Yoga Birth Babies

The hormonal blue print needed to move labor forward has a few requirements. For the body to function well in labor, we need to remove pressure, stress, shame and anxiety and help the laboring person find deep relaxation.  In this episode of Yoga|Birth|Babies, I speak with HypnoBirthing® childbirth educator, certified holistic health coach, and author of the book, Pure Nurture—A Holistic Guide to...

Everyone who gives birth shall forever carry their story imprinted deep within. For some, the memories brings joy, others unresolved feelings and for many, they are somewhere in between. Time will take someone further from the experience but what happens when your birth goes unprocessed? In this episode of Yoga|Birth|Babies, I speak with co-director of Birthing From Within International and author...

Bringing home a baby during a pandemic has unique challenges. New parents can no longer rely on the help and support of family, friends, or a doula to share the workload and take the pressure off of learning how to care for a newborn.  For those expecting a baby during COVID-19, this special episode of Yoga| Birth|Babies may help ease your anxiety. My guest, New York City based childbirth educator...

Have you ever wondered why some births are fast and furious while others slowly putter along? Many times it has to do with the delicate dance between the baby’s position and the balance and room made in the pregnant person’s pelvis and soft tissue.  In this episode of Yoga|Birth|Babies, I speak with the creator of the Spinning Babies® approach, Gail Tully (CPM). Gail explains Spinning Babies metho...

Pregnancy and being a brand new parent inherently carries a fair amount of anxiety and uncertainty. Add in an unprecedented pandemic, and that anxiety is likely to increase. One of the best ways to combat these feelings are solid and supportive answers to best prepare for what lies ahead. In this very special and timely episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, I speak with NYC veteran doula and childbirt...

What if your birth fell well beyond any preconceived vision of possibility?  What if it took so many twists and turns that even a prolific author would struggle to paint such a surprising story?  In this episode of Yoga|Birth|Babies, I speak with prenatal yoga teacher, childbirth educator, and labor support doula, Hess Kim. Hess humorously shares the story of her epic birth. As an endurance athlet...

Birth. Rarely does it unravel as planned or expected. The uncertainty and loss of control can be very challenging for many pregnant people. It can bring up fear, make some hold tighter to a preconceived plan, or throw themselves into the hands of science and relinquish any autonomy.  How does one approach such a transformation with the willingness to accept the unknown path that lies ahead? In thi...

Have you ever wondered why postpartum people wake up with night sweats? Or find their hair falling out? Did you know there is a huge hormonal disruption once the placenta is delivered and that leads to hormonal levels plummeting?  This major hormonal shift can create havoc for the new parent’s body and mind. It's often the missing piece to better understanding the full picture of postpartum recove...

Approximately 60% of pregnant people will receive an epidural. With those receiving epidural analgesia, up to 10% of those people will not receive full pain relief- there may be a spot where discomfort is still felt or pain relief is not delivered. Or you may find yourself waiting for pain medication or choose not to receive an epidural at all.  So what other comfort techniques can people employ?...

Is it a fair assumption for pregnant yoga students to assume “If you had a yoga practice prior to pregnancy, you will know how and when to modify.”?  Whose responsibility is it to ensure the safety of the student and offer modifications.  What potential harm can really happen to the baby and the pregnant person from inappropriate yoga poses?  In this episode of Yoga|Birth|Babies, I speak with my c...

An epidural is a very familiar term for most, but how much knowledge do people have about it?  With an average of 60% of birthing people choosing epidural anesthesia, it is important to make informed decisions about what serves you best.  In this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, I speak with anesthesiologist and yoga teacher, Claire Sandberg. Claire breaks down common myths and misconceptions abo...

Surrogate Carrier: The act of carrying a baby for an intended family. In my opinion, one of the greatest gifts a person can give to a family that needs assistance in creating their family.  In this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, I speak with Anastasia Bartlett, a Certified Health Coach, Personal Trainer, Yoga Teacher, owner of Superior Surrogacy Consulting and three time surrogate carrier. In o...

The path to creating a family can differ for everyone. For some it may require fertility assistance, others a surrogate, and others no assistance at all however for approximately 135,000 families it involves adoption.  In this episode of Yoga|Birth|Babies, I speak with adoptive and assisted reproduction lawyer, Rebecca Mendel. As an adoptive parent, Rebecca offers both her personal experience and...

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 they would prefer to avoid, but not learning about the process and preparin...

Can you imagine the need to be the main advocate for yourself in the middle of labor and directly postpartum? Or being pushed into the situation to go head to head with the hospital staff just to see your baby? That is exactly what happened to Jessie Katz. In the middle of her labor and directly postpartum, Jessie was able to find the clarity and strength to loudly and speak up for what she knew w...

A “big baby” is one of the top reasons for a suggested induction for pregnant people. But did you know that ultrasound offers less accuracy after the 37th week of pregnancy and can be off up to 15% of the estimated weight?  In this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies I speak with founder and author of Evidence Based Birth®, Rebecca L. Dekker, PhD, RN, APRN. Rebecca and I had a chance to speak about a...

One of the most talked about subjects at the beginning of every postnatal yoga class is breastfeeding. How is it going? What do you do with cracked nipples? What are you going to do when you go back to work?  In the episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, I speak with Director of Stork and Cradle, Tamara Hawkins, FNP, RN, IBCLE, LCCE, CHHC. She answers all of these questions and more in the episode I am...

What do you do when you realize your child has special needs and considerations? For some parents of children who have special needs, they may feel isolated and overwhelmed by living outside “the norm.” In this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, I speak with Bridget Tichar. Bridget is the mother of Teddy, her 2 1/2 son, who a year ago was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes. Bridget shares the painsta...

The US is the only developed country that does not offer paid maternity leave to new parents. Support for new families varies from the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act, which offers job protection and mandates 12 weeks of unpaid leave, to private companies who provide paid leave maternity and paternity leave. In NY State, as of January 1, 2018, parents who work for private companies are eligible...

The shift from pregnancy to postpartum is unlike any chasm one will ever experience. And while there is often much care and attention being paid to the pregnant person’s well being, the new parent that emerges on the other side, is often left to wade through the turkey waters of parenthood with limited help. In our current culture, many people have lost the community that gathers to take care of t...

It's possible you've never heard of “tongue tie,” but 5% of babies are born with this condition. If your little one has a tongue tie you likely understand how it impacts feeding your baby, from the bottle or breast. And if undiagnosed, it can affect speech development. In this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, I speak with author of the book, Latch: A Handbook for Breastfeeding with Confidence at...

Why is it that so many pregnant people wait until 12 weeks to share the news of their pregnancy? This silence retreat may be comforting for some, but isolating for the 1 in 4 people who do not see their pregnancy go past the first trimester. In this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, I speak with the creator of the #IHadAMiscarriage campaign, psychologist Dr. Jessica Zucker. Dr Zucker opens up abou...

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 author of the book, What To Do When You're Having Two and founder of Twiniversity, Natal...

One of the most commonly used phrases in exercise and yoga is “engage your core.” But what does that even mean? What muscles are being asked to work and is it really helpful or healthy to have an engaged core?  In this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, I speak with pelvic floor yoga specialist Shannon Crow. Shannon dispels some commonly believed myths about what the core is and how it should be us...

Nobody ever enters parenthood and thinks having a baby would land them in the psych ward. But that is exactly what happened with Lisa Abramson. On this episode of Yoga| Birth|Babies, I speak with executive coach, mindfulness teacher, best selling author, and mom of two girls, Lisa Abramson.  Lisa is also a survivor of postpartum psychosis, a rare and severe maternal mental health condition. In thi...