No class Memorial Day weekend!

Just a reminder, no prenatal yoga class at Ellwoods Sunday May 25! We will resume the following Sunday at 9.  Enjoy the long weekend!

Pranayama and Natural Birth

Pranayama, in a nutshell, is essentially your breath.  There are many different types of pranayama techniques practiced in yoga. During prenatal yoga, we have a special attention to breathwork that slows down your adrenaline and allows your oxytocin to rise during labor.  These same practices relax your mind, release tension throughout the body, and allow yourself to open and peacefully give birth to your baby.  The breath is an integral part of giving birth because it is the thread that weaves the mind and body together.  Here are a few ways to integrate breath into your prenatal yoga practice. 

A good place to start is by using the breath to relax the body.  Find a comfortable seated position, or lay on your left side and close your eyes.  Mentally scan your body, starting with the top of your head and finishing with your toes.  As you exhale, release any tension you are holding, paying special attention to your brow and jaw, allow your shoulders to drop away from your ears, and relax your pelvic floor. Use this time to deepen your inhales and lengthen your exhales, allowing your body to follow your breath, becoming soft and pliable.

In your yoga practice, notice when a particular asana becomes challenging. Practice softening into the pose with your breath.  Notice how your body changes.  This is especially great during Warrior II and other active poses.  Let your breath give you a sense of buoyancy, rather than strain. 

During poses that work on flexibility, practice sending your breath to different parts of your body to release tension.  For example, in Trikonasana or Triangle, send your breath to your side body to allow your muscles to stretch and open, really softening into the stretch.  During a contraction, this same skill helps your pelvis relax and cervix dilate, helping you labor effectively and making way for your baby. 

Keep in mind, that during pregnancy it is especially important to honor your intuition and follow practices that feel right for you.  Namaste!



Love Note

I met Rachael at a "meet the doulas" event that richmond doulas put on. After a short meeting over coffee/tea, I knew that Rachael would not only be a great fit as a doula, but a friend as well. We were new to the area and my husband was out of town for 2 months. 

She was always available, met me for coffee just because, and contacted me regularly in the last few weeks to check in. I had experienced prodromal labor for about 3 weeks. At my midwife appointment at 39 weeks, they said my water hadn't broken, but that I was already 5cm dilated and 80% effaced! I was already half way there! I was told to go home and pack. The midwives thought I would go into labor that night. I let Rachael know and we both napped just in case. When I was still pregnant Friday, I did some yoga poses and accupressure that Rachael suggested just incase the baby was in a bad position and needed to flip. By the afternoon, the contractions were 5 min apart and regular. Rachael suggested we call the midwife who advised us to wait an hour to see if they became more painful. Twenty minutes later, they were finally getting stronger! Rachael met us at the hospital right as we were beeing wheeled into the room. 

I labored in the tub for about 3 hours. Rachael was there to remind me to drink, used aromatherapy when I was feeling nauseous, and rubbed by back when it cramped up. She provided the confident, quiet support that I needed and never overstepped her boundaries. 

When I thought I couldn't go any longer, she reminded me that I could. She was never in the way, and helped support my husband in supporting me. Ultimately I was able to have the beautiful natural birth I had desired. 


Many things played into this, but I firmly believe that hiring Rachael as our doula was one of the smartest things we could do. You can never get too much support during this time of your life, before and after. I highly recommend Rachael to anyone interested in having a beautiful birthing experience!

On Choosing Your Care Provider During Pregnancy

Choosing your care provider is one of the most important decisions you can make during your pregnancy.  Your care provider should have a birth philosophy that honors your own, both as a mother and a patient.  As a doula, I find that mothers who are most happy with their birth experiences  have providers they truly trust.  

The first step in finding your perfect care provider is to think about the type of birth you desire.  If you have a low-risk pregnancy and desire a natural birth, the midwifery model of care might be right for you. There are a few groups of hospital based midwives (CNMs) in Richmond that many moms love. Frequently midwifery groups aim for mothers meet with every midwife prenatally so that your relationship and trust are established before labor begins.  

If you have a great OB, ask about the other doctors in the practice and about the birth climate of the hospital you've chosen.  Your OB may not be able to be present at your birth, so it is important to know you will be supported by like-minded care givers. Additionally, some doctors have privileges at more than one hospital, but not all hospitals have similar policies for laboring women.  Quality of nursing staff can change radically from hospital to hospital, too.

A great place to start investigating is www.vhi.org.  You'll find provider, practice and hospital statistics to give you an idea of general tendencies.  Keep in mind, patient population can shift the numbers— providers who manage higher risk pregnancies might have higher cesarean rates than those who care for lower risk pregnancies. 

As someone who frequently observes the mother-care provider relationship during labor, I cannot stress enough that you should feel your provider respects and supports your wishes during birth.  Stresses of receiving unnecessary interventions or a c-section are absolutely the last thing you need when bringing your baby into the world—you should honestly trust their medical expertise and judgement.  Additionally, your doula can do a much better job supporting you and your partner if your provider is on board with your birth plan. After all, every family deserves to be honored, supported and loved during this special time of life.

Love Note

My birth was the most wonderful experience, with much thanks to Racheal. She was so very helpful throughout my whole pregnancy, she went to doctors visits with me and was also helping me fight my extreme heartburn, to her calming yoga coaching, and patience with me during my 27 hours of labor. I went in active labor the day before Thanksgiving and with my first call to Racheal informing her I lost my plug she was just as excited as I was that we would be meeting my little man very soon. I was told by my doctor to head to L&D and that I would be having a baby for Thanksgiving.

 I called Racheal 1st and she was there like a cool drift of wind, with her warming smile and encouraging words I was prepared for anything. I was offered home twice where I went and ate and with each visit back to L&D she was there within the speed of light everytime. At 7cms my labor came to a hault and we had tried everything to get little man to progress, shower laboring, light exercising, birthing ball, and my cervix had started to swell cause major back pains. I was given a choice C Section or Epidural. Epidural it was, I am so terrified of needles, but with some encouraging words from Racheal I was so ready to meet my little man I had to worry in the world. 

After a hour nap he was ready to enter the world, and with 3 pushes we had delivered a 7lb 12oz baby boy with 12 fingers and 10toes and the lungs of a singer. I was very pleased with Racheal and her determination, I pleaded with her to go home and be with her family for the holiday but she meant she was leaving until he awas here and screaming, afterall she had done for me I feel as if she is a member of my family and not just a Doula. I really couldn't have chosen a better Doula as helpful and encouraging as Racheal, Thanks again for everything!!! Love Jess and Tymon

Using Yoga for Posterior Babies

Your baby's position is important because it affects the type of labor you will experience. If your goal is a happy, healthy and vaginal birth, a well positioned baby (OA) increases your chances of welcoming your child into the world the way you want. Let's get started by going over a few different positions your baby could be in:

This image is courtesy of Gail Tulley,  of Spinning Babies.

If later on in pregnancy you find that your isn't currently OA, don't worry!  Make sure that you have a care provider whom you trust to guide you through your pregnancy and birth.  Gail Tulley's site, www.spinningbabies.com will be a great resource for you, as well as a regular yoga practice. 

Specific yoga practices can help to open the pelvis and encourage your baby to turn, however midwife lore dictates that babies face their placenta, so if you are working to encourage your baby to turn before labor begins, don't be frustrated if your baby doesn't want to move, or does but returns to his or her original position. 

Frequently during early labor, mothers with OP babies, sometimes referred to as sunny side up or posterior,  have contractions that aren't cervix changing, but ones that I believe are working to move the baby into a more favorable position for birth.  If you are unsure of your baby's position but are experiencing a lot of back labor, it could be a sign that your baby is malpositioned, and trying the practices below might help your baby find a better position.  If you suspect that your baby isn't in an ideal position, use early labor as a time to work with your body to realign your baby.  Remember to let your intuition guide you through this experience. 

  

Move through cat and cow poses between contractions, really lifting your tailbone high during cow.  This helps widen your hips and encourages baby to turn. Try to move with your breath, inhaling as your lift into cat, and exhaling as you sink into cow. Make your breath long and pliable, so that your body follows.

Use a rebozo, which is basically a large cloth, like a scarf.  Find tabletop pose, on all fours, and have your doula or birth partner wrap the cloth around your belly and tug gently, alternately on either end of the scarf.  I've seen this jiggling motion between contractions essentially wiggle a baby into a more favorable position.

Try finding child pose with pillows stacked under your chest and forehead. This position widens your hips and helps baby drop down, so during contractions, baby has space and your body can do its thing.

Use a birth ball instead of a chair when sitting, and move your hips in wide circles and figure eights. A birth ball helps to widen your pelvic outlet, rather than a chair, which encourages your hips to close and tilt backward.

Lastly, relax and trust your baby and your body.  By this point I am sure you have a great care provider and support team,  so trust in them, trust in yourself and trust that your baby knows how to be born.  Labor comes from a place of peace, so allow yourself to accept your birth and baby, and trust that your baby will arrive the way that both of you need, however that happens.