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Shining Light

Building empowerment, self-confidence and connection through candid education and compassionate advocacy for all families before, during and after pregnancy.

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Pushing side lying OR, how to turn a squat on its side!

March 2, 2018 By Deena Leave a Comment

Amy might look slightly awkward here, but this pushing position in bed is one of the best I’ve found.  Let’s break it down. If you look at this image sideways, you can see that Amy is actually squatting. Brilliant, I say! As we know, squats can open the pelvis 1 – 2 cm to make […]

Filed Under: Into the Light, Labor Postures for Comfort and Pain Management, Main Blog Page Tagged With: Birth, Childbirth, Childbirth Education Classes, Coping Skills, Epidural, Labor, Lamaze, Mothers, Pittsburgh, Pregnancy, pushing, Squats

Pushing while Seated, Using the Squat Bar

February 23, 2018 By Deena Leave a Comment

This is one of my go to pushing positions for mothers in a hospital setting. It’s a position that can be used both with or without an epidural and that’s what makes it so wonderful. Josh is sitting in the chair so that when Amy pulls on the scarf, she doesn’t tip the chair over […]

Filed Under: Into the Light, Labor Postures for Comfort and Pain Management, Main Blog Page Tagged With: Birth, Childbirth, Childbirth Education Classes, Coping Skills, Epidural, Labor, Lamaze, Pittsburgh, Pregnant, pushing, Squats

The Lamaze Method Failed Me

October 18, 2017 By Deena Leave a Comment

Recently, I met a mom in a bar with her baby. Yep. A baby-in-a-bar. Eh, why not? Anyway, she and I got to talking and I told her what I did for a living. She then said something that made me take pause. She said that she’d taken the hospital’s Lamaze class, but “it didn’t work […]

Filed Under: Main Blog Page Tagged With: Birth, Childbirth, Childbirth Education Classes, Communication, Decision making, Epidural, Expectations, Ideal Birth, Labor, Lamaze, Pregnancy

How do I know if I need pain medication in labor?

June 1, 2016 By Deena Leave a Comment

One of the most common questions I hear from my Confident Birthing students is: I’m planning on a natural birth. But, what I want to know is, how do I know if I’ve reached my limit? How do I know if I need pain medication, an epidural, or if I can push through without? My […]

Filed Under: Featured Home Page, Into the Light, Main Blog Page Tagged With: Childbirth, Eating and Drinking during labor, Epidural, Infographic, Labor, Lamaze, Natural Birth, Pain, Pain Management During Labor, Safeword, Three Contraction Guideline

Epidurals: Risks, Benefits and Alternatives for Pain Management During Labor

October 27, 2014 By Deena Leave a Comment

Epidurals may be popular choices for pain relief during labor, however they can come with some big risks (as do all medical interventions). You have choices as far as how you manage the pain or discomforts of labor. The epidural is one out of many options. *cue music* The More You Know!

Filed Under: Into the Light, Main Blog Page Tagged With: Childbirth, Childbirth Education Classes, Coping Skills, Epidural, Interventions, Labor, Lamaze, Pain, Pain Management During Labor, Pregnancy

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About Shining Light

Building empowerment, self-confidence and connection through candid education and compassionate advocacy for all families before, during and after pregnancy since 2012.

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