Do you ever feel as though you are sleepwalking through life? Driving on autopilot and going through the routine motions of your day – brushing your teeth, fixing a salad for lunch, zoning out watching television in the evenings?

Your body speaks a different language than you do. Your body responds to a stressful situation through a flight or fight response, which is essentially a quick release of hormones. Your body completes the stress cycle by – literally – working it out. Run, bike, swim, or dance. Any kind of physical activity that makes you move and deepens your breathing will signal to your brain that the threat has passed. Try it for 20-60 minutes a day, every day if possible. After all, most humans experience stress on a daily basis.

When it comes to women’s health, knowing and understanding how our bodies work is important. It’s the only way we can be alerted to when things are off. Unfortunately, most women, my self included were not educated about our bodies. Start the conversation about your reproductive system and menstrual cycle with Shasta Zeeman in her recent blog post, first of a 3-part series!

Mothers who use massage to support a healthy pregnancy may also note that it can be a useful tool for pain relief during labor. Supportive touch can help the mother feel a sense of calm and assist with coping during contractions. Massage may provide a decrease in pain and anxiety, as well as an increased feeling of control during this time. Lindsay Olver, Massage Therapist explains the different types of massage that is helpful during labor!

Dr. Stephanie Liebrecht, ND provides insight on how Naturopathic medicine offers a variety of natural anti-inflammatories found within herbal medicine, eating certain foods (or not eating certain foods), vitamins and minerals, and acupuncture - to name a few.

“Experiencing some nipple soreness in the first few days or week of breastfeeding can be normal. If the discomfort develops into pain, and the pain lasts longer than a week, there may be an underlying issue.” Dr. Liebrecht (ND) discusses the relation of breast pain and “vasospasm” during breast feeding, possible causes, symptoms and treatments.