Firoza

Firoza is a 30-year-old mother of two from Canada. As an elementary school teacher, Firoza realizes the education is important in all assets of life, including having a fit and healthy body before, during and after pregnancy.

Stephanie: Hi Firoza! I want to congratulate you on the birth of your new baby boy! I was wondering how different this pregnancy was than your previous with regards to fatigue and what not, especially considering you already had a toddler at home and worked part time as a teacher.

Firoza: Thank you Stephanie. It truly has been a magical experience. In terms of how different this pregnancy was...well I certainly could not indulge in having "doing nothing days." My toddler is very active as most toddlers are...in hindsight I am quite surprised at how well I handled everything...between my toddler, my teaching and my consulting business, you would think I would have been exhausted. I actually managed quite well until the very end. I'm convinced my exercising and T-Tapp had a huge role to play in that.

Stephanie: What kind of exercise program did you follow this pregnancy and how did it differ from your last pregnancy?

Firoza: When I was pregnant with DS1..I exercised faithfully during my pregnancy. I did a lot of walking plus working out on the elliptical trainer at least four times a week. In addition, I dabbled in a bit of prenatal yoga as well. Despite all this, I still ended up gaining almost 50 pounds, quite a bit towards the end, which I know was due to edema.; my ankles were so swollen!! This time around because I was pregnant during the bulk of the winter I did not walk as much. I did the elliptical trainer twice a week at most and then I Tapped the rest of the time. Over the course of the pregnancy I faithfully Tapped four to five times a week, and even managed four 4 day bootcamps and one mini weekend bootcamp. This time I gained around 38 pounds, but there was a huge difference in the amount of edema throughout my body; I was still able to wear my regular shoes. I know that doing T-Tapp helped to keep my lymph system functioning, which is a major player in processing fluid in the body.

Stephanie: Why did you pick T-Tapp over say yoga or a weight lifting program?

Firoza: I have never, ever enjoyed weight lifting. The few times that I have done it in an exercise regime I have always bulked up. I do enjoy yoga and will still do it periodically but it just takes too much time. Trying to balance everything in my life and find time to exercise as well is a huge challenge and I find that T-Tapp is so flexible and adaptable that I can squeeze it into my daily routine.

Stephanie: So you did end up laboring using hypnobirthing and T-Tapp?

Firoza: Yes I did use hypnobirthing. I would highly, highly recommend it. It was invaluable for me. My first son was via a C-section and I was determined to have this one by VBAC (vaginal birth after C-section), simply because of the recovery time being quicker and having a toddler at home already to look after. I worked closely with a hypnobirthing consultant who created audiotapes for me, and taught me the breathing and visualization exercises. My labor was nearly 18 hours long, but I managed very well through it and only needed minor pain relief.

I was mobile right through the labor. In fact, the morning that I was induced I actually did Mini-Max 3 to help open up the pelvic area. Once in labor whenever I had contractions I would do the gymnastic stretch to help open the pelvic area and help the baby move down the birth canal. I made a believer out of my doula! She wanted to know how I could do such a move this late in pregnancy and I had explained to her all about T-Tapp, and how I had been doing it through the pregnancy so my muscles were quite flexible and agile. All the plies and leg work really helped strengthen my legs and calves so that I was able to squat deeply during labor and birth, this really helped things move along quickly.

One of the things that is so great about T-Tapp is that it teaches you muscle awareness through isolation and contraction. This really helped me during the pushing stage with working my abdominal and pelvic muscles, knowing how to contract the muscles specifically when asked by my doctor to do so.

Stephanie: Hypnobirthing and T-Tapp sound like a wonderful combination. Is there some place women can find out more about it?

Firoza: Information about hypnobirthing can be found at http://www.hypnobirthing.org There is also a message board on http://www.parentsplace.com dedicated to hypnobirthing.

Stephanie: Everyone wants to know how soon after your VBAC were you Tapping?

Firoza: Well, I had my baby on a Tuesday and I did the full workout on Saturday so I guess that would be four days after.

Stephanie: Did you do Organs in Place or the Primary Back Stretch prior to that workout?

Firoza: Yes, Teresa had highly recommended doing Organs in Place and the Primary Back Stretch right away, so I did. I went for a shower a few hours after the baby was born and did it right before, I even had my CRT brush with me at the hospital! The nurses were all intrigued and couldn't believe I had the stamina after such a long labor. They were convinced I had sipped something on the side without telling them!

Stephanie: It is amazing, but having been through a pregnancy with T-Tapp myself I believe it; the energy you maintain is incredible. Now the big question, I heard you did a 14 day bootcamp ten days after delivery! That is amazing, especially considering I've never done one. What kind of results did you get both physically and mentally?

Firoza: Yes, that's right. I guess that's how I am going to get my 15 minutes of fame! Well, I had done the full body workout three times after the baby was born. Everyday I would do the Primary Back Stretch, plies, Organs in Place, Awesome Legs, and skin brushing to really help the lymph system do its job. Then at ten days postpartum, I started a 14 day bootcamp. I alternated days of doing the full workout with full workout plus hit the floor.

Mentally, this was the best thing I did for myself. As you know, when you have a baby, you tend to forget about looking after yourself and in a way do start neglecting yourself. By doing the bootcamp so quickly after birth I guaranteed and forced myself to take personal time out each day for myself. My husband is wonderful and very supportive. He makes sure that I have time each day to myself so that I can do something good for me.

Physically the bootcamp literally got me back onto track. I had none of the minor aches and pains that follow childbirth. My back was limber and strong and doing the workout gave me stamina to get through my day even though my sleep was being compromised at night with nighttime feedings.

In terms of inch loss during that bootcamp I lost 16 inches all over the body. I measured arms, chest, waist, abs, hips and legs. Keep in mind that some of that can be attributed to fluid leaving the body and swelling coming down, but still I was quite impressed!

Stephanie: So am I especially considering you are nursing, usually the body wants to hang onto the fat reserves. Speaking of nursing, has Tapping effected your nursing in any way? Do you have any advice to offer nursing moms?

Firoza: No it really hasn't affected the nursing. I just need to be sure to wash up well after Tapping simply because of the sweat factor. There have been reports that babies reject milk after an exercise session because of lactic acid build up altering the taste of the breast milk. I've never experienced that with either of my boys. I think babies likely reject the saltiness of the sweat rather than anything to do with the milk, so just wash up well. The arm sequence and plie movements are great for pumping the lymph system. I have found those to be really useful in avoiding clogged milk ducts and mastitis. I often feed my baby a few minutes after Tapping, I just make sure that I wash up well, and I have never had a problem with him rejecting the milk. I do recommend wearing a full support sports bra, but not too tight otherwise that will lead to clogged ducts/mastitis.

The other important point to keep in mind with nursing is that you may not get as good results because your body's primary function is to feed and provide for the baby, so it will be really stubborn in giving up fat reserves. Not to worry though once you wean your little one T-Tapp will definitely trim those inches away. Enjoy your nursing experience and marvel at the miracle that you have in your life, there will be plenty of time later on for trimming and toning the T-Tapp way!

Stephanie: Since you do use the Cellulite Removal Technique what kind of results did you receive from this during and after pregnancy so far?

Firoza: Well first, I do use the CRT system but I am not taking the supplements (alfalfa & Fibertox) while nursing. I know that alfalfa is quite safe during both pregnancy and nursing; however, my son seemed to have a lot of indigestion when I took it. All babies respond differently.

I was very diligent about brushing throughout the pregnancy and actually did not get many stretch marks. During my first pregnancy I had horrible stretch marks all over! I also had gotten my cellulite under good control during pregnancy. Now I find with the brushing, my skin is very smooth and soft, and my stretch marks are healing quite nicely. In fact, my C-section scar from three years ago has faded quite significantly since I started the Cellulite Removal Technique last July.

Stephanie: Is there anything in closing you would like to share with pregnant women or women who are trying to conceive with regards to T-Tapp and pregnancy?

Firoza: I highly recommend T-Tapp to all women, but especially those who are pregnant and/or planning to have a family. I cannot say enough about what this system has done for my mind and body. I finally feel like I have control over my body and that my weight loss and fitness goals are finally achievable after eluding me for so many years. I am in better shape now than I was prepregnancy. This time around at six weeks postpartum I had the same measurements that I had at four months postpartum with my first son. I still have a ways to go, but I know that if I stick to T-Tapp I will reach my goals. I also know that results will be slower since I am nursing and I will have to be patient. Now at two months postpartum I fit into my prepregnancy clothes, although I am 10 pounds heavier. I remarked about this to my massage therapist, who gave me treatments right throughout both pregnancies, last week and she herself told me that I had continued to tone and tighten right throughout the pregnancy and she could feel the muscle density had increased in my body throughout the pregnancy. So it only made sense that I weigh 10 pounds heavier but can fit into my clothes now. She also remarked on how well my body is reabsorbing the stretch marks. In fact, I lent her my T-Tapp tapes to get her perspective on them and she reiterated everything Teresa has said about lymph drainage, muscle density and muscle awareness. After doing the workout herself she said that this is the only workout that has "balanced" her using both sides of the body and muscle insertion movements. She has ordered her own set and is recommending them to her clients.

Stephanie: Wow Firoza, this time around it sounds like you had the perfect pregnancy, labor, and are recovering quite nicely. Thank you for taking time out of your day to talk to us.

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