Bedtime/naptime had pretty much become an all out fight for me. I had prided myself on being the parent who never raised her voice, or saw red when coping with her child, but the reality was far from matching my intentions as a parent. This was where an accidental use of tactics from an FBI hostage negotiator suddenly changed things.
Read moreThe subtle cues
Ever notice that some of the instructions you get from yoga teachers don’t seem to make any physical sense? Sure there are the big obvious instructions; put our left foot forward, turn your right heel out. But then there are the more tiny adjustments; drop your tail bone, lengthen the skin on the back of your hips, soften your eyes, or relax your vision out the sides. What exactly are teachers asking for when they say to sink deep within your ears?
Read moreKey through the keyhole- the Cardinal movements of labor
While it might seem like a baby simply slides through its mother’s pelvis to be born; in fact the baby makes a series of twists and turns in order to emerge. Called the Cardinal movements, these extensions and rotations help the baby find the best fit to spiral down and out of the body.
Read moreTake a breath...how? (Breathing for pregnancy and labor)
The Fear-Tension-Pain cycle can have a dramatic impact on how we experience the sensations of labor, and thus on our ability to work with those sensations. Simply put, when we are afraid, our bodies tense, and when we are holding excessive tension in muscles, we feel more discomfort, and an understandable emotional response to feeling increased discomfort and pain would be greater fear, and thus we create a downward spiral.
Read moreStop scaring pregnant people!
I open my inbox, and see the words I hate to see from a student. “I just heard the worst birth story from my friend…” My heart sinks. She goes on to describe how a friend at a backyard barbeque had recounted the story of his wife’s “brutal” labor – this was the word he apparently used- and that this story had been further reinforced by another friend who worked as a midwife.
Read moreLoose mouth, loose bottom
If you want the cervix to open, you need to open your throat. Yes you read that correctly, your vocal cords and cervix have a connection. Cervix literally means neck, and this isn’t a coincidence. These areas of the body almost mirror one another anatomically, and the tissues have even been shown to respond in the same way when stimulated! Certified midwives will often note that making open throated sounds during labor can help that labor progress, and even help in pain management.
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