Hilary Valentine - Holistic Health

ANNOUNCEMENT 📣

My rates will be going up for my 1:1 postpartum pelvic floor therapy on March 1, 2024

Book a consult call with me and get on my schedule before February ends!!

Pelvic floor therapy is one of the best gifts you can give yourself!

So what are you waiting for?

Put your HSA/FSA funds to good use by scheduling yourself pelvic floor therapy with me!

Kicking off the year with a lot of surfing and steam!! .mom.strong

If you’ve made it this far... give yourself a pat on the back!

For the next week, it’s all about actually laying that head down a few minutes earlier each night...

Or taking tiny chunk each night out of your primary sleep goal...

Lately, it’s been 11-11:10pm that I’m finally closing my eyes to fall asleep... so each night this week, I’m going to try inching that back about 5-10 min until I get to 10:30pm.

Tonight, as I’m writing this is Sunday... my goal is 10:55pm.

What’s your goal for this week?

Taking some time to gently move your body before sleep can be an excellent way to wind down!

Whether it’s an organic movement flow, some stretches you know you need to do more of or a restorative yoga sequence on You Tube

The most important part is showing up for yourself and your body to move and flow before bed!

Light is significant when it comes to sleep!

Exposing ourselves to bright light early in the day and avoiding bright light late in the day stimulates a healthy circadian rhythm.

I try to use the absolute minimum light necessary to do what I need to do at night. I also try to use blue light blocking glasses, lower the brightness on my phone screen and over time we have tried to incorporate dimmable lights wherever possible.

So todays challenge is 2 fold:

🌙Tonight- avoid light, use only what’s necessary
☀️Tomorrow morning- get out in the bright sunshine before 10am without sunglasses… just 10-20min is plenty

This might just be the hardest task of the week... leaving your phone out of your bedroom...

Why?

Revenge Bedtime Procrastination is one term I’ve come across.

Basically, we feel like with deserve something at the end of the day for all our hard work, so scrolling our phone fits the bill quite nicely when you haven’t had a moment to yourself... but in fact it is instead robbing us of sleep which then spirals due to the repeated impact of less than ideal sleep...low energy, impacted memory, impaired attention... the list goes on

The additional challenge here... how will you wake up on time without a phone to wake you?

Well, you might just need to get a good ole’ alarm clock!

The impact of late night scrolling is quite staggering and after diving into some of the research, I now have a bigger nudge to quite this habit myself!!

Anyone with me on this?

I’m sensing a bit of a deeper dive into this topic for week 2... comment below if you agree!

I have supported clients with improving sleep for the better part of my 15 year career in OT and one of my oldest tips for easing into sleep is to read.

For this challenge, I think reading is priceless because it
-Get’s you off your phone
-Shifts your brain away from those pesky mom worries, to-dos, etc
-Expands your world in one way or another no matter what your reading

For years though, I would always get a chuckle by recommending that my clients find a book that they actually found boring. This tip came out of my own experience with a yoga philosophy book that literally I could not get into no matter how hard I tried. It sat on my nightstand for years and instead of absorbing it’s content, it would lull me off to sleep within 2-3 pages without fail!

So if your not one for reading, don’t worry, the goal isn’t to EVER finish the book! The goal is to fall asleep and this one could just be your go to ritual!

Anyone else have a book that without fail lulls you to sleep? Please share

Mind whirling with all the things that motherhood and life bring along...

Finding it hard to turn off your mind...

You are not alone! This is one of the most common reasons for delayed or disrupted sleep!

Journalling before bed can be an excellent strategy for reducing those whirling thoughts making settling into sleep easier.

The way I do this is by detailing out my Google calendar including task list for the next day, but I also keep a journal next to my bed to work through any last minute ideas that I know will keep my mind occupied unless I work through it a bit.

Whether digital or written, clearing your lists, to-dos, ideas, reminders, etc out of your mind and putting them down somewhere you can refer to in the morning is a great step toward quieting your mind...

How do you quiet a whirling mind? If you have another idea, comment below!!

Did you know I send out a weekly newsletter?

Well, now you do and I invite you to check out this week’s edition! Whether your curious about cycle syncing, a fresh approach to child’s pose or seeking a deeper connection with your baby... this edition of Mama Wellness Wednesday has you covered!

Hop on the my email list to receive Mama Wellness Wednesday right to your inbox! Every week it includes 3 topics related to holistic maternal wellness.

🌺Pelvic Health
💃🏻Women’s Health
🤰🏼Pregnancy
🧘🏼‍♀️Birth prep
👩🏽‍🍼Postpartum recovery
🏃‍♀️Exercises
🏄🏼‍♀️Mental health
and so much more!

I have also started to invite guest contirbutors to offer their perspectives or share their motherhood musings with you, because we all have something important to say and offer each other!

Check out this week’s newsletter by typing “Mama Wellness” in the comments or click the link in my bio for instant access!

Modern Goddess Circle is next Thursday October 26 @ 6pm!

This is a women’s circle that includes somatic breath work, meditation and journaling while receiving a nourishing and cleansing yoni steam followed by mingling with like minded women over pupus and refreshments!

Join us if you are seeking:
-Connection to your femininity
-A peaceful setting to recharge
-Healing and nourishment of your physical and mental health

We gather in support of ourselves and each other!

Contact Maddy to RSVP or for question: 808-853-0959.

This beautiful, courageous, humble and just all around ✨SPARKLY 💖mama is celebrating her 2nd anniversary of Fit4Mom ownership!

I have know Whitney for 14 years and this girl seizes to amaze me!

Her energy, realness, positivity and exuberance fills every class she teaches and spills over into the ones she doesn't!

Congratulations on 2 years and 🥂cheers to many more!

Real Life Post…

It’s Friday morning, my husbands birthday and the end of a long week before the beginning of a busy weekend.

This week started out with me more organized and put together that. I have been in weeks…

Then it started… the itchiness!! First behind my neck before wrapping down my chest and arms, ending in a visit to the ER Dr for much needed western medicine after all the oils and vinegar concoctions just weren’t cutting it and I lay in bed tortured by my own system.

The ocean has been calling me for days as the itch intensified yet I couldn’t find the time or energy to get there.

Then this morning the starts aligned… my girls were eager to share a cinnamon roll breakfast with Daddy at school to celebrate his birthday 🎂

So I snuck out for a swim…

It was cooling, invigorating, peaceful and healing…

Thing happen in life outside our control and without warning…

I try my best to take it in stride, balance rest with effort and when in doubt get out into nature. It is there where all things are softened, enlightened and healed ☀️🌴🌊🌿🌎

Have a beautiful weekend 🙏🏼✨🌺

… and yes, I figured out what my rash is and will post on that soon!

Are you a doula? Midwife? Chiropractor? Massage Therapist?

This workshop is for you and it's FREE!

I will be sharing my process in working with pregnant women to help them prepare for birth through the lens of a holistic pelvic floor therapist.

My signature pregnancy program is called Aligned Birth Sessions. In this workshop I will be sharing the key components, demonstrating how I work with clients and sharing the benefits of this work when done in collaboration with other birth workers.

To join please send me a DM confirming your plan to attend, then I'll see you Sunday 9/24 !

And here we are off to a new school year!

Victoria is entering 1st grade and Gwendolyn is entering Pre-K

Me… I’m entering what I consider my second new year! There is the start of the calendar year and then there is the new school year! I find the start of the school year to be an even bigger fresh start!

When I reflect on last school year, so much of the time my girls were at school was gone before I knew what even happened, leaving me scrambling all afternoon and working late into the evening most days.

So as I enter this school year, I have some new tools under my belt that I plan to employ and share here! In motherhood overwhelm is constantly knocking on our door or literally taking up shop in our kitchen, but it doesn't have to be that way.

This school year I am...
-Mindfully scheduling my days
-Cycle syncing my weeks
-Maintaining scheduled time for exercise and lunch
-Aiming for 2-3 90minute "deep work" sessions every week

Follow along for more on what this all means!

We have been traveling visiting family all over the mainland since June 1…Boston, New York, Chicago, Kentucky and now Tennessee…

Seeing family and places that I haven’t seen in years has been amazing and heart warming…

I’ve also been doing my best to keep up a variety of work commitments…

It’s been harder than I anticipated yet it’s also made me aware of how deeply passionate I am for my work…

In these moments where I feel a pull from opposing desires/forces/energies, I return to grace…

I give myself the grace I need to recognize and allow the discomfort of these moments to be ok, sit with them, and move forward in my decisions with peace in my heart that everything is working out exactly as it is intended to be…

This looks like me wanting to write my newsletter yet not wanting to miss the magical play between cousins and ends up being a cuddle session in bed with all the kids giggling around me as I slowly chip away at my writing and then the moment becomes nothing short of beautiful…

Then there is this moment where I’d love to sleep in like the rest of the family yet I desperately need to go for an early morning walk and meditate to feel like me again. So I follow my intuitive pull to rise early and again it resettled peace in my heart…

When your feeling pulled in all directions as a mom, being in tune with your inner wisdom and voice is nothing short of priceless. Being able to trust and listen to you internal nudges is truly your best and most unwavering guide…

This is why tuning into your intuitive maternal wisdom is an overarching theme at Becoming ~ a day retreat for expecting mamas!

Early Bird Registration closes in 1 week! Snag your seat for $225 though the link bio 🔗

How you sit in pregnancy influences how you feel physically during pregnancy and your birth!

Look at this picture above.

What position do you think is going to support your baby in positioning better within your womb space?

What position is going to reduce the likelihood of you developing pelvic pain?

What is the difference between how I am sitting on the left versus the right?

Sitting is something we do everyday for large parts of our day throughout pregnancy, so being more aware of how you sit and making small adjustments can go a REALLY long way in supporting a balanced pelvic system.

Back to those pictures…
The picture on the right is better because I am sitting up straight with my weight equally balanced over my sit bones, I am not sitting in a slouched position on my sacrum. I made one major adjustment… adding a pillow behind my back for better support up onto my sit bones.

Here are some tips for sitting better during pregnancy:
-Add a pillow support behind your back to promote a more forward posture
-Add a firm cushion or folded towel under your hips to get your hips higher than your knees. When your knees are higher, you can’t sit up on your sit bones
-Avoid crossing your legs
-Sit on pregnancy ball which naturally promotes excellent posture
-Avoid staying in a reclined position on the couch for a long period of time. Either sit up or lay down on your side

🔗 in Bio to Register NOW!

In this one of a kind, 2-hour workshop Hilary will guide you through the essential techniques, mechanics and strategies for pregnancy and birth.

Your baby knows how to be birthed, it’s up to you to prepare the optimal internal environment for his journey earth side! I’ll show you how!!

Hilary is a holistic birth professional and pelvic floor therapist. She works with women from preconception through postpartum on connecting more deeply to their body, mind and soul through the transition into motherhood. Hilary is a passionate women's health educator on a mission to empower women to trust in their innate maternal wisdom as their ultimate guide.

After completing this workshop you will
-be able to more accurately assess your posture through pregnancy
-Understand the relationship between breath and the pelvic floor
-Learn movements specific to your body that can help move you toward better balance
-Understand the mechanics of the pelvis at different stages of birth
-Essential and effective strategies for speeding up slow labor progression

Snacks and refreshments will be provided

Link in Bio 🔗

Add-on the Bonus offer and Save $150 off Hilary's signature offering- Aligned Birth Sessions!

There are a lot of small things you can do over the years to support your daughter in developing good pelvic health in a similar way you support her in developing knowledge about heart, skin, and oral health!

The challenge arises though when you don't even know this information... where do you even begin?

This is why I am beginning to offer mother-daughter events here in Honolulu to support women in navigating their own pelvic health with more confidence while supporting their daughters to establish good pelvic health early in life!

Drop a comment below or DM me if you like to be added to a waitlist. When a date is set, you will be the first to be notified!

Please share this post with anyone who has a daughter between 11-18 years old!

Don't put off addressing your pelvic floor health until after birth or you could be setting yourself up for more pelvic health complications!

Why?

~Your pelvic floor plays an integral role in birth...aka your baby needs to navigate through it. A pelvic floor that is not "prepared" for this can cause problems like not relaxing and causing labor to be WAY longer

~Kegels might be what your doctor recommended but in all honestly, I rarely recommend. Yes, you should be able to kegel, but more often than not you need to work on relaxing your pelvic floor not contracting it. Find out for sure by working with a pelvic floor therapist

~The alignment and mobility of pelvis will promote good positioning of your baby and help labor progress easily or NOT... I help women prepare their pelvic for birth working with both the pelvis and surrounding soft tissue!

~When you arrive in labor with a relaxed pelvic floor and aligned, mobile pelvis, labor just goes more smoothly. A smoother labor results in less labor complications, resulting in less chance of pelvic floor trauma

~The only professionals out there providing labor rehearsals where you can actually experience the sensation of labor on your pelvic floor and how to work with it instead of against... is not your doctor or doula or midwife... it's me, your pelvic floor therapist!

Interested in working with me? DM me to schedule a free consult call!

Expectations?

We all have expectations of ourselves...but where did they come from?

Our childhood, our family, friends, society? Most likely...

What are your souls expectations?

EXERCISE:
1. Write down the expectations you have for yourself without reflecting on them, just go

2. Ask yourself why this is an expectation and where did it come from

3. If you were to only write down your soul aligned expectations, would anything change?

A few of the quotes inspiring, motivating and grounding me lately!

I'm a holistic birth professional...

That means... I support you in achieving your vision and goals for pregnancy, birth and postpartum

My work with every client look different because it's about you

✨ Some come for pelvic floor therapy

✨Some come to relieve discomforts of pregnancy

✨Some come to find their maternal connection

✨Some come because no one else is listening

✨Some come for one of these reasons and receive all of them!

💆‍♀️How can I support you?

Let's chat on a clarity call today!

🫶🏼Link in Bio

I provide pregnancy specific pelvic floor therapy services here in Honolulu. If you are pregnant and experiencing any of the following...

✔️Pain or discomfort in your hips, low back, tailbone

✔️Unable to kegel or unsure if your doing it correctly

✔️Leaking urine when you sneeze or cough

✔️Desiring unmedicated natural birth

✔️Wanting to optimize your baby's position

✔️Worried about perineal tearing or diastasis recti

✔️Fearful about labor or having a highly stressful pregnancy

🌺💞Let's connect and see how my skills as a pelvic floor therapist, doula and holistic birth coach can help guide you toward a positive birthing experience.

📲Schedule your free consult call... 🔗link in bio!

Becoming would simply not be what it is without these collaborations with other amazing maternal wellness providers!

Kelsey Amos of and Pua O Eleili Pinto of will be leading a cooking class and discussion about sourcing foods and the significance of cultural traditions in pregnancy and postpartum!

Yuko Kowal, IBCLC of .breastfeeding will be guiding the mom in prenatal yoga followed by an interactive breastfeeding session!

Nichole Vicks, LMT of will be nurturing mamas with prenatal massage in a beautiful garden gazebo setting!

Do these sessions sound divine?

Thinking you want in on this experience and so much more?

There are still 2 spaces available!

🌺✨🌈Registration CLOSES THIS SUNDAY!

🔗Link in bio for all the details

The part of my upcoming Becoming retreat is the final ceremony!

I call is a "Becoming" or "Matrescence" ceremony. Matrescence means the becoming of a mother. A Matrescence ceremony is all about honoring the mother to be, nurturing her spirit, support her belief her her power to birth, and showing her that she is surrounded by love.

There is no right or wrong way to conduct this type of ceremony if the intention is on honoring and loving the mother(s) to be!

If you love the idea of a Matrescence ceremony you will love the entire weekend of Becoming, Oahu's first prenatal wellness retreat!

🌺✨🌈Registration is filling up!

🔗Link in bio for all the details

Thank you for featuring my article “The 5 Essential Steps to a Calm & Confident Birth”!

It is my passion to support and guide women and families toward achieving the birth of their dreams! This article highlights the ways I work with clients.
Looking for guidance and support through pregnancy from a birth professional? Let’s connect!
Pick up your free copy of Hawaii Parent - The Magazine for Families to check it out.

Begin an affirmation practice today and see what shifts for you.

Follow my Stories for daily journal prompt with related affirmation beginning tomorrow 1/31/23!

Becoming has emerged from a deep understanding of what would have served me better in pregnancy than setting up the nursery and taking a "generic" childbirth education course...

Connection.
✨To myself
✨To my baby
✨To the community of women on the same path

When I was pregnant I focused most my energy on working as hard as I could to all the $$ I could in order to take off as much time as I could. This is the unfortunate reality of becoming a mom in the US...

But I wish someone had told me, you can't pay for time. No matter how much I saved it didn't ultimately matter. What did was how I spent the time I had with my baby and my own evolving relationship with my new role of mother.
This second part... my relationship with my role of mother, was blind-siding to say the least!

As I reflect on my pregnancy journey and transformation into a mother, I wish

🧘🏼‍♀️I had slowed down

♥️I had deepened my trust not only in my ability to birth but my ability to be the perfect mother for my baby

👯‍♀️I had connected with a community of women also becoming mothers

🌺I had spent more time developing skills of self-compassion, valuing my role as mother, understanding what grace really means, and connecting deeply to my inner voice and wisdom

Becoming provides a space for the slowing down, developing trust, self-compassion, and deepening your connection to your divine maternal spirit and wisdom...

Motherhood is a transformation that deserves honoring, reverence and connection

SPACES STILL AVAILABLE!
What are you waiting for?
Join us!

March 17-19 in Ka'a'awa

🔗Details in link in bio☝🏼

Becoming is coming!!

This is the prenatal wellness retreat all about connection- with yourself, your baby, and a community of like minded women!

Immerse yourself in a weekend of experiential workshops, prenatal yoga, creative expression, and workshops that will leave you feeling truly awakened to your maternal power and spirit

Secure you space today with $200 deposit!

Rooms availability is on first come first serve basis!