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Archive for March, 2010

Who’d have thought?

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

Hello,

Last week I was trying to get some work done, so I gave Little Miss my very special crayons.  These crayons are a mix of pastels and crayons, so they glide onto the paper beautifully and can be smudged.  I set Little Miss up behind my computer desk with her big drawing book and got on to the work I needed to do.  I swear it wasn’t even ten minutes later, Little Miss taps me on the arm and said “Look Mummy!”  Not only had she drawn some really fantastic pictures, she’d also drawn a wonderful, artistic piece of floor art.  On the floor boards.

Now I made the decision to leave the artwork on the floor because I was impressed by the drawing and I also wanted her daddy to see it.  Whilst I was amused and in a way proud, Daddy wasn’t.  So not long after, we cleaned it up.

Want to guess what we used to get the crayon off the floorboards?  No, not mop and bucket.  No, not Mr Sheen.  We used bum wipes.  They seem to have enough umph to get the muck off without damage.  Yay.

So now I’m going to share some of the other uses I have for bum wipes.

I have used them for cleaning my leather handbag, removing food/marker/mud off floor and walls, taking off makeup, freshening up my clothing when somethings been spilt on it, removal of vomit from car seats and obviously wiping bums.

What have you used in a way it wasn’t really intended for?

Em.

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The biggest buzz

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

Sometimes when I give a massage, it can be a magical experience.  When I know I’ve made my clients feel less pain, they come out smiling or it just feels great.

My favourite thing to happen is when massaging a pregnant belly, is for the bubs inside to move around underneath and chase my hands.  It’s amazing.  It’s like they want a massage too.  More soothing strokes.  More comforting.  Maybe this is the why bub’s respond so well to baby massage after they’ve been born.

Yesterday, I had a beautiful client and her bub was chasing my hands, so much, the bub was pushing up against my hands.  Love it.  It really is the biggest buzz.

Em.

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Research

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

Hi again,

Yesterday I was rabbiting on about research stuff that I didn’t like.  Today I going to mention some results of some studies conducted in Miami by Tiffany Field.

In a brief search on google scholar, I found several studies concluding massage during pregnancy is great for the mother.  This I already knew and had experienced.  What I also discovered was mothers who received massage regularly throughout their pregnancy were less likely to go into labour prematurely, had easier labours (now who doesn’t want that!) and were less likely to have post natal depression (another bonus!).  WOW!  Also, because the mothers have been happier and healthier during their pregnancies, their babies were also less likely to have a low birth weight and were less stressed.  Hmm.  Happy and healthy mum equals happy and healthy baby.  I don’t think there are many pregnant women out there who don’t want a happy and healthy baby do you?

Which makes me wonder why this information isn’t being shouted from the heavens.  Granted it’s great for my business to have this kind of study results, but you’d think midwives and doctors would almost be prescribing it too.

So start spreading the word.  Massage during pregnancy has the potential to make labour easier, baby’s happier and gives mum a chance to feel great.

Yes, this is the kind of research I like to hear about.

Enjoy!

Em.

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Preggi brain & mummy brain

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

Hi again.

We’ve all heard about pregnant women putting handbags in the fridge and seeming to be a little bit muddled right?  Apparently this is a myth or so some scientists say.  I personally wonder if they actually interviewed women who were pregnant but that’s another post about research.

What I wanted to tell you about is my brain.  Once upon a time, I was able to remember phone numbers, birthdays, anniversaries, places, events and muscle names.  Then I got pregnant.  Not only was I unable to remember my own phone number and what day it was, I found I couldn’t construct a sentence.  Simple words were lost.  As some people who know me will tell you, I’m verbose.  I talk lots and was a walking thesaurus for a while.  But with pregnancy, I lost my ability to be articulate.  I would also walk out of my office to go to the photocopier and forget what I was doing and where I was going as soon as I stepped through the door.  I also started dropping everything which wasn’t anything new but I was dropping things more often.

It’s been three years since then and I have improved.  Most of my vocabulary has returned, I have some idea what day it is but I still get stuck with remembering things.  I’ll sit down at the computer to look up something or email someone and forget what I was doing.  Muscle names are slowly coming back to me too.

There are many theories why this happens and here’s mine.  It’s exhaustion.  In the first trimester, all you want to do is sleep.  The growing bub is using up your energy.  Second trimester isn’t as bad, but by the time you get to the third trimester, your sleep is disrupted by needing to use the loo or bubs doing the merengue all night.  Once bub’s in born, sleep deprivation is cruel.  Bub’s will wake for a feed, a fresh nappy or cuddle whenever and what ever time it is.  Sometimes hourly.  Your brain is doing it’s best to just keep you functioning to remember what day it is and it’s your cousin’s birthday.  Information you learnt at school gets deleted as baby care takes up the space in your memory.  By the way, if it’s really, truly important, you’ll remember.  Eventually.

So, get the sleep you can, write everything down, keep a diary and if all else fails claim mummy brain.

Em.

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What’s been going on

Monday, March 15th, 2010

Hello again.

Recently I started work with a footy club.  It’s a local club with seniors, seconds and under18s.  Not a bad bunch.  I’ve been signed up as a sports trainer and mostly been using my massage skills to assist warm up.

I’ve been going for two weeks of training plus a practise match so far and the boys have figured out I’m a massage therapist.  I now have a list of players wanting massages pre-training/game.  Ain’t it great to be appreciated.

Now before you ask what’s this to do with pregnancy, it has very little to do with it.  Some of the players have kids and some are expecting them.  The reason I’ve taken this role is to do with skills.  I use some of the same techniques with both my client types but for sports people there are a few different ones, like ice massage.

So look out for me in the Essendon district league in the white pants (ick) sitting on the boundary or in the change rooms.

I’ve also had some really great pregnant clients and used the support system again.  Some of the mums found they preferred the side lying position and others were just relieved to be able to lay on their stomachs for a little while.

At the moment Little Miss is playing with my Russian nesting dolls.  My mum gave them to me for my birthday a couple of years ago.  I had always found them fascinating and wanting a set.  My set usually sits on my desk.  Little Miss likes to look for the baby one giving it cuddles.

Hope everyone is well and I’ll write again soon. 

Em.

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A guide to In-Home massages

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Hello again.

Lately I’ve had several in-home massages.  Having a massage in your home may seem like a great idea and it is a service I provide I’ve noticed sometimes, the location or situation isn’t optimal.  So here’s a guide of things to consider when booking an in home massage.

Is your home on the ground floor or do you have several stairs to go up or down to enter your house? 

My massage table is portable but it can be quite heavy particularly if I have to carry it up or down lots of stairs.  If you do have more than about three steps, let me know before hand so I can organise help.

Is there enough room in your home to set up the massage table and to move easily around it.

My massage table is about 2 metres long and about 1 metre wide and I need clear space to move around to give you the best massage I can.  The clear space also makes it easier for you to get onto and off my table.

Will your partner, family, friends, pets or neighbours allow you to enjoy your massage without interruptions?

My most memorable in home massage featured my clients son who wandered in every 5 minutes to see what was going on and ask him mum questions.  I have also given several massages with cats rubbing up against me or sitting on my feet.  Very cute but I’m just as likely going to step on or fall over them.  Partners are also great for interrupting with questions as well.  Door bells and phones will ring so if you can please turn them off or onto silent.

Is parking available close to, preferably right outside, your home?

I do have a cart for my table, a suitcase for the linens and the support system in a back pack, but if I have to keep driving around and around looking for a car park, I could be late and it could take longer for me to set up if I have a distance to go to unpack the equipment.

Do you have heating or cooling suiting the weather to keep you comfortable while receiving the massage?

In a massage you can become quite cool.  The areas not being massaged are covered with towels, but sometimes your body temperature can drop.  Also, if your house tends to heat up, you might not feel comfortable either.

Other things to consider is potential for a shorter massage, traffic conditions delaying my arrival or the need for a piece of equipment or information I have in my massage room.  I also ask that you tell me if you or your partner are a smokers before your appointment too.  Another thing to do is let you partner know when you are having a massage so they don’t get a surprise when they walk into your home.

When you are happy with the answers to these questions, call or email to book your appointment.  If you have any concerns, please ask me.  You never know I might have a solution up my sleeve.

In other news, used my new massage support system again the other night with fantastic feedback from my client.

Talk again soon.

Em.

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For the sake of sanity

Friday, March 5th, 2010

In every parenting journal, magazine, book, website and blog, you get hit with a whole bunch of information that may or may not fit your particular style of parenting or child.  We also hear “every child is different” in the same article telling you to do what they say.  That’s all well and good, but they’re not the ones up with your child at 3am, covered in puke and going deaf from screaming.  I can distinctly remember through the PND haze being told to rock and hold my baby til they went to sleep and then keep holding them.  Awesome.  Little miss slept but when did I get to sleep?  Then the next day being told I’ve made a rod for my back because little miss needs to learn to self settle.  Great.  Did they offer to come clean up the vomit after Little Miss had cried until she spewed?  No.  I did.

So for the sake of my sanity, Little miss was breastfed to sleep initially and eventually just cuddled.  She still gets a cuddle to sleep.  I’ve also had the guilt’s about this until something was mentioned by a friend.  She was telling me about her niece and how because of her strong personality and curiosity, won’t sleep.  She doesn’t want to miss out on anything.  This description was almost a perfect match to Little Miss.  Even the health nurses said when Little Miss was tiny, that she was an aware baby.

So with my story said, I’ll say this.  Do what feels right for you and gets what you need.

Now on with other news.  I had a day of time out.  Another essential service for mums that is lacking.  Real exciting stuff.  I got my hair cut, purchased red shoes and had a photo shoot complete with hair and make up.  I’ve also got a massage instead of just giving them and I was way overdue for it.

So in the interest of sanity and time out, I’m going to tell you about an event in may.  It’s the Mum’s Night Out brought to you by real mums.  See the website www.mumsnightout.com.au to find out more about it and book your tickets.  I’m going and I can’t wait. 

See you there.

Em.

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