In today’s episode of Yoga|Birth|Babies, I speak with internationally recognized expert on water birth and gentle birth and author of Gentle Birth Choices, Barbara Harper. Barbara explains what drew her to embracing and advocating for water birth and demystifies some of the misconceptions of water birth and explains the values and benefits to both mother […]
Barbara Harper and the Beauty of Water Birth Read More »
With one third of babies being born via cesarean, it is important to understand the process of a cesarean birth. However, there are ways to make a surgical birth less “surgical” feeling and shift the focus to a softer, gentler birth, a family centered cesarean, also called a “gentle cesarean.” This week on Yoga|Birth|Babies we
Family Centered Cesarean with Narchi Jovic and Suzanne Chesney Read More »
In the past few years I have come to appreciate all the uses and benefits of magnesium sulfate, aka Epsom salt. First off, I must stress, Epsom salts are sometimes recommended as a laxative; this purpose is NOT appropriate for pregnancy. With that usage off the table, let’s check out all the ways a pregnant
Tuesday Tip: Epsom Salt Read More »
What makes some births faster than others? Often, it is the baby’s position in the pelvis. Optimal position is when the baby is head down, with its chin in line with the birth canal, evenly tucked into its chest, and its spine is in an anterior position- towards the pregnant person’s belly (vertex position). Most
Better Birth; Eliminating Intrauterine Constraint Read More »
Movies, TV and friend’s stories often portray birth as a painful and arduous experience. From the repetition of these external influences, it is understandable how there is little space left to believe that birth is not necessarily painful. Could this preconceived idea of the pain of labor actually cause MORE pain? Imagine if all you
NPR: Pain Really Is All In Your Head And Emotion Controls Intensity Read More »
Once you turn the corner into your third trimester, you may notice the pregnancy “honeymoon” is over. Your baby’s growth is accelerating and you may be experiencing a whole new batch of aches and pains. Yoga within the third trimester focuses on preparing the body for labor and delivery, and encouraging the baby the move
Yoga in the 3rd trimester Read More »
Lately, I’ve been struggling with some of the stories I hear regarding appropriate vs. inappropriate behavior from labor support doulas. While I am not currently taking on any births, I was an active doula for almost 10 years and have tremendous respect and admiration for how a trained labor support doula can support a laboring
Doula Do’s and Don’ts Read More »
My first labor with my son, Shay, was an epic 42 hrs. That is 42 hrs from first recognizing there was a pattern to the contractions to my baby being born. I was completely taken back and slightly traumatized both physically and mentally by the experience. Upon finding out I was pregnant again with our
In the hecticness of planning for the arrival of a new baby, taking a formal Childbirth Education Class (CBE) sometimes get put on the back burner and forgotten about. A new study published in The Journal of Perinatal Education sites the positive birth experiences of those that participated in a formal CBE class compared to
Have A Better Birth; Take Childbirth Education! Read More »
I was really struck by a quote from Diana Korte and Roberta Scaer, authors of A Good Birth, A Safe Birth, who said: “If you don’t know your options, you don’t have any.” From what I have encountered in my years of teaching, many women really do not know how many choices they have with
Educate Yourself, Know Your Birth Options Read More »
