mighty moms

Would you like to share your experiences of your chronic low back pain ?

The interview will be 1-1 which will take place online

It will take approximately 30 MINS

If your interested please contact:

Researcher: Houzayfa Bashir

Email: 190062664@aston.ac.uk

#chronic #BackPain #MightyMoms #MightyDads

During your baby's first years, they will grow trillions of brain-cell connections, called neural synapses. Brain development can continue until age 25, but babies have the most development up to age 9.

The importance of synapses can not be understated & is a ‘use it or lose it’ function. In fact, toddlers have more synapses than an adult! These synapses grow as early as the first couple weeks in utero.

How babies develop has many layers, but studies show interactive activities are a core component. Parents have many activities to pick from: social, artistic, and a popular choice is Baby + Me Yoga classes. Enhancing a baby’s brain power can be found in many components of a baby-specific class and into toddler or, ‘Tot and me’, classes that are offered.

The most important element of Baby + Me is the parent. Not only are the skills below crucial to childhood development, stress management skills for adults are included as part of a specialized Baby + Me class, and taught from a therapeutic lense. Long-term emotional skills are learned from daily interactions with the parent. Coming to a class is a learning experience for both adult and baby, enabling a parent with tools to use for years to come.

Tailored yoga for your baby or toddler includes the following key ingredients to a healthy baby prime for physical, emotional, and mental development long term. If yoga isn’t for your family, you’ll want to look for these these categories.

Classes that include:

- Emotional resiliency / naming emotions enables less stress growing into the teen years.
- Interactive play shows a child how they can interact with the world, developing social skills.
- Baby massage not only reduces stress and improves sleep, it increases brain size compared to babies who aren’t touched as much.
- Use of funny talk, faces and gestures helps children talk & absorb language. Baby + Me classes add these elements along with nursery rhymes allowing for repetition of information, language, & connection with others.
- Responding to crying seems simple but a parent holding and cuddling, and your day-to-day engagement with your baby, signal emotional security to the brain. You’ll learn tactics to use in and out of the class.
- Being attentive and focused on your child for a period of time each day (throughout the day) builds long-term trust for your baby. Participating in a Baby + Me class allows for that uninterrupted time & short exercises you can do at home.
- Express joy and interest in your baby. Let your body language, your shining eyes, your attentiveness to babbling and baby activities, and your gentle caresses and smiles, validate the deeply lovable nature of your little one.

To learn more about specialized Baby + Me Yoga, or how the parent can improve their own stress & emotional skills for the child’s long term success, you can go to wellandzenyoga . com.

#neuroscience #postpartum #PostpartumAnxiety #mom #MightyMoms #Pregnancy #Stress

##MightyMoms #wedorecover

From the outside the postpartum journey looks like baby cuddles and pure joy. Family and friends see the photos on social media full of delicate baby faces and even some smiles.

What isn’t seen is the lack of sleep and deprivation that comes with having a baby, especially a first child. The depletion of being “on” 24/7” over time has a significant impact on the caretakers and mothers.

When the lack of sleep, enough food, sometimes support all come together it creates a perfect storm, initially staved off by the adrenaline.

I remember waking every hour and a half to feed and I promise, nothing can prepare a new parent for that reality.

What’s talked about even less is postpartum anxiety and especially postpartum anxiety after the first six months of baby’s life. I was waking every hour or two, but I couldn’t always sleep in between feedings. I’d be anxious about the baby waking and then I’d be pulled out of a deep sleep in a panic. It’s not uncommon for parents to also check on baby to make sure baby is breathing, or sometimes you’re stressed and feel the need to check just because. That’s if baby is sleeping at night and on a new sleep rhythm!

This is the reality for new moms.

After months of having a baby, the worry is still there. The questions and concerns grow.

Is baby sleeping enough ? Do I sleep training ? Do I have the right kind of support ? What about daycare? Can I continue to breastfeed? How do I manage work and being a parent ? How do I know I’m a good mom? Why do I feel shame about staying at home?

The pressures of motherhood begin to look like a mountain that needs climbing.

I had a good handle on my generalized anxiety and life stresses before pregnancy. The hormones threw me off, especially after birth and even more so after baby had been in the world for a few months. What’s not talked about is how this manifests physically and what you can do for support.

First - always seek help from a mental health provider. Postpartum Support International can be a great place to start talking to someone or be referred to a licensed professional counselor or a medical doctor who can prescribe medications.

Second - when those moments of pure anxiety build up, don’t run away from the anxiety. Often times anxious women feel the need to run from their feelings. Breathe into the discomfort. You can take conscious inhales and longer exhales. This is a technique that can be used anytime and in the moment.

Third - surround yourself with community and support. It truly does “take a village” to raise children. Grant yourself permission to only be around others who are helpful and not causing more stress.

Fourth - always speak to a medical professional if you start to notice physical signs of stress such as headaches, chronic pain, and increased blood pressure.

The stresses of parenthood will continue over time and one challenge will be replaced with another. The new normal is fresh and it takes a lot of time to adjust past that initial three month postpartum phase. Know you aren’t alone and help is out there.

Rocking my grandson back to sleep and I go watch his mama’s Snapchat. Having fun at the Wiz Khalifa concert. She recorded a video of the song “Young, Wild & Free” and it just made my heart happy. Cause you really are doing the damn thing Bug ❤️ 7 years ago no one knew we’d be where we’re at today. 7 years ago I never thought we’d be ok. The little worries and fights in life don’t matter anymore because all in all, we’re all ok. Just having a surreal moment sitting here holding my sleeping grandson 💙 #Family #TheMighty #MightyMoms #MyHeart #wedorecover #MentalHealth #AddictionRecovery

Hello all, i look forward to sharing my story and empowering others! This is my first t step toward my own personal blog. Please feel free to share your thoughts/constructive criticism and ideas!
#MightyMoms #risetogther #helpmehelpyou

I AM grateful for today. The Ease and Grace that I was hoping for yet not expecting was very welcomed. I was able to be out of bed, did some housework and chilled watching a movie and a basketball game online with the kids. I am grateful that my children aren’t too worried about gifts and things. It’s different now that they are teens. Thankfully cash is in, and it doesn’t require wrapping 😎🤣☃️🎄❄️🤣. Hope you got some merry love today ~ and if not…I’m send some your way🎄❤️❤️❤️ # fibro #MightyMoms #2021 #Love #EASE #Grace #Christmas #ChronicIlless #braveface

One of the issues that stops people from asking for help is the stigmatized use of anti-depressants.

Every person and every battle is unique and we should utilize every reliable, safe and helpful tool available we have to help people battle mental health related problems.

Being on anti-depressants is not a failure, it can be a blessing and help regain some quality of life.

Eliminating food intolerances, improving gut health, getting fresh air, talking to a qualified licensed mental health professional, exercise, acupuncture, vitamins, sunlight, petting animals, being part of a community and getting enough sleep have all been shown to improve mental health through the release of endorphins.

These can all be used along with anti-depressants or as a stand alone treatment depending on your diagnosis.

However, if you are feeling lost or hopeless, these self care tips can be extremely difficult, so it's up to the people around you and yourself to check in.

If someone you know is struggling, you can start being there for them today by just asking them to go for a walk, taking them to a cat cafe to cuddle kittens, or just be there so that THEY can TALK.

We are all in this together.

As a bipolar mama of an almost one year old, I can say, getting back to my regular dosage of meds after having to be off for nearly two years because I was pregnant and breastfeeding, has been one of those most draining tasks, but here I am, and I am so proud of myself.

My daughter is fed, nourished, happy, thriving, growing and mama needs to be too so I said, it’s time to pull out the freezer breast milk, dry up my remaining supply and start showing up for me so I can keep showing up for my baby girl.

Showing compassion, understanding and empathy when dealing with mental illness should be a default.

We can't keep ignoring and losing beautiful people who have so much to give, we can do this.

There is no shame to be felt when saying you are not okay, but getting there. I’m right there with you will always hold space here for those of us continually being the silent warriors when society calls us weak.

#BipolarDisorder #Bipolar2Disorder #BipolarDepression #Depression #MightyMoms #Antidepressants