Why I love Kate If a picture is worth a thousand words, this picture is surely priceless. First, let me say that I paid no attention to anything surrounding Kate’s pregnancy or delivery. I rarely watch TV, and I ignored everything about this event in social media. Then this photo was released. And, now I must confess, that I love Kate. Why do I love her? Because she had the guts to greet the press for the first time post baby looking absolutely radiant, while making no effort to “hide” the fact that she had just given birth. She appeared in a beautiful dress with an empire waist; which if anything, highlighted the fact that she (gasp!) still has a belly. Although you wouldn’t know it from looking at any of the media surrounding most Hollywood stars departing the hospital, the fact is that MOST women still look pregnant after giving birth. Like 5 months pregnant. And it USUALLY takes 6-8 weeks for the uterus to return to its normal size. What Kate has done in 5 minutes is give permission to women to be proud of their beautiful bodies after giving birth. She made the effort to look beautiful (yes, we can argue that she most likely had a hairstylist, makeup artist, etc. work with her prior to the photo-op); but, the point remains that she did not attempt to cover up her abdomen with the baby, a blanket, a black dress, or Spanx. She owned the way she looked. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could see more and more women “owning” their look? Imagine a culture where we didn’t even have to have this discussion! A culture that recognizes that our bodies take time to expand to carry a baby, and time to become the post baby […]
Read more →Donna was overjoyed when she gave birth to her “miracle baby”—Kelly Grace—last year. But shortly after her C-section, the 46-yearold software consultant from West Springfield began to experience pain in her right hip, which grew steadily worse over the next 12 months. Her family doctor referred her to Mark McMahon, MD, at Commonwealth Orthopaedics, who performed arthroscopic hip surgery in May. Although the procedure relieved Donna’s pain, Dr. McMahon recommended post-operative physical therapy to strengthen her muscles and prevent the problem from recurring. For six weeks, she worked with Ann Wendel, PT, ATC, a physical therapist specially trained in core stabilization and Pilates at Commonwealth’s Springfield office. “Core stabilization involves exercises for the deep abdominal muscles, trunk extensor muscles and deep muscles of the back that control rotational movement of the spine,” Wendel explains. “Donna’s pregnancy and C-section had weakened those muscles and made her especially vulnerable to low back and pelvic injuries. loans fl Donna has regained flexibility and stamina as a result of core stabilization and Pilates at Commonwealth. We focused on a combination of flexibility, balance and hip strengthening exercises tohelp her return to her normal activities and quality of life.” Donna saw Wendel twice a week and practiced daily exercises at home. Her routine included basic moves such as walking sideways, pivoting and turning, and gradually putting more weight on her hip to strengthen it. “Chasing around after my daughter involves every kind of movement imaginable—walking, running, lifting her out of the tub. I never realized how much my core is involved in these simple moves and what a difference good abdominal strength would make in my daily life,” she says. It also was beneficial to perform the exercises under the guidance of a physical therapist with extensive training in core stabilization and Pilates methods. Ann […]
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