The magical yoga ball

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One of my all-time favorite tips for new parents is: Get a Yoga ball! What most people don't realize, is that a yoga ball can make a huge difference in so many ways. Most people are familiar with it's obvious use as exercise equipment, but it is also incredibly useful for expecting mothers, getting back in to shape post-delivery, but also for soothing a restless baby! A yoga ball is also known as a stability ball, exercising ball or even birthing ball.

Pregnancy can literally be a pain in the back, and sitting, bouncing or rocking on a yoga ball can help ease the pain. While expecting our first born, I religiously attended a pregnancy yoga class. We were taught that all circles are good for both mother and baby, i.e., moving in a circular motion for example while sitting on a yoga ball will help you relax your tensed up pelvis muscles, and possibly even aid a breached baby getting into the correct position and place. I thus warmly recommend to give it a try; sit on the ball and move your pelvis in circles on top of the ball. A lot of birthing hospitals also provide yoga balls to ease contraction pain. 

The greatest benefit of a yoga ball, however, in my opinion, is it's magical way of soothing a restless baby and helping the baby fall asleep. If the baby is fussy because of gas, hold your baby upright leaning towards your shoulder, sit on the ball and bounce away (remember to steady the baby's head!) Now we've tried this technique on a numerous amount of babies, both our own, and ones belonging to our friends and family, and so far, it has been a success every time. Oh and remember to have a burp cloth on your shoulder just in case.. Quite often, you can actually feel the gas bubbles move around inside your baby once you start bouncing, and the gas exits from one or the other end, providing a lot of relief for the fussy little one. Alternatively you can cradle your baby in your arms, and just like previously, start bouncing. Usually, within a matter of minutes, the baby will be fast asleep!