After surgery, you will have a substantial cut in your abdomen. Using the Alexandrian principle of leading with the head and letting the spine follow in sequence will save you a great deal of pain. Alexander students are amazed at the ease with which they can move in the days and weeks after a cesarean section delivery. Not moving as your body was designed can put you immediately in pain, so moving with ease and freedom is a great motivator! Also, it may allow you to lower your doses of pain relieving drugs.

Breastfeeding

It is common for women to strain the head, neck and upper back while breastfeeding. A comfortable chair, a nursing stool, a My Breast Friend nursing pillow can give you an ergonomic advantage. You can ease the pain and discomfort of nursing by paying attention to how you are sitting, inhibiting the scrunching of the neck, and allowing your natural postural responses and balance to work for you.

Caring for Yourself and Your Newborn

You can bring your newborn baby with you to lessons. Your teacher can work with you on how best to carry the baby, change diapers, and breastfeed.

Constructive rest is immensely helpful in the postpartum period. Babies like to be close to their mother's bodies. You can practice constructive rest with your baby.

Parenting is a challenging, relentless activity. You will go wrong with the use of your self many times. Congratulate yourself for recognizing it. Use the Alexander Technique to recover; and recover a hundred times a day. While the principles of the Technique are relatively simple, they aren't always easy. Just keep working for more freedom and ease.

Amy Likar is a freelance musician and an AmSAT certified Alexander Technique teacher in the Bay Area of California. "The Alexander Technique has been part of my life since 1992 when I had my first experience of the freedom and ease of movement the Technique could offer me. In 1999 when I became pregnant with my first child, I was in the midst of my teacher training to become an Alexander Technique teacher. I now have two children. My first child was born naturally without any pain relieving drugs. My second child was an emergency cesarean section because unfortunately I became gravely ill with meningitis during my 38th week of pregnancy. In both pregnancies and birth experiences the Alexander Technique improved my quality of life."

Constance Clare-Newman is an AmSAT certified Alexander Technique teacher with a private practice in Oakland and San Francisco. Constance also teaches classes for actors at A.C.T. and Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Constance is the Co-chair of the Marketing and Media committee of AmSAT.

About AmSAT:
The American Society for the Alexander Technique is the largest professional association of certified Alexander Technique teachers in the United States. AmSAT's mission is to define, maintain, and promote the Alexander Technique at its highest standard of professional practice and conduct.

Bibliography

• Calais-Germain, Blandine. The Female Pelvis: Anatomy and Exercises. Seattle: Eastland, 2003.
  I wish I had this book during my pregnancy. The information in this book is so informative and the exercises are excellent.
• Forsstrom, Brita and Mel Hampson. The Alexander Technique for Pregnancy and Childbirth. London: Victor Golancz, 1995.
  A good overview of the Alexander Technique and how to apply the principles to pregnancy and childbirth.
• Machover, Ilana and Angela and Jonathan Drake. The Alexander Technique Birth Book. New York: Sterling, 1993.
  Again, another good book with informative illustrations on how to use physioballs.

Copyright © Amy Likar & Constance Clare-Newman. Permission to republish granted Pregnancy.org, LLC.