Dr. Lori Gore-Green | Women's Health Professional

Dr. Lori Gore-Green's Portfolio of Experience as a Women's Health Professional

Tips for Rebuilding Your Core Strength After Giving Birth

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The postpartum period is a transformative time for women, both physically and emotionally. After giving birth, many women experience body changes, particularly in the core muscles. The core muscles, which include the abdominals, back, and pelvic floor, play a vital role in providing stability and support to the body. Restoring core strength is essential for overall well-being and preventing potential postpartum issues such as back pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, and diastasis recti. 

Begin with Gentle Exercises

In the initial postpartum phase, it’s crucial to start with gentle exercises focusing on reconnecting with your core muscles. Deep breathing exercises, pelvic floor contractions, and gentle stretches can help reestablish the mind-muscle connection and promote blood flow to the area. Gradually introduce low-impact activities, such as walking or swimming, to gently engage the core muscles without putting excessive strain on them.

Focus on Pelvic Floor Exercises

The pelvic floor muscles undergo significant changes during pregnancy and childbirth. Strengthening these muscles is vital for bladder and bowel control and overall core stability. Practice Kegel exercises, which involve contracting and relaxing the pelvic floor muscles, to rebuild strength and control. Consult a pelvic floor specialist to ensure you perform these exercises correctly and effectively.

Engage the Transverse Abdominis

The transverse abdominis is a muscle that acts as a natural corset, providing stability and support to the spine and pelvis. To target this muscle, practice abdominal hollowing exercises. Lay down, looking upwards, with knees bent. Slowly raise your belly button towards your spine, engaging the deep core muscles. Hold for a few seconds, then release. Repeat several times, gradually increasing the duration.

Gradually Incorporate Strength Training

As your core strength improves, you can start incorporating strength training exercises into your routine. Focus on activities that target multiple muscle groups and promote overall stability, such as squats, lunges, and planks. Use proper form and technique to avoid unnecessary strain on your core.  

Be Mindful of Diastasis Recti

Diastasis recti is a common condition when the abdominal muscles separate during pregnancy. You must know this condition and modify your exercises to prevent further separation or strain. Avoid crunches or sit-ups that place excessive pressure on the abdominal muscles. Instead, opt for diastasis recti-safe exercises like gentle core strengthening exercises, modified planks, and side-lying leg lifts. Consulting with a postpartum fitness specialist can provide personalized guidance and activities tailored to your needs.

Prioritize Posture and Alignment

Proper posture and alignment are crucial for rebuilding core strength and preventing imbalances and discomfort. Focus on maintaining a neutral spine alignment throughout the day, whether sitting, standing, or lifting. Practice good posture by aligning your ears, shoulders, hips, and ankles in a straight line. Engaging the core and maintaining proper alignment will help distribute the load evenly and reduce muscle strain.

Seek Professional Guidance

Every woman’s postpartum journey is unique, and it’s essential to seek professional guidance when rebuilding core strength after giving birth. Consulting with a qualified postpartum fitness specialist or physical therapist can provide personalized assessments, advice, and exercise programs tailored to your needs and goals. They can help you navigate challenges, ensure proper technique, and prevent potential issues or injuries.

 

Tips For Exercising While Pregnant

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Keeping up with our physical fitness is always great for our health, but it can be tough to get into an exercise routine if you don’t already have one. If you’re pregnant, it can be even more difficult to get into exercising! There’s a lot to think about if you want to keep yourself and the baby totally safe and healthy, and you may even become paranoid that by exercising, you’ll mess something up with the pregnancy. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be that difficult. There is plenty of information and advice out there that can help you come up with a totally safe exercise regiment that will work great for you and your unborn baby. Here are a few tips to help you exercise while pregnant.

 

Fuel Up!

During the second and third trimesters, pregnant women typically need to eat around 300 additional calories a day to support their growing baby. However, if exercise is a part of your routine, you might need to add more calories to make sure that you and your child are getting the fuel they need. One of the most important factors that you should consider is having a pre-workout snack or juice 30 minutes before you start an exercise. Having a boost of energy can help you get a good workout while exercising on an empty stomach can make you feel lightheaded, sluggish, or even dizzy, which can lead to an increased risk of injury.

 

Try Pregnancy Safe Exercises

While you might not be able to do every type of exercise you did prior to your pregnancy, there are still plenty of exercises that are totally appropriate and safe for you and the baby. Walking is one of the easiest choices you have, but if you want to spice things up you should try low-impact dance classes, or pilates. There are plenty of totally safe and fun exercises you can do while pregnant as long as you keep it low impact.

 

Pay Attention To How Your Body Responds

Your body goes through a lot of changes when you’re pregnant, and exercises that worked well for you before may not be so great for you now. It’s important that you pay close attention to your body and how it responds to the various exercises you do. If you’re tired, make sure you take a break and take the workouts down a notch. You’ll want to look out for unusual symptoms such as vaginal bleeding, persistent contractions, excessive fatigue, and much more.

 Living Well With Menopause 

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 During the years leading up to and shortly after menopause, women experience hormonal fluctuations that impact their physical and emotional health. While some women hardly notice the changes, others are plagued with mood swings, hot flashes, and disrupted sleep that makes life more challenging. Living well with menopause is as simple as finding the coping strategies that work for each woman’s individual needs.

 Find Ways to Manage Hot Flashes

 Feeling the heat creeping up their neck can make women wonder if everyone else notices their rising temperature. Hot flashes can occur multiple times a day, but they tend only to last a few minutes. Women can dress in layers to have more control over their body temperature. It is also essential to drink water to keep their bodies hydrated.

 Take Steps to Address Vaginal Dryness and Incontinence

 Changes in a woman’s sexual health can be especially challenging to deal with during menopause. Vaginal dryness doesn’t have to disrupt a woman’s relationships. Instead, women can use lubricants to overcome this common issue. Women may also take oral supplements of vitamin E or flaxseed oil to encourage their body to produce more moisture. There are many treatment options available today for women with incontinence, and doing Kegel exercises is an excellent place to start with strengthening weakened muscles.

 Make Stress-Reduction a Priority

 This tends to be an emotional time for women. Not only is dealing with the physical symptoms demanding on a woman’s time and patience, but some women might also be grappling with accepting their new stage in life. Some women might grieve no longer being able to conceive having children or losing their former physical appearance. Finding ways to manage stress helps them to maintain a more positive mindset. Women can prioritize relaxation by starting a meditation practice or journaling about their experiences. Practicing good sleep hygiene can help them to reduce the effects of insomnia on their mental alertness.

 While menopause may bring many changes to a woman’s health, there is a solution for every problem. Identifying ways to cope puts women in control over their health, making it easier for them to manage this significant transition. Being able to emerge on the other side of the menopausal process more substantial and more confident is a goal that every woman can achieve with proper self-care.

Preserving Your Mental Health During the Holidays

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The holidays may seem like the best time to be full of joy. Unfortunately, the holiday season is often the most stressful season for many people. Why? Consider the financial struggle of buying gifts and extra food, as well as the family drama that a lot of people deal with, and you have a recipe for disaster. If you are someone who deals with a lot of emotional stress over the holidays, there are ways for you to relax. Your mental health is essential, so consider the following tips the next time you feel your blood pressure rising!

  1. Keep track of your spending

It’s easy to get carried away during the holidays when it comes to gifts and goodies. However, spending more than you can afford can cause you to feel anxious and stressed out. At the beginning of the season, figure out just how much you can spend when it comes to presents, food, traveling, and other holiday expenses. Stick to your budget to avoid the stress that overspending brings.

  1. Watch your alcohol intake

Holiday parties and special occasions usually revolve around a lot of drinking! It’s easy to get sucked into another glass of alcoholic eggnog or a winter-themed beer, especially at a party or event. You may feel like you are suppressing some anxious feelings with alcohol, but alcohol is a depressant that can make stress and depression worse. Know your limits or abstain completely during this stressful time.

  1. Think about the new year

Not everyone wants to leave the Christmas tree up all year, and that is perfectly okay! If you can’t wait until you can put the holiday behind you, keep in mind that it will soon be over. When you think about yourself in the future, past this particular holiday, it can be grounding. Remember, January isn’t too far off in the future!

  1. Take some time for yourself

The holidays often revolve around parties, work, family, and activities. It can be exhausting at times, so make sure you take the time you need for yourself. Rest and recharge by practicing some self-care regimens, and you will likely feel much better about this stressful time. It’s essential to take a little bit of time every day to relax!

Why Expecting Mothers Should Take Folic Acid

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Women who are pregnant must make sure they take enough vitamins and a healthy diet that balances carbohydrates, fat,s, and protein. If they don’t, the baby may take the necessary nutrients from the mother’s body and leave her without the things she needs for optimal health—folic acid is essential during pregnancy.

What is Folic Acid?

Folate is a naturally occurring B vitamin; it is known as folic acid in its generic form. It is water-soluble, which means that it must be consumed continually as the body can’t store it. Folic acid helps the body generate new healthy cells. This is why it is an essential vitamin that everyone needs. For pregnant women, folic acid plays a significant role in the healthy development of the baby.

Why Folic Acid is so Important During Pregnancy

As the baby develops in the womb, a critical part is the development of the neural tube. The neural tube is the fetus that will eventually be the brain, and the spinal cord, so the right product is critical. If the tube does not close as it develops, it results in a neural tube defect. A neural tube defect is a severe congenital disability that causes parts of the baby to not setup correctly. The most common neural tube defects are spina bifida and anencephaly. Taking folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects. Folic acid has such a high success rate at helping with babies’ development added to many baked goods, such as bread and tortillas.

How Much Folic Acid Women Should Take Daily

While trying to conceive a baby, women should take at least 400 mg of folic acid every day. After the pregnancy is confirmed, the amount should be increased to at least 600 mg per day. These vitamins should be taken in addition to eating a healthy diet.

Folic acid plays a significant role in the baby’s healthy development and the prevention of congenital disabilities. Scientists estimate that 70 percent of neural tube defects could be prevented if women took a folic acid supplement. Doing so daily can help ensure the mom is healthy and that the baby grows healthy as well.           

The Benefits of Walking in Older Women

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The human body is designed to walk, and this most basic human activity can significantly impact your health throughout life. Scientific research supports the benefits of walking in several ways, so it should be on the list as part of every older woman’s health regime to maintain suitable physical, emotional and mental health.

Walking Helps To Maintain Healthy Weight

A daily walk can help you maintain a healthy weight, so you can avoid many of the health problems related to carrying those extra pounds.

Walking Helps to Strengthen Bones

The action and pressure of walking help strengthen bones, reducing the risk for osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, which are common problems in the older population.

Walking Can Lower Blood Pressure

A good walk can also help to relax blood vessels, which will lower your blood pressure in some individuals.

Walking Reduce Your Risk For Heart Disease, Diabetes, and Colon Cancer

Walking helps to keep blood vessels flexible to carry blood and nutrients throughout the body. This improved circulation can help you to avoid cardiovascular disease and other health problems.

Walking Keeps Joints Flexible

Your walking exercise helps to keep your joints supple and healthy. Walking strengthens the muscles that support joints to experience less pressure that can cause damage to the internal joint structures.

Walking Improves Balance and Coordination

Walking requires coordinated movement and balance as you shift your weight. These are essential skills that will help you to avoid dangerous falls that often occur in older individuals.

Walking Improves Your Energy Level

A body in motion tends to remain in action, and you will find a good, daily walk gives you more energy for other tasks throughout the day.

Walking Improves Your Mood

The action of walking gets you outdoors, moving around, seeing what’s going on in the neighborhood, and encountering neighbors and acquaintances along the way, which helps to stimulate the production of “feel-good” brain chemicals that keep you in a better mood.

Health experts recommend at least 30 minutes of walking per day to enjoy this natural exercise’s benefits. Whether you choose to break up your walking workout into smaller periods or extend it out, you will feel better, look better, and enjoy life more.

Postpartum Fitness Tips

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A common question among new mothers is how long after giving birth can they get back into their pre-pregnancy fitness routine? While you may think you’ll be able to quickly get back to the way you lived before being pregnant after you give birth, you may want to think again. After giving birth you may suffer from bad posture, general fatigue, and an achy body amongst other things. This means doing many common activities you did before pregnancy, such as exercising, may be difficult to adjust to for a bit. The pregnant body takes around 40 weeks to form, and in some cases, it can take almost as long as that to get completely back to your pre-pregnancy body. At the end of the day, your doctor will let you know when you’re okay to start working out again, but when you do begin it’s important you approach it safely. Here are a few tips to help you out in postpartum fitness.

 

Ease Into It

It’s important that you take your time when getting back into your fitness routine. Pushing yourself too much so soon after birth can actually threaten your overall recovery. Many doctors will recommend that you avoid exerting yourself for about 2 weeks after giving birth. After that, a good way to start is by taking a 5-minute walk and seeing how you feel.  As long as you feel okay and there isn’t any bleeding or aching, you’re likely fine to take a slightly longer walk the next day and continue slowly building how long your walks are over time. After you build this up for about 2 weeks, you can move into gentle upper-body stretching or even take a postpartum exercise class. 

 

Be Careful If Breastfeeding

Not every mother breastfeeds but if you are and you want to get back into fitness, it’s important you’re even more careful than usual. Weight loss shouldn’t be as much of a concern the first few weeks after giving birth until you’ve built up a stable milk supply. Some of the weight will naturally disappear during the first few days due to your body relishing the extra fluids it needed while pregnant. It’s also important you eat correctly if working out and breastfeeding, as breastfeeding mothers need an additional 500 calories a day than non-breastfeeding mothers.

 

Get Plenty of Rest

Getting rest and not overexerting yourself is more important than ever after having a baby. It’s easy to become sleep-deprived after having a baby, especially if your baby is waking up multiple times throughout the night, not letting you get a full night’s sleep. If this is the case, it’s important that you’re careful about overworking yourself. Exercise does have the potential to provide you with more energy but if your body is already lacking then it’s more likely it will just add to your exhaustion.

The Facts About Exercising During Menstruation

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Getting your period is no picnic, but there are some surprising things we can do to relieve the symptoms. While you might want to simply curl up on the couch for an entire day, it may be more beneficial to exercise. Symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain, fatigue, and headaches can all be relieved to some extent by exercise. The next time your time of the month hits, take these facts into account before you commit to the couch.

Mood Improvement
Exercise produces endorphins, which are hormones that improve your mood. Menstruation is enough to bring anyone’s mood down regardless of the hormonal imbalances that occur to alter your mood. Any irritability, sadness, or other unhappy feelings can be counterbalanced with a good bout of exercise.

Fatigue Reduction
Fatigue is a common symptom of menstruation. The hormonal changes can increase those feelings during your period. It might seem counterintuitive, but exercise can combat those feelings of fatigue and give you a feeling of refreshment as well as accomplishment.

Relieves Menstrual Pain
A recent study discovered that women who exercised regularly for at least days a week reported less menstrual pain than those who did not exercise at all. Exercise during and before your period can also help to relieve some pain. The even better news? You do not have to participate in high intensity workouts to receive the same benefits. A walk or other lower intensity exercise can help as well.

Tips for Success
While exercise is without a doubt beneficial to you in so many ways during your period, there are ways to make it even more beneficial.

Stretching — Incorporating stretching whether it’s simple exercises, pilates, or yoga, can help tense muscles extend and provide relief.

Hydration — Not much can make your body feel worse when on your period than dehydration. Stay hydrated to avoid tense muscles, bloating, or headaches.

Sleep — Getting enough sleep will help you body recover not only from the exercise but also from any fatigue you may be feeling.

Eat Well — Fuel your body to fight fatigue and to give it enough energy to exercise safely. Eating a healthy meal can also combat menstrual symptoms such as bloating.

Behaviors to Avoid

Don’t Overdo It — Overexercising can lead to injuries, excessive fatigue, and even more muscle tension than you were previously experiencing. Keep the workouts to a manageable intensity for the best results.
Don’t Ignore Your Body — Are you knees aching? Can you barely catch your breath? It may be time to adjust your intensity or give yourself a few minutes for a break. Your body will give you clues as to whether you’re pushing too hard, too fast. Make sure to listen to those signals.
Don’t Forget Rest Days — Regardless of whether you’re on your menstrual cycle, your body needs time to recover. Give your body a break so you don’t excessively fatigue yourself. Give your body the time to heal so it can become stronger and respond to your needs more efficiently.

3 Restorative Vaginal Health Resolutions for 2018

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3 Restorative Vaginal Health Resolutions for 2018 | Dr. Lori Gore-GreenNow that the new year is underway, have you made the commitment to stick to the vaginal health resolutions you created for yourself?

That may seem like a strange question to ask, but it’s important to keep in mind that demonstrating safe hygienic habits, as far as your vagina is concerned, can have a great impact on your overall health. In a quest to take better care of one’s vagina, many engage in somewhat unsafe or risky habits, which could produce some challenging outcomes. For instance, the practice of bleaching, “vaginal facials,” or even waxing has been called into question, as well as seemingly benign actions that might affect one’s pH levels.

With that in mind, there are a number of actions you might elect to do in order to improve your vaginal health. Of course, prior to proceeding with any practice that may affect your health, you’ll need to consult a healthcare professional. With that in mind, read on to learn some of the resolutions you may consider making in the upcoming year:

Vaginal Fitness: Exercising your pelvic floor is important. You bowl, uterus (womb) vagina, and bladder are secured in place by the pelvic floor. Essentially, the ‘wear and tear’ of aging often causes the pelvic floor to weaken. Many women opt to ‘tone’ their pelvic floor after noticing slackening of the pelvic strength due to childbirth, constipation, obesity, and/or pregnancy. The benefits of squeezing in a work out can be numerous, as it can improve bowel and bladder control, reduce incontinence post-childbirth, and increase sensitivity during sex.

How to do this, you may ask? It’s simple. Standing or sitting, position yourself with your knees slightly apart, and clench your pelvic from as if you’re attempting to stifle the passage of urine. Perform ten contractions slowly, and hold for about ten seconds. Also known as kegels, you can perform them each day or up to four times a day.

Don’t Douch: Many women swear by douching, as it rids the vagina of some unpleasant smells, however, it’s important to know that using perfumed soaps or hygiene products is unnecessary. The vagina is already equipped to self-clean, using natural secrets. Good bacteria resides there, and when it is disturbed, many find that this leads to inflammation, vaginosis, irritation, or thrush. Also, it can impact your pH levels. For this reason, choose unperfumed soaps when sudsing up your vaginal area.

Stay Untrimmed: For most, a full pubic mound is a matter of preference, with many opting to keep that area clear of hair. However, did you know that pubic hair can act as a natural barrier to bacteria and viruses,  protecting against pathogenic bacteria and dust, and it helps to manage the moisture in the area? Shaving can boost the risk of venereal disease, and it can inflame the residual hair follicles. It’s still absolutely possible to keep tidy, even without shaving.

A few other things you may want to do in the upcoming year is to be sure that you aren’t embarrassed about flatulence (it happens to everyone with a vagina); regularly check your tampon to avoid TSS; don’t ignore abnormal symptoms; seeking a physician’s assistance with extreme period pain; get screen for cervical cancer; use condoms for protection; and learn to love your vagina and treat it with care.

Each vagina and its parts are unique, coming in a variety of shapes and sizes. No matter what, it’s important to avoid risk and visit your doctor whenever you fear an abnormality.

Boost Vaginal Health During the Summer With These 6 Tips

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Extraordinary-People-Doing-Extraordinary-Things-4-1024x768 (1)Women often feel uncomfortable talking about their gynecological health, even to their gynecologists. They may be too embarrassed to bring up any questions or concerns they have, even though most women only meet with a gynecologist once a year for their annual exam.

Summer is an especially important time of year to be conscious of your health in general, as it is easy to become overheated or unhygienic on humid days. Don’t overlook your vaginal health this summer when keeping your overall health in mind- in addition to staying hydrated, eating healthy, exercising, and getting a healthy amount of sun, be sure to follow these six tips to boost your vaginal health- and, most importantly, if you still have questions or concerns about your vaginal health, be sure to bring them up with your gynecologist. It’s their job to look out for you gynecological health, so there’s nothing to be embarrassed about!

Change pads and tampons frequently

It can be tempting, on a trip to the beach, to go most of the day without changing your tampon. It is especially important, however, to remember to change pads and tampons every few hours when you’re on your period. Not doing so could result in increased bacterial growth and infections and, in very rare and extreme cases, the life-threatening complication known as toxic shock syndrome (TSS).

Wear cotton underwear

You may not put a lot of thought into the fabric of the underwear you buy (color and design are probably more important considerations), but your vagina favors loose cotton underwear that absorbs moisture to allow for open air flow and minimize odors.

Keep it clean, but be careful!

It may sound like contradictory advice, but you want to keep your private area clean while also avoiding heavily scented soaps or body washes. Warm water is all it takes to keep your vagina feeling fresh, but if you feel more comfortable lathering up, go for a mild, unscented soap. Scented soaps and body washes are just fine for other parts of your body, but they are irritating and drying to the sensitive skin around the vulva and can throw off pH balance.

Practice safe sex

You’ve heard this before, and you probably know how important it is to practice safe sex, yet many women will forget everything they learned in sex ed when they’re at the moment. It is important always to use a condom, as they not only protect against pregnancy and STDs, but also keep the vagina’s pH level balanced so that good bacteria can thrive and protect against yeast infections, UTIs, and bacterial vaginosis. Also be sure to change the condom and clean off between different sex acts.

Wear loose, breathable clothing

In the summer, it is especially important to wear loose, breathable fabrics to wick away moisture and sweat. Wearing looser clothing is not only more comfortable on hot, sticky days, but it is essential for your vaginal health to allow for more ventilation and reduce odors.

Exercise

Exercise is important for both your physical and mental health, and it even benefits vaginal health. Don’t forget your pelvic muscles when you’re doing your full-body workout. Strengthening those muscles with Kegel exercises can help you to avoid problems like urinary incontinence and also make your body stronger for sex.

Following these tips are a great start to boosting your vaginal health this summer, but never forget to consult your gynecologist as your most valuable resource.