How the Alexander Technique can help during Pregnancy,
Childbirth and Parenthood
by Joan Arnold and Hope Gillerman with Terry Zimmerer
The Alexander Technique is useful during each phase of becoming
a parent. Study of the Technique gets body and mind working together
to unlearn old postural habits, solve movement problems and improve
balance and coordination. It helps women understand and compensate
for the many bodily changes that happen. And it can help both parents,
as they are suddenly called on to lift at awkward angles and carry
small, precious bundles, bouncing and cooing for sustained periods.
Pregnancy
Low back pain is a common complaint among pregnant women. As the
baby grows, a woman's center of balance changes. With increased
weight forward, her usual tendency is to compensate by leaning back
at the waist. This puts unnecessary pressure on her sacrum and lower
back, and can cause excruciating back pain. But no pregnant woman
has to accept this as a fact of life.
In an Alexander Technique session, her teacher will show her how
to protect her back. As her center of gravity shifts, she can learn
how to adjust, easily. By decompressing the spine and distributing
the baby's weight through her entire body, she can be far more comfortable
and pain-free.
As the baby grows and occupies more of her internal space, the woman's
heart, lungs and other internal organs become compressed. If she
does not capitalize on her body's internal support system, this
can result in digestive problems and shortness of breath. With the
Alexander Technique, she learns to reduce compression by allowing
the torso to expand. This gives her-literally-more room to breathe.
And she'll need access to all her resources with the challenges
to come.
As formerly easy daily activities become difficult, a pregnant woman
can learn a practical, enjoyable way to handle moves as simple as
standing and sitting. It is also crucial for pregnant women to learn
how to bend efficiently. An Alexander Technique teacher will show
her how to use her torso as she attempts, for example, the now trying
task of tying her shoes. She will learn how to rise from a chair,
lie down or sit -- comfortably.
Studying the Technique also helps a woman ride out the profound
physical and psychological changes that ripple through her during
pregnancy. As hormonal shifts spark mood swings and the nature of
home life changes dramatically, this effective form of self-care
can help in regaining emotional equilibrium.
Labor & delivery
An Alexander Technique teacher can help a woman prepare for labor
by teaching her to sit and squat comfortably, to release the pelvic
floor and work with gravity as the baby descends through the birth
canal. To counter the natural tendency to tense the whole body during
painful contractions, she can learn how to
