. For Stroller Strides, you just need you, your baby and the stroller. Just about any stroller will do, so long as it’s not prone to tipping. You do not have to have a jogger. Stroller Strides fitness strollers are available at stores nationwide and online.

What if the weather is bad?

We will only cancel classes in extreme weather conditions. Please call the phone number for your local class and check the web page for weather related changes.

What do I do if my baby gets fussy during class?

Our first priority is the happiness of your baby. Tend to your baby first. We stop every few minutes for body toning, so you can always catch up with us if you get behind. Our instructors will do their very best to make the class enjoyable for both you and your baby!

How old does my baby have to be?

We recommend waiting until your baby is at least 6 weeks of age to begin class. They can take classes up to any age so long as they still enjoy a ride in the stroller. Always get your doctor’s permission before starting this or any other kind of exercise program.

How long are the workouts?

The workouts are 1-hour unless otherwise noted. The class is set up with a 5-minute warm up followed by a 45-minute Power Walk with the stroller that includes body toning stations. The last 10 minutes is for abs and stretching.

Mom’s Treehouse is a great resource for moms because not only are Stroller Strides classes offered but when you’re ready to take it to the next level there’s Body Back, Mother Runner, and a variety of other classes geared to moms in all stages of motherhood.

If  you aren’t in Richmond then you can use the search feature to find a Stroller Strides near you. Or, start a group who gets together to exercise! Do you already belong to a group like this? Tell us how your experience has been.

Thank you for the guest posts Moms Treehouse! We loved the information and can’t wait to get together to do a class at Franklin Goose next month!

We are lucky enough to have the women from Moms Treehouse in Richmond contributing to our blog the next two days. (They will also be doing a class at the store in Richmond, more details to come).  We wanted to bring you their wisdom about the benefits of exercising while you are pregnant. The impact it can have not only on the mom but on baby as well is really incredible.

Many women today are asking their doctors, “Should I exercise while I’m pregnant?”

The answer is yes. A well-structured prenatal fitness program can make pregnancy both healthier and easier.

We all know that exercise makes us healthier, but how can it make pregnancy easier?

• Exercising before you are pregnant reduces your chances of developing some of the aches and pains that go along with pregnancy.
• Exercising during pregnancy can alleviate and even stop some common pregnancy complaints, and it reduces the likelihood of excessive weight gain and other conditions.
• Exercise can make delivery easier, by strengthening the muscles needed during labor.
• After delivery, women who exercise are able to regain their pre-pregnancy weight and shape more quickly, and they are well prepared for the mental and physical challenges of caring for their baby.

Consistency is key. Women who perform aerobic exercise for 45-minute sessions, at least 5 times per week, will receive the majority of benefits listed below. That’s the ideal scenario. However, you can still benefit with a more modest exercise schedule. Some exercise is better than none. Women who exercise at mild to moderate intensity at least three times per week, will experience improvement in their well-being, they’ll have more energy, they’ll sleep better, have reduced constipation, fewer leg cramps and a quicker return to pre-pregnancy weight when compared to their non-exercising counterparts (ACOG, 2002: Clapp, 2002).

Exercise benefits for moms include:

• A reduced risk of developing gestational diabetes and pregnancy-induced hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Fewer obstetric interventions during delivery (forceps, vacuum extraction)
• A reduction in the active stage of labor (the time from 4cm to 10cm dilation)
• Improved self-image.
• A quicker return to pre-pregnancy weight.
• Decreased incidence of loss of bladder control during pregnancy and postpartum.
• A reduction in bone density loss while breastfeeding.
• A reduction in common pregnancy complaints such as hemorrhoids, constipation, leg cramps, back pain, water retention, etc.
• Research has also shown benefits for the babies of moderately exercising mothers:
  • Infants are less cranky and less likely to have colic.
  • Infants have less body fat at birth. Some early research suggests that the benefits of lower body fat may translate into a reduction in the incidence of heart disease and diabetes in adulthood.
  • Children have greater neurodevelopment scores in oral language and motor areas when tested at age five.

  To maximize benefits, exercises must be weight bearing (i.e. not swimming) and aerobic (e.g. walking, running, stationary cycling, stair climber, rowing). And every prenatal exercise program should have daily “core” training that works on strengthening the abdominal and lower back muscles and the muscles of the pelvic floor. Strengthening the core muscles will help with potential problems such as incontinence and back pain. In addition, these are the muscles needed during labor, the “baby pushers.” Labor is one of the most intense experiences of your life, and preparing for it physically, will give you an advantage.

  Once the baby arrives, all the strength that you have gained or maintained by participating in a prenatal fitness program will be useful in caring for your baby. Daily tasks such as carrying a baby, getting in and out the car, and lifting and reaching, will be easier. The time spent exercising during pregnancy will also make it easier for you to regain your pre-pregnancy shape, strength and fitness level.

  Carrying out a prenatal and postpartum fitness program is one of the best lifestyle and health choices you can make. Before you begin (or continue) an exercise program, always get clearance from your caregiver.

Being pregnant now for the 3rd time I’ve discovered that going to a class (specifically a prenatal one) is the best option for me. Extreme exhaustion is my main pregnancy symptom (add in chasing after 2 active boys) and sometimes it’s hard to get motivated. Having a class that caters to pregnant women takes the guess work out of it for me. I know what we’re doing is safe and geared towards my prenatal needs plus I enjoy going which helps in the motivation department.

Mom’s Treehouse has some great options for moms but their Fit4Baby class is great. It’s a pre-natal fitness program emphasizing safe and effective exercises that can be done throughout your pregnancy. The classes are interval based, combining strength training, cardiovascular exercises, stretching and balance. You can check it out Thursdays 6:30-7:30pm

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Everyday we talk to our customers and our community about how buying organic isn’t necessarily more expensive. One of our favorite ways to demonstrate this is when we have customers who need a great baby shower gift for 16.00 or less. It seems impossible to them, but it isn’t. In fact, they are usually amazed at the choices they have. We decided to share with you some of our favorite organic and eco-friendly baby shower gifts.

1. MiYim- Calvin the Catepillar stroller toy. This super soft, fuzzy and organic toy hangs from a stroller, or a swing, and rattles, for only 10.50!

2. Is it possible to buy something organic, hand dyed and hand made for under 15.00? Yep! The Ecoleeko Alleyco bath mitt is all of these and is tons of fun in the bath for mom and baby. The cost, 14.00!

3. More bath time fun for under 15.00 is the Skip Hop Moby spout cover. The adorable blue whale covers the bath spout and stays on by pulling the toggle (which is a fin) tight around the nozzle. It is BPA and PVC free and, only 12.99!

4. Babylegs are always a favorite at the store and online! There are quite a few styles to choose from for a newborn, and all at 10.00!

5.  Babies love having little blankies to sleep with! Little lovies can be perfect baby gifts. Moms can put them against their bodies for a few hours and the lovie absorbs moms smell. Then when placed with baby it is a comfort for the baby to smell their mother as they fall asleep. They are also great for teething and for play as the baby grows. The Dandelion lovie at 15.00 is a great baby shower gift!

6.  Under the Nile makes beautiful hats, mittens and booties for newborns. The organic cotton is so soft and the colors are great to match with lots of outfits. For 14.00 you can get an Under the Nile Skull cap and a pair of booties!

7. The miYim owl pull toy is a beautiful gift to give at a shower. When you pull on the toy soft and beautiful music plays. At 16.00 this toy looks like you spent a lot more!

8.  This plush terry organic cotton teether is a great gift moms will love when their baby starts to teethe. For 9.99 you give the baby a great toy and the mom a great solution for teething.

9.  A wet bag and prefolds make a great gift for parents who are cloth diapering and even for parents who aren’t. A small wet bag can carry a dirty cloth diaper  when you are out and about or it can be used for wet breast pads for moms, or soiled clothes for babies when the parents are away from home. Prefolds are of course great for cloth diapering, but for parents who aren’t they are great burp cloths, or even liners for changing tables.  For under 15.00 you can buy 2 infant prefolds and one small wet bag from Planet Wise!

As I mentioned yesterday we recently made a diaper cake for one of our customers. It is so important to us to have celebrations that are not wasteful or toxic to our planet or our families. One of our customers who was throwing a shower for her daughter wanted to make sure the shower followed her and her daughters philosophy of being green. She wanted to decorate the shower buying items her daughter would re-use so she wasn’t wasting her money and filling a landfill. Her daughter is using Grovia diapers to cloth diaper her new little girl so she wanted a diaper cake using materials her daughter would use. She told us her family has a passion for horse riding, so we ran with that as our theme.

First we used Grovia biosoaker inserts for the bottom two layers, then the top layer was made with the Grovia Organic Soaker. We used large Ric-Rac ribbon (which she can use later on for wrapping other presents), we knew she would need a wetbag so we picked this beautiful one to carry the theme of the pink and brown. Next came the Plan Toys horses, the Natursutten pacifiers, the Grovia shell and the babysoy socks and mittens and an organic washcloth. The back of the cake had babylegs leg warmers and a Swaddle Designs organic bib. Then to top it off, the Livie & Luca buck boots for her future horse riding excursions.

We had such a blast making this diaper cake! We would love to make one for you or your friends using products that you can re-use! We can make different styles, sizes, colors, prices and themes so don’t hesitate to bring us your creative ideas and we can work together to make the perfect eco-friendly diaper cake!

We recently made a diaper cake for a customer (more on that later) and had so much fun doing it! We thought it would be fun to show you some other ideas we have found recently to inspire you. We found that GroVia disposable inserts & cloth inserts work great as do the
Tushies diapers and prefolds!

We found this great idea as a diaper cake alternative at Pearls of Wit:

Wouldn’t this be cute with some little twig bath products, an ecoleeko bath mitt and some babysoy mittens or socks.

This baby buggy would be soo cute with a bamboosa blanket, and Tushies or Grovia diapers. You could top it with a natursutten paci and a dandelion baby doll.

How cute would this wreath look with green earth prefolds with the colorful stitching on the ends, or the great thirsties prefolds.

At our first green baby shower event we made this diaper cake using all cloth diapers and toys:

We made this cake using sbish flats and Sophie the Giraffe.

Do you have any photos of diaper cakes you love? Add links to them in your comments, we would love to see your photos!

Fall is definitely in the air and we couldn’t be more excited! One of the best things about fall is Halloween and, for us, the Halloween Costume Swap. Last year we hosted the first costume swap at Franklin Goose. It was great fun to see all the people drop off their costumes and then line up on Saturday morning to pick their “new” costumes.

As you know recycling is extremely important to us and this is a great way to recycle and reuse, and to get into the halloween spirit!

Have you thought of hosting a swap this year? You can register for the swap here. This year the swap day is October 8th. We found what works best is to collect the costumes beforehand, pass out tickets and then get them organized by size before the swap day. Once the swap begins we let people in on a first come first serve basis to pick their costume. They give us their tickets for each costume they are swapping.  At the end of the swap whatever is left will be donated to a local charity for kids in need.

Last year it was fun to see the kids trying on their costumes after they picked them out! I have to say we also felt pretty good donating to a local shelter here so we knew a few kids would have costumes who may not have had any otherwise!

If you want to host a swap it is easy to sign up and then to let your imagination run away with you about what you can do to make yours fun and exciting! It could be a fun day to showcase “green” halloween decoration and craft ideas, healthy snack and party food options along with “green” decorating ideas. A great place to find more tips about “green” halloween ideas is here.

Have fun and please let us know what you are thinking you may do to make your halloween green.

Working in our store everyday it is easy to forget cloth diapering is not mainstream. In fact, my family often has to remind me that living naturally and organically is not mainstream because for us, at Franklin Goose, it is. We are generally surrounded by like minded people which makes it easy to forget not everyone is on board with being organic, with raising their family naturally, and making choices that benefit the environment. So when we get a call, or visit from a grandparent-to-be, an Aunt-to-be or even a spouse who thinks cloth diapering is ridiculous it always makes us take a step back for a moment.

When we talk with these people they are generally very vocal about their feelings regarding the choices of the person they are shopping for. We feel this is a great opportunity for us to talk with them, to explain the list of reasons most parents have for choosing cloth, and to encourage them to support the choice their family member or friend has made. Some times though we are shocked to find out that hospitals, nurses,  parenting groups or grandparenting groups are also negative and discouraging. Our hearts immediately go out to the parents choosing to cloth diaper as we see they are getting no support from their “support” system. They are being told it is ridiculous or that they are wasting money because they will quit right away. For us it is hard to understand because we see all the advantages, we talk with the parents who cloth diaper and are so happy. We hear the reasons people think it is a bad idea or that the parents won’t follow through and we realize those assumptions are based on misinformation about cloth diapering.

For some reason last week it really started to eat at us. We know there must be ways to help our parents who are choosing cloth diapering. Unfortunately, after a week of trying to figure out  how exactly to approach the hospitals, the nurses, doctors, day cares, parenting groups, and grandparenting groups we are at a standstill. So we thought we should ask you for your suggestions.

What is your experience with peoples opinions about cloth diapering? Where did you find support? Where did you encounter discouragement? How do you think all of us can work together to break down the negativity associated with cloth diapering, and help educate those who are so negative about cloth diapering?

Does your daycare cloth diaper? If so, did you have to teach them or did they already know?

We are on a mission to get support for our cloth diapering parents, and to educate the community about the reality of cloth diapering. We love your suggestions and feedback and so do our parents who struggle to find support!

Recently in the store we have been debating about cloth wipes. Is there a perfect wipe? If so have we found it and if not where else do we look? What makes a perfect cloth wipe and which wipe is the one people love more than any other one?

We have always been proponents of cloth wipes. They just make sense. You are already doing the laundry, you don’t have to keep going out to the store to buy more, they are chemical free, they are thicker than disposable wipes, whereby lessening your chances for poop on your hands, and using cloth wipes saves between 550.00 and  800.00 per child from birth to potty training.

As we sell more and more cloth wipes we continue to debate on what the best is and why.

Here are the contenders:

1. Pipers Closets wipes:

Pros: Super, super cute, bamboo on one side, 2 ply thickness, WAHM made and made in the USA

Cons: Can take a while to get, not organic cotton, 5 x 5 inches

(9.00 for 6)

2. Thirsties Fab Wipes:

Pros: generous size at 8 x 8, 2-ply thickness, brightly colored, made by women in the USA

Cons: Not organic, and contains polyester

(10.75 for 6)

3. Planet Wise Wipes:

Pros: cute polka dots, extremely soft flannel, 10 pack, generous size at 8 x 8, and made in the USA

Cons: Not organic, and a little thin

(10.99 for 10)

4. Imse Vimse Wipes:

Pros: 100% organic cotton, sold in a 12 pack, very soft, generous size at 8 x 8

Cons: Thin, and not colorful

(12.50 for 12)

5. Swaddlebees Bamboo Wipes:

Pros: Bamboo velour on one side & bamboo terry on the other side, can be used as boosters or doublers in diapers, made in the USA, 2 ply thickness and contains organic cotton & bamboo,

Cons: size is 5 x 8, does contain 10% polyester, not colorful

(11.95 for 6)

6. Bumboo Wipes:

Pros: Unbelievably soft, biodegradable, made from bamboo and silk and generous 8 x 8 size

Cons: A little thin

(12.99 for 5)

Maybe we should have a “Great Wipe Off” and test all the ones we can find?

Or maybe easier, tell us what cloth wipes you love and why.

We all realize that using less packaging, buying organic, and using reusable products are better for us, and better for the planet, but sometimes the price seems so much higher. We decided to take a look at what the cost of  packing  a green lunch for your child by doing price comparisons of green lunch gear vs. mainstream lunch gear.

For 180 day average for school attendance this is a break down of what it costs to pack a lunch using disposable items:
50ct brown bags 100% recycled $3.28 x4 = 13.12
Ziploc Snack Bags 50 ct  $5.74 x4  = 22.96
Ziploc Sandwhich bags 125ct $5.38 x2  = 10.76
Juicy Juice 32 pack $15.00 x6  =  90
Napkins $9.59 320 cout Dixie
Crystal Clear Cutlery 360 (180 forks, 120 spoons, 60 knives) $18.61

TOTAL $165.04

(All of these items have to be repurchased over and over again, which means remembering when you are at the store. It also means your kiddos are throwing all of this in the trash everyday for 180 days per school year per child! That is ALOT of trash! )

Here are two different options for packing a green lunch with items your children won’t throw away everyday, and that are not composed of  harmful chemicals:

Kids Konserve Reusable Lunch Box w/ stainless steal containers, sandwich wrap and cloth napkin $45.00
Green Sprouts Cutlery Set 13.99

TOTAL= $58.99

(Seriously, that is a huge savings! We know realistically your child will probably need their sandwich wrap replaced once or twice but that is still only 7.99  to replace with  a Planet Wise sandwich bag replacement!)

Another option would be this:

Skip Hop Zoo Lunchies $14.00

Kid Basix Safe Sporter $14.95

Green Sprouts Cutlery Set $13.99

Planet Wise Sandwhich wrap or bag $7.99

Kids Konserve Nesting Trio $26.00

TOTAL=$76.93

(Still a great savings & this lunch box is insulated!)

Are you planning for school yet? If so what are your favorite green lunch ideas?

I was shocked when I found out that Nationwide only 13.6 percent of women breastfeed their babies for 6 months. I guess working in this industry it just feels more mainstream to me. I know for many women it is difficult to breastfeed, or impossible and others find it overwhelming but the statistics supporting breastfeeding are pretty compelling; if 90% of U.S. families would exclusively breastfeed for the first six months it would be a savings of 13 billion dollars annually but more incredibly it would prevent more than 900 deaths almost all of which are infants. That in itself is pretty incredible.

In an effort to bring breastfeeding more mainstream and into the public eye groups are gathering together to do something fun and worthwhile. On August 6, 2011 women all over the country will be gathering to nurse their babies as part of the Big Latch On. It is America’s first synchronized nursing event in multiple locations. The event will take place during World Breastfeeding week, which is August 1-7. World Breastfeeding week marks the signing of the WHO/UNICEF document Innocenti Declaration, which lists the benefits of breastfeedking, and global & governmental goals.

The first record for a single location was from Berkeley, CA USA in 2002 where 1,130 mothers breastfed simultaneously. The international record for one location is 3,738 mothers held by the Philippines in 2006. The Big Latch On began in New Zealand in 2005, then in America in Portland, Oregon in 2010. Here is information on how to create your own location for the event. It is a great way for women to bring attention to the benefits of breastfeeding. The goal is to get as many women as possible to latch on at the same time to set a world record and start dialogues about breastfeeding. If you want to find a location close to you check out the Big Latch On site for a listing of locations.

In Richmond you can find event information here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=213918441987341

For information nationally you can visit: http://www.biglatchon.org/

This sounds like a fun way to show your support for breastfeeding, and  also to meet other moms in your community!

We hope to hear all about the event from you! What do you think of the idea?