Sciatic Pain…such a painful thing during pregnancy. Some women never get it, some get it once in a while and others get it the entire time. I was one of those how had it the whole time during my first and my second pregnancy so I have done a ton of research and tried many different things to ease the pain because unfortunately moms to be…nothing will make the pain go away except getting that baby out of you!

What is sciatica?
According to the American Pregnancy Association the sciatic nerve runs under your uterus to your legs. The cause of sciatic nerve pain is thought to be associated with pressure on the nerve caused by the developing baby. The nerve pain feels like a pinched nerve from the back of the thigh and buttocks, lower part of the leg and the sole of the foot.  It can be a constant pain or come and go depending on how the baby is sitting.

Here are some tips and tricks I used to ease the pain. I will be honest many people told me to keep getting massages which is great but it only eased the pain for like 30 minutes and it came back again so wasn’t a very cost effective solution for me.

Tips

• Always lie on the side opposite of your sciatic nerve pain.  You want to ease the pressure on the nerve.
• Avoid standing for long periods of time.  If you have to, try to put more pressure on the side that does not hurt.
• Keep good posture:  When you are working on your computer for hours or carrying your other child on your hip, keep your back straight.  Slumping will put more pressure on your back and irritate your nerve.
• Use a heating pad where the pain hurts the most for a short period of time.

Strategies for help ease the pain

Do the following exercising 2-3 times a day.  These may seem like simple exercises but I promise it will really help ease the pain.

• Pelvic Rock
  • To start this exercise, lay down on the floor on your knees with your hand straight out on the floor in front of you.  Drop your head and roll back upwards one vertebrae at a time.  Make sure you tighten your stomach and buttocks while doing this.  Your back should be parallel to the floor.  Then again one vertebrae at a time, slowly move back into the position you started.  Do this for at least 30 times throughout the day.  This exercise will help the uterus move up and away from the pelvis and reduce the amount of pressure on your sciatic nerve.  This one is really important to do before you get into bed.
• Thigh Stretch
  • Sit straight up in a chair, place the leg that does not have pain on the floor and place the leg with the sciatic nerve pain underneath the knee of your painless leg. Slowly move forward towards your foot on the floor while keeping your back straight. This will give a nice stretch to your buttocks and upper thigh, again easing the pain of your sciatic nerve.
• Swimming
  • This is one of the best exercising you can do to help ease the sciatic pain.  Focus on doing laps for about 20 minutes a day and the pressure off your leg will feel at ease.
• Acupuncture
  • Set up an appointment to get a treatment done to see if this is for you. It’s a great and natural way to reduce that pressure on your nerve.

Positive reinforcement is a tool used by parents and teachers and caregivers to modify their children’s behavior by reinforcing desired behaviors.  As an educator, learning different ways of positive reinforcements to use on children was very important.  It is a great tool to motivate children, to encourage them to do their chores, brush their teeth, do their homework so on so forth. There are 2 different types of positive reinforcements. Extrinsic rewards are those rewards provided by someone else. Intrinsic rewards are the rewards a person gets from within. Both of these rewards are used for everyone. Lately I have been using a lot of positive reinforcement methods with my children to motivate and encourage them to do things on a day-to-day basis.  Check out our post on the Chores and Rewards System for all aged kids

List of positive reinforcements:

1. To encourage my children to sleep in their rooms the whole night, and without them tip toeing into our room, I started a sticker chart for them.  You have to set up a goal.  I told them if they get 7 stickers in a row, they then can get a prize. I change-up my rewards.  I have them choose what they want to do such as, take them to the yogurt shop, or treat them to their favorite restaurant or go to the park.  I change it up because giving the same reward each time after a while get’s boring.  Click here for: Sticker Chart or for a printable one

2. Everyday either before bedtime, or in the afternoon before their playtime, I always have them do quite time and quite time in our household is usually pick 2 books and look through the books or mommy or daddy will read to them to you. This encourages them to have a “moment” to themselves, and settle down before we transition to something else such as bed time or nap.

3. A method I use to use when I was teaching my Kindergarten class was “The Marble Jar” which was an awesome tool to use for positive behavior.  This method can be used for many behaviors that you feel your child needs help with. For example, cleaning up the toy room, or your child not listening to you when you tell them to do something or not finishing their homework.  All you need is a large jar and a bag of marbles.  Every time your child does something good, or something positive, you add a marble (s). Every time they do something not cooperative then you take marble(s) away. Set a goal if the jar fills up they then get a reward, or if the jar has a certain amount they get an award.

4. A verbal positive reinforcement is always the natural easiest way.  We sometimes forget that “everyone needs a pat on the back”, when something is accomplished or done well.  Children and we as adults need that as well! Lately I have been verbally telling my children that “they did an awesome job cleaning up their play room,” or saying “Thank You” for listening to me when I told them to do something”, so on so forth.  Just a “Thank You”, or “Good Job”, encourages people and makes them feel good and it does the same to children as well.

5. Have your child choose what kind of reward they would like when they accomplish something. Make a chart and have them tick off whichever one they would like so you can alternate the rewards plus it is not repetitive.  Click here for an example of a chart

What methods or tools do you use with your children for positive reinforcement? 

- Shraddha

Also check out our previous posts on sign language:

• Benefits of teaching your baby sign language
• Building communication skills at a young age: important signs to teach your child

$75 value Giveaway: Deluxe Baby Sign Language Kit

This Deluxe Baby Sign Language Kit includes:
Guide Book, 600 Word Dictionary, 52 Flash Cards and
a 24′ x 36′ Wall Chart.

When I had Ayven, I felt like nursing took over my life!  I was stressed about not knowing when to pump, if I was pumping enough, if I would reach my goal of 1 year for nursing.  It’s like you become stuck in this tunnel where you can’t think about anything else.  I was constantly googling “how to increase my milk supply” desperately looking for something to triple the amount I was making.  Check out our post on six ways to increase your milk supply.

One thing I learned about nursing the second time around is that your stress level makes a HUGE impact on the amount of milk you make.  Relax your body and don’t push yourself too much because it will become unhealthy.  I know it is way easier said than done because even I find myself stressing at times with my second son.

So I was fortunate that my mom came to stay with me the first month my son was born.  She made me this natural tea at home that was amazing for my body.  This tea is supposed to help your cleanse your body, help get your stomach down and help increase your milk supply.  Guess what, it did all three of these for me!  Let’s just say with Ayven the first time I pumped I barely pumped out an ounce.  With my second son, I drank so much of this tea the first time I pumped, which was the 2nd week I had him, I pumped out 4oz!  I was simply amazed.

The Methi Seeds will increase your breast milk production, the Fennel seeds helps with lactation and is a great digestive aid for moms and prevents colic in babies.  It is not for babies, just through the breast milk and the Dill Seeds stimulate breast milk production.

Also check out our post on 10 things you need by yours side while nursing!

It is such an easy and inexpensive tea to make.  Here’s the secret recipe!

Check out the recipe!

Here is the link to the different types of seeds

• Methi seeds
• Dill Seeds.
• Fennel Seeds

One other tip, in your busy life it is very easy to forget to drink this tea.  Make the tea and put it in water bottles so that you can load up your refrigerator and grab a bottle when you need it.  This made a huge difference for me!

Oh yeah and all that breast milk you make can be used as remedies for other ailments!  Check out our post on top 7 uses of breast milk other than feeding the baby

Today, check out three of our favorite alternatives to the more common summer sweet treats.  And share with us any recipes you have for healthier summer snacks by leaving a comment below.  We love hearing from you!

Also, check out our posts for Chai Mommas Puja’s yummy fruit skewers (could totally dip these skewers into the cocoa almond spread which is in the apple recipe below) and Reena’s fun yogurt snacks.  These are great alternatives too!

- Chai Mommas

 

Toasted Coconut Flakes

Simply take unsweetened coconut flakes and stir in a ceramic pan on medium heat until they are slightly brown

Let them cool and enjoy!!

Cocoa, Almond, Granola, Apple Slices

 1. Wash and cut apple into slices

 2. Spread the top of the slice with cocoa
      almond spread

 3. Sprinkle with granola

Pineapple, Mango & Carrot Juice Popsicles

 1. Juice one mango and ½ a pineapple, set aside

 2. Remove pulp

 3. Juice 4-5 carrots (add an inch of ginger to the juicer
if you like a little kick)  

 4. Mix the juices and pour into popsicle trays and freeze

Life is great after your baby is born and you are still in the hospital.  People are waiting on you hand and foot, the nurses are changing your diapers and only hand your baby over for cuddle time and feeding time.  You have people helping you get out of bed and meals given to you on demand and at scheduled times.  I remember after nursing so much, all I had to do was to press a button and a midnight snack would be on my table.  Then you come home and reality hits.  There are blankets all over the house, you are on 2 hours of sleep and preparing a meal is simply not an option during the 2 minute break you get..that’s why I would really recommend everyone out there who have friends that are expecting to use Mealtrain.

I participated in one for a really good friend of mine and I know it was a savior when she got a nice home cooked meal on the table without lifting a finger.

What is it?

It’s a free and organized way for you to help prepare meals for the new family without all the hassle of figuring out what they like to eat, what they are  allergic to and which diet restriction they have.  The website is very user friendly and flexible enough so you can really help the new family.  Check out our post on how to really help a new mom when a newborn arrives

How does it work?

You get together a list of friends who are interested in helping the new family out.  You then go to the website and create a shared calender and fill out the new family’s preferences such as what they like to eat, what they don’t like to eat, when they would like a meal brought to them and so much more.

You then send out that calender to your list of friends and they can start choosing dates and times and meals to bring based on the preferences set when you set up the calender.  The functionality includes

• Real-time meal calendar
• Ability to customize dates, times, and meal preferences
• Invitations via e-mail and facebook
• Reminder emails
• Add booked dates to a personal calendar automatically

Here is a video on how it work:

Guess what?  The best part is, you get a chance to meet the new baby at the same time when you drop off the meal.  Remember just stay for 10 to 15 minutes as it’s not a get together, just a time to give the new mom a moment.

So for everyone out there who have expecting friends or family set up a Meal Train and give them their mommy moment

No one really knows why leg cramps affect so many women during pregnancy, especially during the second trimester.

Reasons that some think cause these leg spasms:

• Carrying around that ever-growing butter ball and extra weight in your belly
• Extra pressure on your blood vessels which return blood from your legs to your heart
• Extra pressure on your nerves that go from your trunk to your legs

So after googling “pregnancy leg cramps” and talking to my doctor, here’s what I learned and what I have tried to proactively prevent these excruciating cramps.  And so far, it seems to be helping.

Preventing pregnancy leg cramps/spasms:

1. Try to limit sitting (or standing) with legs crossed.
2. Every hour or so, remember to stretch your calf muscles by bringing your toes back toward your shins and pointing them toward the ceiling for a few seconds and then releasing/relaxing.  It doesn’t help to point the toes downward so avoid that. Do this several times right before bedtime too.
3. Remember to lay down on your left side which improves circulation in your legs.
4. Limit walking in heels or even wedges.  Instead stick to wearing comfortable shoes with good support.  I stick with flats most of time.
5. While sitting at your desk at work, eating meals or even while you’re relaxing watching your favorite shows, remember to rotate your ankles and wiggle your toes.  I did this on my flight last weekend too and it helped.
6. Get in some exercise by taking a short walk every day.  Check with your doctor or care provider first though and make sure it’s ok for you to exercise.
7. But avoid getting too tired!!
8. Stay hydrated.

What to do if you If you do get a cramp?

• Immediately stretch your calf muscles as I described in #2. It might be painful to do this, but it will really help relax and ease the leg cramp/spasm and the cramp will gradually…hopefully not gradually…go away.
• Sometimes, actually walking around for a few minutes can help but this doesn’t usually work for me.  Stretches seem to work better.
• You can also try to relax leg cramps by massaging the muscle by stroking from top to bottom of the affected area.

Also yoga seem to really help- check out Chai Momma Puja’s post on getting a good night’s sleep during pregnancy and her VIDEO on simple stretches for leg cramping that helped her get through pregnancy!

Of course, if your pain is more consistent you may need to call your doctor.  Pregnant women are more prone to blood clots so you want to make sure to get checked out.

Hope this helps all your mommas to be out there!!

- Shraddha

Of course, there was the occasional whine of boredom or cry of annoyance over the fact that he couldn’t move around as freely as he’s used to at home.  But overall, he was really, really good.  I guess we learn from trial and error and here’s a few things that I learned from this first flight that I thought I’d share.  Some things that I did that really helped, other things that I should have done and will definitely consider for the next plane ride to who knows where…hopefully, somewhere warm and tropical.

Share your flying with babies/kids tips and tricks by leaving a comment below too!!

Safe travels,

Shraddha

1. Get to airport early

So our flight was scheduled to depart at 6:45am.  And we thought that leaving by 5:30am would give us enough time.  Plus, it’s hard enough for us to get up earlier than 5am that we just couldn’t imagine waking up a baby.  But it was the best flight time from our choices and we went with it.  I guess in retrospect, I would have rather taken a later flight or gone a day earlier.  I think because it was so early it was hard to get out of the house any earlier than we did.  But you need more time with a baby (I say give yourself a good 1.5 to 2 solid hours) to get through the entire check-in/security process compared to when it’s just you.  We had to park, take elevators since we had his stroller and could have benefitted from more time.

2. Get a seat for the baby too

We just figured it would be fine to travel with Jai sitting on our laps.  And for the most part it worked.  But there were many times during the flights that both of wished that we had that extra seat.  My husband is a tall guy at 6’3″ and already struggles with flying being all cramped up in these poor excuses for seats on planes thesedays.  With a busy toddler on his lap and a pregnant wife beside him, we think it might have been better to have that extra seat.  If you’re traveling with an infant, I think it’s a really good idea to get that extra seat and bring a car seat on board (let them know when you’re purchasing the ticket and also at check in that you want to bring it with you) to have somewhere to put the baby when you’re not feeding, when baby’s sleeping or when you need a break.  I’ve seen flight attendants help moms install the car seat on the plane too.  So don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it!

3.  Pre-board

If it’s easier for you, then definitely take advantage of pre-boarding.  Some moms I talked to prefer to board last so that they can tire their kids out before boarding in hopes that they will sleep easily on the plane.  On the way back, we decided to step up and pre-board with first class passengers.  They didn’t announce pre-boarding for anyone such as the elderly, disabled or people traveling with kids…so we just stepped up in line.  It worked out so well.  We didn’t feel as rushed.  We left our stroller at the gate, boarded with just ourselves, one carry on and my diaper bag.  There were hardly any people on the plane at that point too so getting situated was so much easier.  Compared to our flight to Dallas where we boarded almost last since we were pushing it time-wise, this was such a breeze.

4. Make sure to be clear that you need seats together when booking flight

For some reason, my husband and I didn’t get seats together when we booked.  And on the way there, it wasn’t a big deal to get new seat assignments with the agent at the counter when we checked in.  But on the way back, we ran into the same issue and when I went to the gate agent to ask her to get us seated together…she for one, seemed annoyed then proceeded to tell me that it was impossible at this point.  Then after me just standing there for ten minutes…she looked up and said I think this can work and handed me two boarding passes with seats 22E and 22F.  Thank God!  I was so nervous at what we were going to do if she coudn’t make it work for some reason.  And nervous at the thought of having to scuffle around and convince people to trade with us once we boarded.  I hate doing that so again, being clear with this is a good idea.

5. Just remember going through security will 99% suck but having a systematic approach helps

So we made it in the airport with all our gear – woo hoo!  But then the dreaded security check.  Our departing airport didn’t have a family line…was kind of annoyed with that since we were already running late and I think it may have helped smooth out the process some.  But oh well.  Again, another thing to keep in mind…not all airports are the same!  It’s best to keep it simple.  What I mean by this is…be prepared.  Keep everything organized and in it’s home.  If you’re traveling with your husband or partner, then designate tasks.  We decided to gate check our umbrella stroller (a great idea to have by the way!) which meant we had to go through security with it.  That was a pain…but we got all the major pieces on first – like the carry on suitcase, the diaper bag (which I took out his milk and water) and my purse (which I took out the ipad).  Then we took off all our shoes (I’ll get back to the shoes in a second) and put them in their own bin along with belts, watches and phones.  Finally, we took Jai out of the stroller, put the stroller on the conveyor belt and I carried him with me through the check.  Of course, Jai was screaming, people were staring at us but we had a system in place, we tried to stay calm…and it worked to keep the chaos to a minimum.

6. Designate a “home” for everything

Ok so remember in lesson #5 I talk about keeping it all organized with everything having its own home.  Well, we learned our lesson with this one.  During all of the craziness of getting on the plane during the flight to Dallas, we didn’t put our driver’s licenses back in our wallets.  They ended up in the side zip pocket of the carry on suitcase.  This became a big problem after we landed in Dallas and needed ID’s to get our rental car.  The Dallas airport is going through major changes right now and so we decided it was better for me to wait near baggage claim with Jai while Hitesh took a shuttle to the rental pickup area.  Of course Hitesh got all the way down there to realize that he didn’t have his license in his wallet.  He had to come all the way back and then go back again, wait in a long line…all while we are waiting for him…it sucked.  Of course, I was lucky that Mr. Jai was content eating snacks and playing with the iPad the entire time or we would have been in big trouble!  Moral of the story is – keep your id’s, important documents in the right place – in their home – no matter what.  Traveling with kids can leave your brain mushy and foggy…but stay clear with this to save time and future annoyances.

7. Know the rules

Ok back to lesson #5 again…remember how I also mentioned shoes?  Well, in Dallas after getting through Security…this darling little agent told me laughingly…next time, don’t take your son’s shoes off.  You don’t have to take their shoes off for anyone who is 12 and under.  I had no idea.  And I would have loved to have known this before hand because Jai was already annoyed and it sent him over the edge when I tried to take his shoes off only to put them back on again a few minutes later.  Every little thing helps and knowledge of this would have too.

8. Apologize in advance

So as soon as we settled in…I introduced myself to the girl sitting next to us and also loudly announced in advance so that everyone could hear me – those seated in front and especially the back of us –  that this was Jai’s first flight and that we weren’t sure how he was going to do but that we apologize for any annoying crying or disturbances coming from our direction.  The girl seated next to us was so nice about everything even letting me invade her space a little if I needed. She even tried to entertain Jai some.  On the flight back, I did the same thing and I think people appreciate hearing it from parents.  I know there are going to be annoyed people no matter what you say or do to help pacify the situation…like the guy who’s seat Jai accidentally kicked maybe three times.  But overall, I think it helps to break the ice and most people are usually receptive to it.

9. Watch that sippy cup

So there was a little water show on the flight to Dallas.  We soaked ourselves plus the bald guy’s head who was seated in front of us along with the nice girl next to us amongst others.  After Jai had a snack, I went to offer him some water.  I pulled out the sippy cup, opened the top and water sprayed out everywhere.  Hitesh was like “what are you doing?!!!” And I was so startled that I even tried to open it once more to see if it would happen again.  I know dumb…but I was so surprised.  But pressure changes during air flight can cause spillproof sippy cups (the ones with valves) to leak. So the best thing to do I’ve learned is to only fill them halfway, unscrew the top a few times during the ascent to equalize the pressure inside and outside of the cup and you should be ok.  Luckily, people found the water to be “refreshing” as one guy jokingly told me.  Thanks goodness for the humor he had!

10. Use the bathroom ahead of time

It helps to use the bathroom right before you board or as soon as you’re settled on the plane. It’s one less thing to have to get up for later.  Of course depending on how long your flight is…or if you’re pregnant, etc…you may have to go again.  But at least you’re good for awhile and if baby happens to fall asleep in your lap you won’t have to disturb him to get up and go.

11. Speak UP

One thing I noticed on the trip is that in general, people are willing to help when they see you with lots of bags and a baby in tow.  Hitesh was able to handle most of it…but if we needed it, there was a helping hand.  It made me feel better for any future traveling I may do solo with kids.  But if people don’t offer, then speak up and just ask.  Ask nicely.  Most people are gracious enough to offer a hand or two.

12. Keep calm and carry on

This goes for everyone who is traveling with you too.  Young children and babies don’t always understand that concept…we can’t expect them to.  But as adults, we must be patient and give off a calmness even when we are agitated, annoyed and stressed.  Kids feed off of our energy and if they sense our frustration, things usually only get worse.  So take a deep breath and remember, this too shall pass.  You will get on the plane eventually, get off the plane eventually and get to where you’re going, eventually.  So relax.

13. Laugh it all off

I found myself laughing numerous times during our travels to Dallas and back.  Laughter is kind of my therapy and how I deal with weird, tricky, complicated situations…sometimes, my laughter is completely inappropriate.  But I found that even when I had the most anxiety, like when Jai’s sippy cup exploded and became an unwanted shower for all of us…I was able to laugh it off.  You kind of have to.  Unforeseen things happen when it’s just you traveling yourself and with kids it becomes even more of a guarantee that something may not go quite as you planned.  But if you can roll with it and just have a a little sense of humor about it…you tend to move on and get over the annoyances quicker.

14. Ignore when necessary

You will encounter people who have no patience for a baby or kid on a plane.  And they will boldly stare at you, give you annoying looks.  Looks that will make you feel like a bad parent for not having you kid under control…leaving you to feel even more out of control and even more upset that you can’t stop your kid from crying, kicking, screaming, laughing – yes, some people get annoyed with laughing babies too.  To the ONE – yep just one – guy who gave us several mean looks when we were traveling back to Orange County…we saw you and chose to ignore you.  Because I know even 100 apologies would not have changed anything for you.  Please know that we did everything we could to stop our curious, busy Jai from kicking your seat the four times that he did.

What other tips do you have that Chai Mommas can share.  Click here for more Chai Mommas Tuesday Tips