03 Jan Making a Hospital Birth More Like Home
Recently, an expectant mother asked me about changing care providers so that she could give birth in the Birth Center at St. Lukes/Roosevelt. I gave her a list of...
Podcast
29 Dec Prenatal Yoga: What Poses Can I Do?
After last night's class, a new student asked me about some of the poses we had practiced. She was confused that we did some twisting poses because she thought...
15 Dec Change Is Not Something We Should Fear.
Today B.K.S Iyengar turns 93. For those that are unfamiliar with this remarkable man, he is the founder of the yoga style Iyengar yoga. I have been a...
08 Dec Trying to Avoid A Cesarean Birth
The World Health Organization recommends that the cesarean section rate should range between 5-10% for a healthy outcome for both mother and baby. So why is the national rate hovering...
17 Nov When You Can’t Have The Birth You Want
For many women, the birth of their baby is not unlike getting married. It is an experience that may have envisioned and planned in a certain way for quite...
08 Nov Eating Chocolate During Pregnancy Can Be Beneficial!
Somewhere nestled comfortably in my nausea-free second trimester I came across a couple of articles that discussed the positive effects of dark chocolate for pregnant mothers. This was a...
28 Oct Episiotomy or Natural Tear?
There are so many decisions to consider when approaching birth. Where should you deliver? With whom should you put your trust to give you care? Which interventions...
21 Oct Find Your Advocate
There is a reason for the old saying, "It takes a village!" And in the days of my grandmother and mother, there was actually a village present to help with...
07 Oct Postpartum Depression
Not long ago, I was speaking with a friend about her experience right after her babies were born. She confided in me that she suffered from postpartum depression and...
27 Sep The Pelvic Floor, Prolapse and Pregnancy
It is quite ironic that I started this blog prior to the labor and delivery of my son, and now I am in the midst of dealing (and healing!) with...
05 Aug My (42 hour labor) Birth Story
I am a very good example that prenatal yoga will not necessarily guarantee you a shorter labor, but can offer you tools to get through whatever your labor turns out...
08 Jul Breastfeeding: Getting the Support You Need
After teaching a postnatal class two weeks ago, a few of the mothers and I began talking about breastfeeding, and the support one may need during that period. One mother,...
01 Jul Preparing for Postpartum
Recently I stumbled across an interesting article from The Journal of Perinatal Education titled "New Study Finds First-time Mothers Could Benefit from Postpartum Preparation" The article explains, first-time mothers want...
24 Jun Surrendering to Pregnancy, Labor and Motherhood
Stretch marks: much to my dismay and efforts, they have invaded my belly region. For months I have been slathering on creams and lotions that promised to help prevent stretch...
10 Jun Interviewing Pediatricians
This afternoon my husband and I are going to visit and interview a potential pediatrician. At first, I was a confused and overwhelmed about what kind of questions to...
03 Jun Childbirth Education Classes Why? When? Where?
I am probably a bit biased about the importance of taking a childbirth education class given I am a certified Lamaze teacher. Given that, I am always surprised when...
26 May Over Exhaustion During Pregnancy: What to do?
I feel very fortunate that I have a fair amount of control over my work schedule (just one of the perks of owning my own business!). I have decided...
19 May Is Pregnancy Public Domain?
Over the past few weeks, it seems that my pregnancy has become public domain for all to comment on, and even reach out and touch! It is probably a...
12 May The Lost Art of Touch
About three and a half years ago, I traveled Summertown, Tennessee to study at the renowned midwifery center, The Farm. The Farm Midwifery Center offers an in depth Midwifery...
05 May Medical Intervention, Helpful or Not?
For the past 20 years, labor induction and the cesarean rate in the US has been on a steady incline. Currently, approximately 30% of women are giving birth via...
13 Apr Long Labors
The other night, my husband (Joey) and I were discussing our close friend's labor. For the last few days things have been slowly progressing. However, mom and baby seem to...
01 Apr Talking Openly and Honestly With Your Care Provider
For years I have been advocating for women to have an open and honest relationship with their care provider, both before and during labor. Needless to say, I...
24 Mar Yoga In the First Trimester
"Should I practice yoga during my 1st trimester?" is a question that I am asked quite frequently. Like so many pregnancy topics, you'll come across a variety of opinions...
11 Mar Practice Makes Perfect – Even Practicing for Labor!
Theory may not always translate into reality. I am speaking more specifically of pain management and relaxation techniques. We start all of our prenatal yoga classes with several...
04 Mar Understanding Labor Induction
The particular event that inspired me to write this blog occurred last week. I was teaching a private childbirth education when we approached the subject of induction. My...
24 Feb The Pregnant Teacher
I promised myself that as I progressed further along in my pregnancy, I would try to strike a balance in my blogs between sharing my personal insight and continuing the...
17 Feb What is the Difference Between a Postpartum Doula & Baby Nurse?
When I first announced to my mom that I was pregnant, she was so excited and soon proudly said, "I am going to offer you exactly what my mother offered...
11 Feb Mantras: A Tool for Birth and Beyond!
About 5 years ago, I was on a bike trip through Tuscany. When I was planning this trip all I heard about were the beautiful hills of Tuscany and...
04 Feb Breastfeeding While Pregnant?
To be honest, I had not really thought about this topic until one of my postnatal students reappeared in my prenatal yoga class. I was thrilled to see her back...
21 Jan Birth Plan A, B and C
There is a running joke amongst Labor and Delivery Nurses about birth plans. It goes something like this, "What do you call a woman that comes in and presents...