
Laura Jawad
1,000 FOLLOWERS
A blog covering all things pregnancy, postpartum, perinatal exercise and pelvic health.
Laura Jawad
4d ago
Cancer is a topic no one wants to think about.
Especially breast cancer during pregnancy or postpartum breast cancer.
But here’s what I know to be true:
1) There is a small but real elevated risk of breast cancer during pregnancy and in the first 2-5 years postpartum.
2) Early detection saves lives.
3) There are breast cancer treatment options EVEN during pregnancy that don’t compromise your babe.
Pregnancy, Lactation And Breast Cancer Risk
To hit this one off at the pass:
“But I heard that childbirth and breastfeeding is protective of breast cancer.”
Yes. In the long run. But in the imme ..read more
Laura Jawad
3w ago
One thing you can do to improve your health and fitness RIGHT now?
Get up and walk.
I absolutely used to be someone who felt virtuous as hell after I got my workout in.
I’d pat myself on the back and then go sit for the rest of the day.
But I’ve since learned that the stuff we do in the 23 or 23.5 hours outside of our formal exercise session, has way more impact on our long-term health.
Your Movement Diet Consists Of More Than Just “Exercise”
There’s plenty of evidence that sitting for prolonged periods is a detriment to your long term health. Even if you exercise an hour a day.
And it’s ..read more
Laura Jawad
1M ago
After pregnancy, we place a lot of emphasis on strengthening the core and restoring healthy pelvic floor muscles.
But your feet are just as important!
Your feet affect your ENTIRE body.
They’re important shock absorbers.
They set the foundation for all of your movement patterns.
And they’re your literal connection to the earth, providing oodles of sensory information that your brain uses to understand your place in the world.
If you want to reconnect to your body postpartum- cultivating a deeper connection to your feet is a big fat piece of that.
So let’s chat about how pregnancy impacts y ..read more
Laura Jawad
1M ago
Obvs, I’m all about exercising after pregnancy.
But there are certain risks you’re taking if you jump back in too soon or too fast.
While it’s never my intention to stoke fear, I do think it’s important to know WHY we (–> your doc, trainer, pelvic floor physical therapist) advise you to wait until 6 weeks postpartum and then take a progressive approach to building intensity-
We’re not just being mean.
There’s good reason to take it easy during this early postpartum period.
Breaking it down, the risks of exercising too soon postpartum are:
1) Delayed healing
Your body has a LOT of heali ..read more
Laura Jawad
1M ago
If I had a dollar for every new parent with ass cheeks tighter than my son’s grip on his electronics…
Let’s just say I’d be living on a beach with a personal barista on call.
And I don’t care about the cosmetic side. I care about the it-makes-you-wet-yourself and smashes-your-low-back angle.
Chronic butt gripping (squeezing the glutes allll the time) can lead to bladder leaks and back pain.
Chronic Butt Gripping
But why:
The glutes are deeply interconnected with the pelvic floor.
Tight glutes contribute to a tight pelvic floor which reduces it’s ability to reflexively manage normal d ..read more
Laura Jawad
2M ago
Before I gave birth to Talia, I wore a 36 D bra.
A few days postpartum, I wandered into the little baby boutique at our community hospital where they fit nursing bras.
I was a 40 G.
If we can ignore my engorged breasts for a sec, that’s a 4 INCH increase in the diameter of my rib cage.
I was stunned.
But here’s the thing: This is yet one more thing that is SO normal but just doesn’t get discussed.
It is 100% common, normal, expected that your rib cage will get wider during pregnancy.
Table of Contents
◾️ What Is Rib Flare?
◾️ What Causes Flared Ribs?
◾️ Is Rib Flare Dangerous?
◾️ 4 Reason ..read more
Laura Jawad
3M ago
Postpartum recovery isn’t just about your pelvic floor; Pregnancy changes your pelvis too.
If you’re addressing your pelvic floor muscles without addressing the bony structure they’re housed in, you’re missing a piece of the puzzle.
How your pelvis changes during pregnancy
As pregnancy progresses, the pelvis changes shape to accommodate the growing baby.
The hip bones actually externally rotate to create space in the pelvic inlet. As the hip bones rotate, the tail bone tucks under and comes closer to the pubic bone.
In addition, the pelvis may tilt forward or tuck under in order to balance ..read more
Laura Jawad
3M ago
Postpartum preparation is a major gap in mainstream childbirth education.
Where it’s covered, it tends to focus on nipple cream, padsicles and peri bottles.
And that stuff IS important, but it can’t stop there.
What I Mean When I Talk About “Postpartum Preparation”
As a pregnancy and postpartum fitness coach, I work through a core and pelvic floor informed lens.
My bias is that a strong postpartum physical recovery, and even emotional recovery, is rooted in core and pelvic floor health.
When I think about preparing folks for postpartum, I’m thinking beyond the first few weeks.
I’m thinkin ..read more
Laura Jawad
3M ago
If you receive a prolapse diagnosis, I want you to know, you can (and should!) still exercise.
Exercising with pelvic organ prolapse requires that you learn a new skillset. But with the right tools, people with prolapse can move in all the ways they like to move.
If you’re worried that you have to stop doing all the things in order to keep your prolapse from getting worse, I’m here to to offer hope and actionable advice.
Prolapse feels like the end of a road. But your diagnosis is just the beginning.
Here’s are 10 considerations I strongly recommend as you get back to exercise and your act ..read more
Laura Jawad
5M ago
When folks hire me to coach them 1:1, they’re not just asking for workouts. They’re looking for support to establish a workout habit that sticks.
They’re not just there to get strong, they’re there to cultivate long-term behavior change.
How To Create Habits To Support Your Postpartum Fitness Goals
On the surface, sticking with a postpartum exercise routine seems so simple.
1. Choose an activity that supports your postpartum fitness goals.
2. Repeat it often.
3. Choose consistency over perfection.
The more you do it, the more likely it is to become a habit. You’ve got to get reps in.
Obvi ..read more