Having a baby is notoriously unpredictable. You don’t know when he or she is coming. You don’t know how long it will take. You don’t know how you or the baby will respond to labor. You don’t know when your water will break. You don’t know how long you’ll need to push. You don’t even […]
Fear-Tension-Pain Teaching Tool
Inspired by the fear-tension-pain cycle, meditation, Brené Brown, and the concept of holding space, I plotted three aspects of labor experience. Everyone feels each cycle at some point in their labor. The goal, of course, is to spend as much time as possible in labor (and life!) feeling at peace. A high level of fear means more tension, which [...]
How I Listen More & Still Teach
I teach group birth classes. I do doula work. I'm also the Director of Education for a busy birth center near Washington, DC. I work with families and pregnant couples when they first find out they're pregnant--or are still trying!--through postpartum. I've noticed that what people need at this time is, essentially, a doula. Someone [...]
Oxytocin Handout for Birth
Use this oxytocin handout at prenatal appointments and in birth classes as a powerful way to help couples understand the importance of environment, relaxation, and love for labor. Here's a handy, easy to read graphic on the science and uses of the hormone oxytocin. When you understand how your body works, you can work with your [...]
Labor Positions Handout
One way we can make birth more comfortable, easier, and faster is to move around and use various positions for laboring out of bed. Allowing yourself freedom of movement throughout makes active labor more comfortable and the baby is able to come down more easily. (Buy and download the labor positions pdf here.) This handout [...]
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