Yoga | Birth | Babies

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? It is important to have a whole slew of comfort measures available instead of solely relying on only one.  In this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, I speak with massage therapist, acupuncturist and birth doula, Yiska Obadia. Yiska talks through a variety of comforting touch techniques like massage, counter pressure and relaxation techniques that can be very effective pain relief during labor. She also explains the 12 guiding principles of massage for labor. This is a “must” for both pregnant people and birthing partners!  Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and othe

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 childbirth educator, Spinning Babies Parent Educator, founder of Om Births and my long time colleague, Bec Conant. In our lively and a bit geeky conversation, Bec and I answer all those questions and more. We both draw from our personal and professional experience about finding the balance between offering the student autonomy of their body and when to support the student with appropriate pose alternatives. We also both talk about the difficulty of not being ego driven in one’s practice. Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogace

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 about epidural anesthesia and clearly presents the facts about epidurals so listeners can make an educated, informed choice.  Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com If you love what you've been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies To connect with Deb and the PYC Community:  instagram & facebook: @prenatalyogacenter Youtube: Prenatal Yoga Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 our conversation, Anastasia explains the very in depth process of becoming a surrogate, the relationship between the intended family and the surrogate person and what is it like carrying and birthing someone else’s child. Anastasia’s passion for the topic is truly engaging!  Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com If you love what you've been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies To connect with Deb and the PYC Community:  instagram & facebook: @prenatalyogacenter Youtube: Prenatal Yoga

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 professional expertise on adoption. She explains the process of adoption from bonding with your new baby, the ups and downs of awaiting to become a parent, handling rude comments about adoption, as well as the legal bumps one may encounter during the adoption process.  Whether this reflects your journey into family life or not, Rebecca’s story is relatable for everyone venturing into parenthood.  SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Manhattan Schoolhouse warmly welcomes families to a Reggio Emilia inspired school where every child’s intellectual, emotional, social and moral potential is thoughtfully cultivated in an environment of

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 preparing for the possibility can be a poor choice. Something unknown can create fear whereas education and communication can lead to supportive choices creating a more positive birth experience.  In this episode of Yoga| Birth | Babies, experienced childbirth educator, doula, parent support leader, and owner of Mindful Birth NY, Mary Esther Malloy, openly talks about preparing for a cesarean birth. Mary Esther explains how a cesarean birth unfolds and offers tools to use for a mindful cesarean. We also talk about how to integrate protocols more associated with a vaginal birth, like skin to skin, delayed cord clamping and

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 was right for her body and baby. Jessie credits this ability to be her self advocate to the time spent properly educating herself about the pregnancy, birth and postpartum. This strong sense of belief in herself allowed her to push her wishes forward just to have her baby back from the nursery when the hospital staff resisted this request. SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Manhattan Schoolhouse warmly welcomes families to a Reggio Emilia inspired school where every child’s intellectual, emotional, social and moral potential is thoughtfully cultivated in an environment of trust and partnership between parents, educators, childre

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 problem many pregnant people face towards the end of their pregnancy, macrosomia, also know as “big babies.” This important conversation helps break through myths and common concerns of birthing a big baby. Rebecca also give sound advice to those who may face this issue as well as great tools for birth workers to discuss with their clients.  Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com If you love what you've been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies To connect with Deb and the PYC Commun

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 calling “Breastfeeding 101.” We talk about everything an expectant and new mother needs to know about breastfeeding in the first few days of baby’s arrive to what to do during pregnancy to prepare for breastfeeding, we also discus finding a lactation consultant! Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com If you love what you've been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies To connect with Deb and the PYC Community:  instagram & facebook: @prenatalyogacenter Youtube: Prenatal Yoga Center Lear

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 painstaking efforts she goes through on a daily basis to advocate for her son and keep him alive. She open and honestly talks about the challenges of raising a child with special needs and how this can make her feel judged by others. Whether it is Type One Diabetes, ADHD, learning disabilities, or any other issue, the commonalities of what Bridget discussed can still apply and offer support.  Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com If you love what you've been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Ba

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 for 8 weeks of partial payment.  In this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, I speak with employment litigator and founder of Berke-Weiss Law’s Pregnancy Project, Alex Berke. Alex breaks down benefits and entitlements for parental leave and how to discus your pregnancy with your employer. She also provides guidance for how to negotiate surprise hospital bills with your insurance company. Alex evens gives insight in becoming someone’s employer should you hire a nanny. Alex seamlessly delivers information that may be overwhelming and offers it in a very digestible way!  Get the most out of each episode by checking out t

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 the new parent. In this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, I speak with author of the book, The Fourth Trimester: A Postpartum Guide to Healing Your Body, Balancing Your Emotions and Restoring Your Vitality, Kimberly Ann Johnson. Kimberly discusses her challenging postpartum experience and how she resolved massive pelvic floor and abdominal diastisis. She also shares valuable postpartum rituals and philosophies from other cultures and how we can adopt some of those ideas to better serve our postpartum people.  SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Go to stitchfix.com/KIDS/YBB and get an extra 25% off when you keep everything in your

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 Every Stage IBCLC, Robin Kaplan. Robin explains what tongue tie is, how to identify it, and ways to resolve it. She also discusses therapeutic tummy time, something I had not ever heard of before this!  SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Go to stitchfix.com/KIDS/YBB and get an extra 25% off when you keep everything in your box! And as a bonus, Stitch Fix will waive the $20 styling fee when you use this shows special URL- stitchfix.com/KIDS/YBB Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com If you love what you've been listening to, pl

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 about her own pregnancy loss at 16 weeks and what inspired her to break down the shame and stigma of miscarriage. She also shares how one may start to regain trust again in their body. This honest, heart felt conversation is helpful for anyone who is supporting someone through loss or has experienced loss.  SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Go to stitchfix.com/KIDS/YBB and get an extra 25% off when you keep everything in your box! And as a bonus, Stitch Fix will waive the $20 styling fee when you use this shows special URL- stitchfix.com/KIDS/YBB For FREE and EASY photo sharing with friend and family, visit family-album.com Get

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, Natalie Diaz. Natalie skillfully and humorously breaks down the reality of life with two. She offers solid go-to advice and tips for navigating life with twins. Whether you are a new parent of one or two, you can gain supportive and practical information to help ease the transition into parenthood.  Support Our Sponsors: For FREE and EASY photo sharing with friend and family, visit https://family-album.com Support Yoga | Birth | Babies: Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com If you love what you've been listening to, p

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 used. She also discusses how the understanding of diastisis recti has shifted over the years and how that relates to healing and rehabbing core muscles. This episode is valuable for both new and expectant parents as well as yoga teachers. Enjoy!  Support Our Sponsors: For FREE and EASY photo sharing with friend and family, visit https://family-album.com Support Yoga | Birth | Babies: Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com If you love what you've been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies

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 this deep and honest conversation, Lisa shares her story and paths to recovery with postpartum psychosis. This important episode helps shed the stigma of mental health issues.  Support Our Sponsors: For FREE and EASY photo sharing with friend and family, visit https://family-album.com Esembly is a reusable diapering system that equips families with everything they need to diaper sustainably. From diapers to skincare and laundry, Diaperkind does the laundry for you and delivers fresh clean cotton diapers to your doorstep every week! Learn more at esemblybaby.com and diaperkind.com And use code PrenatalPodcast10 for 10%

Birth plans have gotten a bad name. How can you possibly plan a birth since they rarely go as planned? However, investing time, thought, and energy into what areas of the birth are important to the birthing person can be invaluable. By making their wishes known, it can help the birthing person feel supported, heard and seen, especially when things move away from the preconceived vision of birth.  In this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, I speak with childbirth educator and labor support doula, Terry Richmond. In Terry’s 17 years of practice as a doula she has attended over 800 births and continues to be one of NYC’s most sought after and respected doulas. Terry talks about how to approach a birth plan, what you may want to include, topics to leave off, and how to get a practice with multiple doctors to honor the individual's birth preferences.  Support Our Sponsors: Go to stitchfix.com/KIDS/YBB and get an extra 25% off when you keep everything in your box! And as a bonus, Stitch Fix will waive the $20 stylin

The role and practice of a midwife is often misunderstood. Many think this is someone who simply assists medical doctors, or they confuse the offerings of labor support doula with a midwife, assuming this person has limited medical training and authority or just catches babies. (None of those assumptions are correct!) So what does a midwife REALLY do? In today’s episode of Yoga |Birth|Babies, I speak with certified nurse midwife, Tanya Wills. Tanya debunks some of the misconception of what midwives offer and thoroughly explains the different credentials midwives can earn. She also gives some helpful hints about getting your midwifery care covered by insurance! Support Our Sponsors: Go to stitchfix.com/KIDS/YBB and get an extra 25% off when you keep everything in your box! And as a bonus, Stitch Fix will waive the $20 styling fee when you use this shows special URL stitchfix.com/KIDS/YBB For FREE and EASY photo sharing with friend and family, visit https://family-album.com Esembly is a reusable diapering syste

Laurel Beversdorf has always been a teacher and practitioner who embodies the philosophy of svadyaya (self study) so, it was no surprise when Laurel started to deviate from a traditional yoga practice and began to explore adding resistance bands into her practice. She approaches asana based on her studies of anatomy and biomechanics of the body and seeks to explore functional ways the body can move in a playful manner. In this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, I speak with international yoga educator, the creator of Yoga with Resistance Bands, Laurel Beversdorf. Laurel talks about how healing her own personal injuries lead her to explore beyond traditional asana. She also shares how her life and career has changed since she had her baby. SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Go to stitchfix.com/KIDS/YBB and get an extra 25% off when you keep everything in your box! And as a bonus, Stitch Fix will waive the $20 styling fee when you use this shows special URL- stitchfix.com/KIDS/YBB For FREE and EASY photo sharing with friend