You just need to do these 10 things.
Besides being an A-list celebrity and self-made health mogul, Gwyneth Paltrow has also popped out two children. So being a mum to daughter Apple and son Moses has made Gwynie the holy-shrine of pregnancy advice.
Because she’s just released her 10 tips on how you can make your pregnancy “pain free”. Yep. You read that right.
Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada.
Yet while we love Paltrow just as much as the next person, we’re not sure how much we should be buying into advice from someone who believes all women should be having regular vagina steams…
But we’ll let you judge for yourself. Here are Paltrow’s suggestions that she’s published on her Goop website:
1. Don’t massage your lower back.
“This area is rich with nerve and blood supply to the ovaries and uterus and, as such, a do-not-touch area until the end of pregnancy. Instead of focusing directly on the lower back, have your partner or massage therapist work your gluteus (butt) muscles to release tension in your hips and low back.”
2. Do a figure 8 with almond oil.
"Even if you don’t have a genetic predisposition to stretch marks, pretend you do—slather yourself in sweet almond oil at every opportunity. I bathed in the stuff!"
3. Get reflexology on your feet - but don't go near your ankles.
"We’re often cautioned not to get massage on our feet or legs during pregnancy—but a treatment from a skilled, certified reflexologist will ground you and can be a godsend to your aching feet."
4. The closer you get to the birth, the more time you should spend on all fours...
"While not the most dignified of positions, hanging out on your hands and knees can help in many ways. First of all, the baby’s weight is not pressing down on your pelvis, but hanging forward in the belly—much less pressure and easier to sustain during exercise. Secondly, if you’re sitting a lot, you’re squeezing your tummy, which can cause your diaphragm to lock up."
5. ...And spend the rest of your time in the water.
"No matter where—your bathtub, a pool, or the sea! The pressure against your belly equalises and you feel weightless, which also calms the baby."
6. Stick to an anti-inflammatory diet.
"It’s really difficult to resist relaxing your vigilance over food when you’re pregnant—and depending on the pregnancy, you might find that you’re either insatiable, or are piling on the weight, even if you’re exercising restraint. But, you will feel less pain in your body if you can stick with the weight gain doctors advise, which is just 1 kilogram per month.
