Clark’s birth took less than one hour, but the greater birth story encompasses a full month of Divine unfolding, relentless attachment to expectations, sweet surrender, and some (not-so-awesome) surprises. In my previous three birth experiences, I had never made it to a due date, let alone beyond 41 weeks. So, when I made plans for birth doula and postpartum doula support, I mistakenly assumed we would have a “standard” Hemphill birth experience. We chose to fly out our birth doula, Dr. Erica Boland of BIRTHFIT Wisconsin, just days before my due date. In all honesty, I feared the baby would come before she arrived. The plan was for Erica to stay with us until baby came or for one week (whichever was later). At the end of that week, our postpartum doula, Karen Sapp (aka “Cakes” and mother of Dr. Lindsay Mumma, BIRTHFIT NC), would arrive and stay for about 10 days. I thought it was so beautifully timed but Clark had other plans. My due date came and went and took my calm resolve … [Read more...]
Lifting Modifications for the Second Trimester — As Seen on BIRTHFIT
Working out in the Second Trimester – Weightlifting Welcome to the second trimester! By the numbers, this timeframe is widely regarded as weeks 13-27. This can be both an awesome and frustrating time for the pregnant athlete. It’s awesome because her cardiovascular and respiratory adaptations will have taken place resulting in her feeling like the super fit super woman that she is; she may be ready to get after it in the gym! At the same time, it can be frustrating as her bump “pops,” she may notice more fullness in her pelvis, a Diastasis Rectus Abdominis (DRA) in movement, and even a shifting center of mass. Coach Greg Glassman describes virtuosity as “performing the common uncommonly well.” It’s a hallmark characteristic of any true master regardless of the craft. It’s an egoless commitment to fundamentals and it’s especially important for the pregnant athlete. Tips for Lifting With a Growing Bump To help navigate this widely varied timeframe, here are six guiding … [Read more...]
Mind Body Nourishment for Families — As Seen on BIRTHFIT
If you’ve been to a BIRTHFIT Seminar or have seen one of BIRTHFIT’s Mind Body Nourishment webinars (here, here, and here), you may be familiar with setting down the what-to-eat side of nutrition and investigating who-we-are-as-eaters. This paradigm shift is based on the work of Marc David from the Institute for the Psychology of Eating. Recently, I’ve been asked how to bring these principles into the family environment. How do we raise children with positive relationships to food and body? Feeding Your Family without Stress Similar to my personal, imperfect relationship with food and body, I also imperfectly apply the following principles with my children/family. I, too, am trying to rewrite old patterns and it’s messy. Sometimes I bribe my kids with dessert. Sometimes I cut my kids off when I want to throw up for how much they’ve eaten. So be gentle with yourself. We’re in this together. Approach this from a place of playfulness and curiosity. After all, we know this promotes … [Read more...]
Unleash the Power of Rhythm — BIRTHFIT Webinar
Life is possible through rhythm: orbits, biogeochemical cycles, heart beat, breath, sleep, menstrual cycles, and metabolism. Without rhythm, disorder and disease occur. This is as true for heart arrhythmias as it is for metabolism. If you feel lost or uncomfortable in your relationship with food, rhythm is a beautiful place to start taking action. Learn how to work with your innate metabolic rhythm and how sleep complements this important Mind-Body Nutrition Dimension. This webinar will provide you action steps that are immediately applicable to your life and your future motherhood transitions. The big “so-what” around Mind-Body Nutrition is that what you eat isn’t the whole story of effective nutrition. Who you are as an eater (the thoughts, beliefs, and desires you bring to the table) informs your metabolism just as much, if not more, than what you actually consume. This is because digestion is optimized in the Parasympathetic state, or full Autonomic control. You can literally … [Read more...]
The Girl with the Butter – Podcast on Macros and Mindset
http://www.thegirlwiththebutter.com/86-the-psychology-of-eating-with-melissa-hemphill-why-who-we-are-as-eaters-matters-more-than-what-we-eat/ … [Read more...]
The Gift of Postpartum | As Seen on BIRTHFIT
I was an in-season, Division 1 pole vaulter when I found out I was pregnant. People told me my Olympic dreams were over. They said your body will never be the same after birth. You blew your chance. As a young, misinformed mother, I rushed through that first postpartum experience to prove everyone wrong. I had to return to competing as fast as possible. It was a time to push harder, be more disciplined, and get back on the runway. With this mindset, it took years to actually heal—not just physically either. On top of core and pelvic floor dysfunction, I was depressed and had all kinds of disordered eating habits. I didn’t see postpartum as a time to rebuild; I saw it as an unwanted obstacle to overcome. Returning to basics allows an athlete the opportunity to rewrite old programming and come back stronger. I didn’t get that my first postpartum. In fact, through my rushing, I made the recovery process 2-3x longer (hence the origin of “fast is slow”). Postpartum is an … [Read more...]
BIRTHFIT Coach Seminar, Venice CA
https://www.facebook.com/LoganGelbrich/videos/10101412531921746/ You know those events or moments in life where you just need a good nights sleep (or 2) to really digest and assimilate everything that happened? The first-ever, BIRTHFIT Coach Seminar was one of those events. For the entire last week, I've been reflecting on "what the heck just happened, how did this happen, and how do we do this again?" Being part of the seminar staff was such a gift. I was privileged to witness the long hours of behind-the-scenes prep, the beautiful, daily intention created by Dr. Lindsey Mathews, and the authenticity of the entire seminar (staff and participants alike). Most people signed up so that they could expand their coaching tools for their pregnant and postpartum athletes. They definitely got that... developmental kinesiology and ontogenesis, physiological adaptations during pregnancy, appropriate movements to train for birth, and to rehabilitate postpartum. What they … [Read more...]
Daily Practices | As Seen on BIRTHFIT
http://www.birthfit.com/2017/01/26/daily-practices-creating-space-evolve/ "We all love a sense of completion: arriving, finishing, mastery. Just the other day, I made a checklist and included things I had recently accomplished just so I could get the satisfaction of checking them off my list. True story. But BIRTHFIT’s four pillars – fitness, nutrition, mindset, and chiropractic – are not checklist items. The BIRTHFIT team often hears moms say, “I’ve got the [fitness, nutrition, mindset, chiropractic] pillar down, I just need help with this one.” That’s a red flag. We’re happy you have investigated some of the pillars, but you’re missing the point. The pillars are the path—not the destination. The path is made by walking it. Be in consistent action around the four pillars and you will ultimately find your life enriched by them. A statement like the one above also indicates a fixed, not growth, mindset. I certainly don’t think I have all the answers, but I do believe … [Read more...]
More Health Less Healthcare Feature
http://www.morehealthlesshealthcare.com/pregnancy/gainz/ … [Read more...]
Make Glorious, Amazing Mistakes – 2017 Intention
At yoga yesterday, I went to my mat with the intention of entering 2017 more grounded. If I'm being totally honest, my 2017 calendar is daunting. Between the active duty military opportunities, BIRTHFIT classes and workshops, and family events, I felt a little dizzy looking into next year. It's not just the time demands that frighten me, it's how I'm being called to show up at each engagement. I don't feel ready or qualified to lead in the way I want to lead. I have an abundance of positive intention but make mistakes despite it. The sweet yoga instructor seemed to see into my soul and shared this phenomenal quote from one of my all-time favorite authors, Neil Gaiman: "And for this year, my wish for each of us is small and very simple. And it's this. I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing … [Read more...]
