Ask a Groovy Gal (Bump Watch)

ASK A GROOVY GAL
TFG EDITOR-IN-CHIEF JILLIAN SWARTZ ANSWERS YOUR PREGNANCY QUESTIONS

My OB told me to kegel. I just can't bare the thought of it. Do most women kegel?—Chandra, Sioux City, IA

You ask a very good question that I've asked a lot of my friends. The consensus is that everyone has tried it, but no one actively does it. I am not sure why we all aren't doing it. You can do it anywhere, anytime and it's not only important for the now, but will help with incontinence down the road.

Developed by a Dr. Arthur Kegel in the 1940s, the exercise targets your pelvic floor muscles, strengthening the bladder, uterus, rectum and urethra. Doing the exercise while pregnant will lessen your chances of tearing during childbirth. After baby, kegels will help your healing from an episiotomy and tone your stretched vaginal muscles (and you know what that means!). Some say that the exercise makes your orgasms better, too.

Here's how it goes:
Tighten your muscles as if you were stopping urine from passing
Hold the contraction for a count of three
Slowly release

Repeat And by the way, men can do these exercises, too. Aah, the couple that kegels together stays together.

Have you come across any cool nursery musts lately?—Vanessa, Medham, NJ

Everyday I find really cool new items that make life a little easier for those of us in the 'hood. I recently found out about the QuickZip crib sheet ($26.50, www.cloudsandstars.com); it allows you to change the sheets without lifting or moving the crib mattress—and, oh, how I hate changing those darn crib sheets.

Standard fitted sheets are actually potentially hazardous to baby because they can come off the corners of the mattress, not to mention what a pain they are to change. This smart sheet zips onto a sheet base underneath the mattress. Don't worry, the zipper is covered, so it won't hurt your little one.

I've made a mental note on this clever little invention. Baby number two (whenever that happens) is going to be hooked up!

How do I know which beauty products are safe to use while pregnant?—Kika, Miami, FL
	A good rule of thumb is if you can't pronounce don't use it. There are a lot of great all-natural beauty companies now, including NVEY ECO, Basq, Juice Beauty, Aubrey Organics, vedaPure and many more. Click here to read our story about green beauty. You can also check out the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database, which offers great all-natural alternatives for skincare and makeup as well as startling information on the products we use every day. It's a great resource not only for your pregnancy, but for the rest of your life. Everybody's getting into greening their homes, but we can't forget about the people who live in them.

Click here to read about Jillian's life in the 'hood—motherhood.