Yoga Birth Babies

Today we have a very special birth and postpartum story to share. Many of you know, birth stories are one of my favorite kinds of episodes! In the words of my guest, “It was magical and so exciting.” Their postpartum story is so raw and vulnerable. The most exciting and challenging adventure she’s experienced is beginning motherhood. I am so appreciative of our guest for sharing honestly what they...

It’s been estimated that 15%-20% of parents experience postpartum depression, anxiety and stress. Note that these are only the numbers of folks who have reported. The reality is these numbers can be rather larger than estimated. In understanding these statistics, we are going to discuss the signs and symptoms of postpartum depression, anxiety and stress and how we can seek help. Often experiencing...

Have you thought about approaching birth from a physiological standpoint? Today we are going to talk about how to best prepare for a physiological birth. Let’s discuss why it’s important to physically and mentally prepare for birth and not just “wing it” and see what happens. We’ll explore how you get your partner involved, if you’re partnered. Getting your doula and care provider all on the same...

Does your baby struggle with acid reflux, gas or constipation? Today we have a super fun topic diving deep into reflux, gas and constipation for your newborn. We’ll talk about the signs and ways to alleviate this. Did you know the breastfeeding parent’s diet may also influence babies being gassy? You know me, I love practical information and today we have helpful tips to offer support to you and y...

We’re back with another favorite type of podcast episode, a birth story! I absolutely love the birth stories from our community. It truly is special and a joy to watch the students move through pregnancy, hear their birth stories and then come back postpartum. We have students who come in often for class and I really get to know and witness them as they go through their journey.  Sharing their bir...

Have taken a childbirth education course or read books about the stages of labor? We are going to break away from the medical idea of dilation equally in the stages of labor and talk about it organically and flexibly to what the body is showing you during the stages. We’ll touch upon the behavior of the birthing person, sounds they may make, how they’re moving in their body, communication and if t...

Let's talk about the term "bouncing back" after birth. What does "bouncing back" truly mean? This term is often filled with so much shame, anxiety and depression. The postpartum period can be such an intense time for new parents. Today on Yoga| Birth| Babies, we'll talk about the 5 key principles for healing after birth and what "bouncing back" can look like for you. We'll shed light on postpartum...

Have you been tracking your baby's progress? If I'm being honest when I first had my child, I was obsessed with making sure they hit their milestones. Remember, there is quite a range when it comes to this, but it's important to know when to seek help. Today on Yoga| Birth| Babies, it's all about communication and speech milestones for your baby. We'll get into typical communication development, i...

Parents, did you ever feel the pressure to "bounce back," fast after birth? Let's be real, the postpartum experience isn't always the one we imagine it to be. Today on Yoga| Birth| Babies, I've invited Sarah Merrill. Sarah recounts her own experience of postpartum and journey into parenthood. She is an advocate for birth trauma awareness and shares a bit of her own birth trauma in this episode. Pa...

Have you ever thought about how your nervous system relates to birth? You can’t birth if you don’t feel safe. Today on Yoga| Birth| Babies, we are going to talk about Polyvagal Theory and Birth. My guest approached me about this topic and I realized I didn’t know much about it. Excitedly, I did my own research and was amazed with what I discovered. Polyvagal Theory and Birth needs to be talked abo...

My guess is you may have heard of the term PMAD, perinatal mood and anxiety disorder? PMAD does cover the whole experience of prenatal, postnatal and beyond. But most of the time when you think of PMAD, you think of what happens in postpartum. Today on Yoga| Birth| Babies, I want to focus on prenatal stress, anxiety and depression. It is really an enormous change in people’s lives. A lot of the ti...

We’re back with one of my favorite kinds of podcast episodes, a community birth story. What is your initial point of view when it comes to birth stories? We often think about birth from movies, tv, family or friends, but it may not give the perspective of all the ways there are too birth. Because I appreciate different perspectives, I love getting to know our community members more and sharing the...

What does experiencing a positive birth mean to you? Birth can be really transformative to people and can also be traumatizing. On today’s episode of Yoga| Birth| Babies, Moran Liviani shares how to prepare for a positive birth. Moran is a birth doula, hypnobirthing practitioner, and a placenta encapsulation specialist.  A positive birth doesn’t mean it will look exactly how you envisioned and the...

*TW: Stillbirth Feeling your baby kick for the first time can be an incredibly special moment for you and your family. Baby's kicks can feel different for every pregnant person from butterflies to the literal feeling of being kicked, but did you know that counting the kicks during your third trimester is a proven way to track both you and your baby's health?  On today's episode of Yoga| Birth | Ba...

Yoga can have a profound impact in a practitioner’s life on and off the mat. In today’s episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies I had the honor of chatting with internationally celebrated Dr. Chelsea Jackson Roberts (who you likely know from her yoga classes and meditations on Peloton) about her journey into motherhood and how the tools she explores on the mat have practical application in her life.  In...

If you're having a vaginal birth and it's time for that baby to make itself completely earthside, you have to get that baby out of your body through some form of pushing. The pushing phase of labor is often the portion of birth we see in movies and tv. Frequently we see a birthing person laying in a hospital bed crushing their partner's hand, screaming things like "Get this baby out of me." It doe...

Today we're going to talk about riding the wave of grief. This episode is for those of you who are going through or supporting someone going through pregnancy and infant loss. To have this conversation I invited Devora Entin licensed clinical social worker specializing in perinatal and reproductive health onto today's episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies. We talk about riding the waves of grief, worki...

What does “Family” mean to you? Today’s guest Julia Karol began to ask herself this question at the start of the pandemic. To get answers she turned to friends, family, neighbors, and experts. Along the way she found many answers and stumbled upon many variations of family. From alternative families, the family positivity movement, to solo parenting Julia was able to choose the path to a family th...

You’ve likely heard about birth playlists (you might even be creating one) or maybe you take your baby to a music class. While music can be inspiring and playful for your family, did you know there’s also science to show it can help your family bond and even help those dealing with depression. Today on Yoga| Birth | Babies we’re going to talk about something near and dear to my heart, Music. It ha...

I feel like there are so many times people hear negative pregnancy and birth stories. Maybe someone goes past their due date or they’re a smaller body that has a bigger belly and they constantly hear “That’s a big baby!” or “oh you’re past your due date, or giving their opinions and it can absolutely influence how someone feels about themselves and their ability to give birth To counter all of tha...

Did you know that the number of babies born to first time parents in the US who are over 35 has been steadily increasing? I see countless parents in the PYC community (including myself) have their first child over 35. So why have we heard that it’s difficult and more dangerous to conceive after 35? What happens (or doesn’t happen) at 35 to the body and how might this affect your pregnancy and birt...

Twenty years ago I found a study that stated 1 out of 3 birthing parents experience birth trauma. It’s a pretty shocking statistic. As time has gone by, I wondered if the numbers had improved and perhaps we were seeing fewer parents experience traumatic birth? To answer this and take a deep dive into birth trauma, I invited Kate McReynolds LMHC owner of Root to Rise Counseling onto the podcast. Ka...

When I heard about the new book The Yoga of Parenting, I knew I had to have author Sarah Ezrin as a guest here on Yoga| Birth| Babies! Now I promise this isn’t a book report, it’s a very lively conversation. I must say that I marked up my copy of this book with stars, highlights, circles, underlines, I resonated with so much. You’ll hear me use that word a lot in our conversation and I mean it, as...

You’ve probably heard about labor support doulas, the people who help you during your birth, but did you know there are also doulas to help you after your baby is born? They’re called postpartum doulas and they’ll assist you, your family, and your baby. On today’s episode of Yoga| Birth| Babies I’m speaking with Postpartum Doula, Certified Lactation Counselor, and mother of three Valerie Trumbower...

If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while you know that the birth stories are one of my favorite things to dive into. I think it’s so important to hear about different experiences. Many times we have an image of birth from movies, or our friends or sister, or even our own experience, and these stories can be limiting, scary, or even set unrealistic expectations about the possibilities of...