Currently in the US, approximately one-third of all babies are born by cesarean. However, it’s interesting to note that when I asked my prenatal yoga class of 21 pregnant people how many have considered the possibility of cesarean birth, only 3 people raised their hands. For many, the idea of a surgical birth is something […]
Preparing for Cesarean: A Necessary Conversation with Mary Esther Malloy Read More »
How would you react upon finding out you were carrying twins? Shock? Excitement? A bit nervous? A combination of all three? If are one of the 3.35% of parent having twins you may be looking for some support and guidance as you welcome your new expanded family. In this episode of Yoga|Birth|Babies, I speak with
Birth plans have gotten a bad name. How can you possibly plan a birth since they rarely go as planned? However, investing time, thought, and energy into what areas of the birth are important to the birthing person can be invaluable. By making their wishes known, it can help the birthing person feel supported, heard,
The role and practice of a midwife is often misunderstood. Many think this is someone who simply assists medical doctors, or they confuse the offerings of labor support doula with a midwife assuming this person has limited medical training and authority or just catches babies. (None of those assumptions are correct!) So what does a
What Midwives REALLY Do Read More »
One Wednesday morning, during circle time, a student bravely spoke up about an experience she had at her last prenatal appointment. Her doctor told her she had gained too much weight between visits. The woman left her appointment upset, ashamed and confused about what to do next. Upon hearing, I too was confused and had
Prenatal Weight Shaming Read More »
It is very possible that until pregnant, you never thought much about your cervix. But once you’re hovering around your due date, it can become prime concern. At each weekly exam, you may be wondering, “How dilated am I?”, “Does that mean labor might start soon, or do I still have a ways to go?”
All Things Cervix! Read More »
“I would like a deep, painful tear of my perineum”, said NOBODY! Pretty much in every movie or TV show where birth is being portrayed, we see the birthing person flat on her back, legs spread wide and people are yelling at her to “PUSH!” It’s no wonder that is how people think they should
Protecting Your Perineum Read More »
In this episode of Yoga|Birth |Babies, I speak with labor and delivery nurse, doula, Lamaze Childbirth educator and author, Debby Amis. Debby breaks down this new study to highlight areas of inconsistent interpretation and emphasizes the lack of focus on the increase in 3rd and 4th degrees tears that have been noted with this new
JAMA Laboring Down Study: Yay or Nay? Read More »
What do you do when you’ve prepared for your birth to unfold in a certain direction only to find out you are one of the 1 in approximately 25 people carrying a breech baby? In this episode of Yoga|Birth|Babies, I speak with Spinning Babies Trainer and home birth midwife, Nicole Morales. Nicole offers insight to
Why This Baby Is Breech Read More »
The number one reason for first time birthing people to have a cesarean is “failure to progress.” Failure to progress is defined as a labor lasting 20 hours or more for first time parents. However, labor is not always linear and can have variations. In the 1940’s the Friedman Curve was introduced in hospitals as
How To Make A Slow Labor Progress Read More »
The C.D.C. reports that black mother in the U.S. are 3 to 4 times more at risk of maternal mortality regardless of socioeconomic status and education than white women. These statistics are just the beginning of shining a light on the racial disparity seen in the birthing world. In this episode of Yoga|Birth|Babies, I speak
Improving Birth & Health Outcomes for Black Moms & Babies. Read More »
Welcome to part two of the Birthing From Within focused podcasts. Recently, I embarked on the path to becoming a Birthing From Within Mentor. The process to becoming a mentor is multilayered but starts with a weekend intensive course called Crossing the Threshold. Right after attended the weekend course, I recorded last week’s podcast with
An Ancient Map For Modern Birth Read More »
If only there was a way to script out your “ideal” birth and be guaranteed the experience unfolds in that exact manner. Unfortunately, that’s impossible. However, many of us try to overly plan and seldom allow ourselves to relinquish the illusion of control over the wild nature of birth. In this episode of Yoga|Birth |Babies,
Exploring Birthing From Within Read More »
Have you ever found yourself facing a completely different scenario in life then you were expecting? At 7 months pregnant, writer and yoga teacher Anna Gannon, found herself unexpectantly unemployed and depressed. To her complete surprise, she stumbled into meditation which became passion and career. In the episode of Yoga |Birth |Babies, Anna and I
Meditation & Facing Birth Fear Read More »
The pushing stage of labor rarely looks as it does in the movies! Did you know there are so many other options to birth a baby then flat on your back with you legs thrown up to the ceiling and pushing like your face is going to burst? In this episode of Yoga | Birth
Pushing Power: Understanding the 2nd Stage of Labor Read More »
The headline “The ARRIVE Trial: Induction at 39 weeks leads to lower cesarean rate” may have caught your eye in the last few months. It may have also left you confused, wondering what to do with these new findings and what does all this mean for pregnancy, due dates and physiological births. In this episode
Understanding the ARRIVE study Read More »
Failure to progress is the number one reason first time mothers end up having an unplanned cesarean birth. Many times the cause of the cervix failing to open is related to the baby’s position and how is it rotating through the pelvis and applying pressure onto the cervix. While some misalignments may not be able
Spinning Babies Founder Gail Tully Read More »
When taking a Childbirth Education class, you may assume that all the information you are receiving is given in hopes of best supporting you, the birthing person. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Depending on where you take your class, the information may not be based on best care practices for the birthing person,
Where to take Childbirth Education Read More »
This week we’re continuing to revisit a few of my must listen to episodes! This is such an important issue and episode, even if you did listen to the first release I would highly recommend revisiting this episode. The current US cesarean rates hover around 33%. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the cesarean rate should
Reducing Unnecessary Cesarean Birth With Dr. Neel Shah Read More »
Summer fun is calling, and I am taking some time off of recording new podcasts to be with my family. In the meantime, I’m re-releasing some of my favorite episodes. Enjoy! According to the Listening to Mothers iii Survey, 41% of the people indicated that their care provider tried to induce their labor, with three
Labor Induction with Dr. Rachel Reed Read More »
