Generally comfort measures are something we talk about a lot when discussing unmedicated birth, however I like to remind my clients who are seeking an epidural that there will likely be some time before they are actually able to get their epidural where they will be laboring and will need comfort measures to some degree.
Trust me, I’ve personally been blindsided by this. When I attended my hospital-led birthing class while pregnant with Avery, I remember thinking “Well, I’m having an epidural so I’ll be fine.” I was in labor for HOURS before I was able to get an epidural. I wasn’t familiar with comfort measures, or what “normal” labor felt like and it was VERY challenging. I’ve had clients who felt the same, and I wish I had been more proactive with them about comfort measures for early labor.
These are useful tools no matter what type of birth you’re planning!
Read More
Running is a super easy thing to do. You just lace up your shoes and go outside. No gym membership, no list of exercises, a dose of fresh air, often you can take your baby or toddler in a stroller. And if you actually enjoy running, it can be a huge stress-reliever and an amazing way to boost your mood.
Read on for pregnancy and postpartum considerations for running!
Read More
Full disclosure: My husband and I have been trying for another baby. A few weeks ago, I got the positive test we’d been hoping to see. Last week, I had a miscarriage.
My thoughts that day and since then have wandered to how I would coach someone through this, though I’m sure I have trained someone through a miscarriage and just never knew about it. How would I tell them that rest and recovery, that healing is important when all they probably want to do is get on with their life? I draw from my own experiences as a person who has experienced miscarriage and also a coach who also needs this conversation and these reminders.
Read More
In this society, we are told that sneezing when we pee is normal but that the way our bodies look is not. We are inundated with messages that we must be smaller, fitter, better. That what we are doing somehow isn’t good enough, we aren’t good enough.
Read More