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I have just finished reading ‘And the Doula Makes Four’, an article on doulas and lactation consultants in last week’s New York Times. The article certainly does not paint a pretty picture of either vocation. In any field there is a range of professionals and an equally wide range of beliefs and practices to which […]
Debunking the Difficult Doula Read More »
The other day I was channel surfing and landed on “A Baby Story”. I hear students speak often about this show as well as other baby/birthing shows, so I figured I should see what all the fuss is about. Also, I’m aware that the images shown in these programs significantly influence how people perceive birth.
Step Away From the DRAMA! Read More »
Last weekend I did a private in-home childbirth education class with one of my students and her husband. It was really more of a refresher class, since she has already given birth to two beautiful children. I asked her a bit about her past birth experiences to get an idea of what we needed to
Massage is one of the most useful tools for non-medicated pain relief I can bring to a birth. It has been credited with helping to reduce pain, anxiety, and fear by increasing endorphin levels in the body. A study reported in ‘Mental Health Update’ that “the women in a group that received physical touch (light
Paging Dr. Feel Good Read More »
About a year ago I was attending my friend Valerie’s birth. She labored well, and after a number of hours it was time to push her baby out. When she started to push, her contractions were spaced out to about 8 minutes apart. Most women’s contractions do space out once the cervix is fully dilated
Whose Schedule Are We On Anyway?! Read More »
Several months ago, I constructed a list of 5 questions to ask your doctor before your birth. Asking questions can help you begin to decide which caregiver would best align with your ideas of birthing. It’s definitely a good jumping-off point to begin the conversation about your journey into motherhood, but the responsibility to do
Know the Statistics; Don’t Be One Read More »
Ina May Gaskin writes in her book, Ina MayÂs Guide to Childbirth, ÂLet your monkey do it (pg 243). By this, she goes on to explain, she means that ÂLetting the primate in you do the work of labor is a short way of saying not to let your over-busy mind interfere with the ancient
Let Your Monkey Do It Read More »
Last Saturday night, my husband and I went out with some friend who had just purchased a new car. I commented that it seemed rather spacious as the 4 of enjoyed moving through the city in our own transportation escaping our usual mass transit experience. Franny remarked back, that when they have both the car
Anyone Over 30 Should Be Dead Read More »
I was just looking over my pages of notes from my trip to The Farm Midwifery Center in Summertown, Tennessee, and I got caught up in my notes about the Amish births. Near Summertown is a very large Amish community. Many of the Amish births are attended by The Farm’s midwives. The midwives shared some
An Ode to the Amish: Childbirth Without Pain Read More »
Over the last 4 years I have gathered quite a Âbag of tricks that I bring along to births that I attend as a labor support doula. Some of what is inside my bags was passed on to me from other doulas, some of the things I picked up at my recent Midwifery Assistant class
Comfort Measures for Mom: The Inside of My Doula Bag! Read More »
Recently I have been feeling uninspired and tired. As much as I love what I do (and I consider myself fortunate that I really do love my career!) I feel like I have not been putting my full passion into it the way I usually do. I come home complaining that I want to Âget
Sometimes You Need to Just Get Away Read More »
Three weeks ago I received a phone call from Pamela Hunt at the Farm Midwifery Center informing me that a space became available in the Midwifery Assistant Workshop. At first I hesitated. The class was to start in less then 2 weeks and if I went, I had a lot of preparations to take care
During this morning’s class, one of the students proudly announced that today was her due date. She was anxiously awaiting the start of her labor and excited to meet her baby. (I think there was equal excitement about the idea of not being pregnant anymore!) She then went on to say that her doctor has
Natural Alternatives to Induce Labor Read More »
Your active lifestyle has hit a bump in the road. You can no longer continue your former workout routine and your doctor recommends that you try prenatal yoga. But last time you took a yoga class you felt like you were in a bizarre game of twister. How is this going to help you during
Prenatal Yoga: Your Practice on the Mat can Prepare You for Labor Read More »
This too shall pass, was advice giving to me while I was going through a particularly painful break up with a boyfriend. At the time I was so distraught, I did not know how I was going to pull myself together. But as time moved on, so did I. Since then I have used that
This too shall pass Read More »
I have been attending births for almost 4 years and have picked up some trade secrets along the way. Here are some ideas to try to help make your labor more comfortable, less painful and (hopefully) shorter. 1. Heat: I typically bring a hot water bottle with me to births. However you can use a hot
7 “Tricks of the Trade” to Help You Have a Better Labor! Read More »
Growing up, my mother was always at the forefront as the caregiver. She was the one that schlepped me around to Hebrew school, ballet, and voice lessons. My father, on the other hand, worked. I remember my dadÂs presence at dinner and on the weekends. After he came home from work, he would tuck himself
Happy Fathers Day to the Neglected Warrior Read More »
My journey into this career was quite unexpected. I became a doula after a student, an OB doing her fellowship at a NYC hospital, invited me to observe birth. At the time, I had not given birth myself, I was very curious to see it first hand. At that time my experience of birth was
My Job as a Doula: The Most Rewarding Experience Read More »
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers and expectant mothers in the world! I just said goodbye to my mom who came down from Boston to visit for Mother’s Day. Usually I try to go home for Mother’s Day, but I am on call for a birth, so she graciously came down here. We did
A Mother’s Intentions Read More »
Hello World! My name is Deb Flashenberg and I am the Director and Owner of the Prenatal Yoga Center. I thought I would start off by explaining my intention for this blog. I am here to talk about my experiences in the prenatal yoga community, the student’s experiences on and off the mat, life as
Prenatal Yoga Center Starts a Blog Read More »
