Empowering Birth Blog

Strengthen those Transverse Abdominal Muscles!

In almost every prenatal yoga class I teach, I dedicate at least a few minutes towards helping moms strengthen their transverse abdominal muscles.  Here is a link to a page describing some of the breathing exercises we do in my class. Strengthening these muscles will help you push and can help with back pain and posture as well.  A lot of back pain in pregnancy stems from the fact that your abdominal muscles are not pulling their fair share of the load when it comes to keeping your body upright.  Your abdominal muscles are weakened by a diastasis recti and strengthening your transverse abs can give your core additional support.  Often too much emphasis is placed on traditional crunches when it comes to abdominal work, which are great for your rectus abdominis muscles but do little for your transverse abs.  Modified plank pose can be great for strengthening abs in early pregnancy, just make sure to hug in your transverse abs (of course, as with all exercise in pregnancy, if it doesn't feel right, don't do it).

I encourage women to focus on what their pelvic floor is doing as they contract their transverse abs (the natural tendency is for the pelvic floor to contract when our transverse abs are contracted as well as to contract with an exhale) and what that might mean for pushing.  When you push, if you push on an exhale while contracting your transverse abs, it would be helpful to release (rather then contract) your pelvic floor.  This is a bit counter-intuitive and, in my opinion, why some moms have trouble figuring out how to push.  You can practice at home.  Contract your transverse abs and hold for a count of thirty seconds (don't forget to breathe!) and notice what your pelvic floor is doing (it should be tightening) now focus on completely relaxing your pelvic floor while your transverse abs remain contracted (don't push, just focus on relaxing the pelvic floor, there will plenty of time to focus on pushing when baby comes).

Squatting

Yoga is extremely beneficial during pregnancy.  One particularly helpful pose is the squat.  Practice squatting in the beginning of pregnancy so that you can build up leg strength and so the squatting position becomes natural to your body.  If your heels don't reach the ground, either place a rolled up blanket under your heels (bring the floor to you) or spread your feet wider apart with your toes pointing more out towards the sides rather then directly in front of you.  It is important that your heels are touching the earth (or a blanket) so that your pelvic floor muscles can relax.  Practice squatting regularly so that you can hold it for two minutes.  That way you will be able to hold the squat, even through a super-long contraction.

Active Birth

I think Active Birth by Janet Balaskas is one of the best books on yoga and pregnancy.  Active Birth has a good mix of yoga moves for women of all levels (from advanced yogi to the mom about to take her first yoga class) and information that will help you prepare for birth.  Check out the Active Birth website for more information.

Take Prenatal Yoga!

Full disclosure, yes I am a yoga teacher, but my raves about prenatal yoga come from my own experience.  I was extremely disciplined about my yoga practice with my second pregnancy and gave birth with ease.  Moms who have taken my class have their own stories of the benefits of yoga in pregnancy and labor.  A good friend and doula (also studying to be a midwife) acknowledges that the best childbirth class you can take is prenatal yoga.  The things you learn in prenatal yoga, the connection between mind and body, pain-coping techniques, breath awareness, learning to relax your pelvic floor, learning to relax in general, and strengthening, are extremely helpful in labor.  When you practice yoga throughout pregnancy (but it has to be more then once a week, even 10 minutes a day will help) your body and mind will be better prepared for birth.  As an added bonus you meet local moms in your neighborhood due around the same time as you.  If you sign up for one class during your pregnancy, make it a prenatal yoga class.  Find a teacher who has a deep trust of birth and communicates this trust in class.

Blogging and Yoga

This blog is about yoga, life is about yoga, BIRTH is about yoga, finding the center, learning to open to Grace, experiencing the Divine in every moment of life.  I would LOVE a blog with fancy fonts, stunning graphics, a snazzy page layout, the list goes on....  Spending that kind of time on my blog, however, would require me to neglect my kids and family, my yoga practice, my house, and my ability to see the Divine in daily life would fade.  Learning to be satisfied with the here and now, what is possible in the here and now, that is yoga.  Being able to look at my blog and say, I love my blog, not wishing it looked this way or that way, that is yoga.  I offer what I can and am grateful for what I am able to offer.

I wasn't always in this space (and sometimes I fall out of this space).  I tend towards perfectionism.  Without a gentle push from a friend I would never have started this blog precisely because I knew that I would have to be satisfied with the present moment.  But here I am and loving it.  My husband, a techy, warned that bloggers can be ruthless.  Grammatical mistakes are frowned upon and you have to blog regularly or you end up with condescending comments and few readers.  A little concerned (it has been years since I have written and where I was once an avid reader and student, the books I cradle in my hands these days are for the 0-5 age-range), I decided to forage ahead none the less. 

But it isn't just bloggers who expect perfection.  Parents often feel they aren't succeeding as friends/parents/pediatricians comment: Your child isn't sleeping enough at night, isn't gaining enough weight, is too dependent on you, isn't up to speed developmentally etc. etc. etc.  We all need a good dose of living the present moment to its fullest.  The present moment is wonderful even if it isn't "perfect."  It just takes practice (I am endlessly working on it!) to see all moments as beautiful.  A heart-felt thank you to my readers who embrace what I am offering in its less than perfect state. 

Oh, and I am back from vacation.

Coping with Labor Pain

Call it what you will, contractions, surges, waves, they are usually VERY uncomfortable.... that is until you get in your groove.  Don't wait until you feel the first contraction to practice managing pain.  Try this.  Kneel on the ground but instead of resting on the top of your feet, tuck your toes under.  Now sit back on your tucked toes.  It might feel ok at first, but stay put and notice the sensations that arise after you have been sitting on your tucked toes for 30 seconds, a minute, however long it takes for the pose to go from comfortable to uncomfortable.  How does your body respond to those sensations?  Now try it again, but this time, instead of focusing on how much your toes hurt, try to focus on your breath.  Picture the breath moving deep down into your belly, sending oxygen to your baby, and then traveling back up and out into the room.  Is your breath cool or hot, is your exhale longer than your inhale?  Now try putting on your favorite CD AND focusing on your breath.  Finally, while sitting back on your tucked toes with your favorite CD playing and focusing on your breath, have your partner or a good friend gently rub your shoulders or stroke your back or play with your hair.  You just might be surprised how long you can sit back on your toes.  Practice this technique regularly during your pregnancy.  You can condition your mind to use coping techniques (focusing on the breath, massage, listening to music etc.) when you feel pain.  The next time you stub your toe or burn your hand, instead of yelping, try to focus on your breath or smile (which releases oxytocin).

Sankalpa

In sanskrit, "sankalpa" means "will, purpose, or determination."  To create a Sankalpa is to set an intention.  Set a sankalpa for your pregnancy/birth.  Say it to yourself every night before you go to sleep.  Repeat it every morning before your feet touch the floor.  Let it be your mantra.  Use it in your prayers or meditation practice, let it flow through your thoughts when you are unloading your groceries, brushing your teeth, tying your shoes (assuming you can still bend over far enough to tie them).   I will have a healthy pregnancy.  My birth will be beautiful, safe, and normal.  I will have a VBAC.

Connecting to the Divine

Today was the last day of the current prenatal yoga session. Moms who I have been practicing with for the past two months will go forth and shortly give birth. The desire to fill pregnant moms with positive birthing energy easily conquers the fatigue from nightwakings with my avid-nurser or the mundane concerns of the day. Todays concerns were not so mundane, I have possibly lost everything contained on my hard drive, but the promise of powerful birth drove my concerns away.
I had a good practice before the class listening to Loreena Mckennitt's CD, the one with The Mummers' Dance. The music, my mat placed in front of the wooden cross, the energy of the sacred space, and I was thrown into that space where I stand in awe of the divine. A space that I once used to touch mostly only after way too many beers, and now I have to say of beer, like Ram Das's friend in Be Here Now, "It's good, but not as good as meditation."
What makes you high? What connects you to the Divine/the One/God/Love? Connecting to God/the Divine/the One/Love, can help you access your own inner power in birth. Pregnancy is a good time to begin a meditation practice. A good book can offer you suggestions on how to get started. I love Sally Kempton's book "The Heart of Meditation." Beginning a meditation practice can be as simple as deciding to repeat a mantra when you are washing dishes, waiting for the bus, instead of leaving your mind to wander aimlessly through the streets of thoughts.