Young Mothers..overdoing it.

I treat a lot of young and expecting Mothers. I see a trend of young women wanting to have it all. They want to keep up with their full yoga and work out schedule, keep working, keep nursing their last baby when they find they are pregnant with their next. They want to keep their figure as much as possible during pregnancy so they keep running or exercising compulsively. On the other hand I see women who want to eat everything and use pregnancy as an excuse to eat everything under the sun including sweets and too many fats. I have seen bad outcomes with this type of thinking. I have seen young women get really skinny, tired and too weak to give birth naturally, ending in cesarian births. I have seen women lose teeth and hair and have health issues because they are too burned out.

I remember those days well. Mothering of young children can be the most stressful time in life, even though you love the process too. I encourage these young women to set better boundaries for themselves and their family.

Creating balance of course is the key and challenging. But my recommendations include eating really well for two. You are building your baby's body, brain and destiny with the foods you eat, so choose it wisely. Don't exercise as much. Don't worry about your body image, if you are eating sensibly. You need fat to build the baby brain and nervous system. Rest and keep your schedule a little lighter. Extra energy should go to the baby in utero. Wean the nursing child right away. Allow the natural yin, the natural passive energy of the feminine to build the baby inside. It's better not to rush around and over do it during pregnancy. Save some energy for yourself and the birth process and recovery. Things will come out so much better.