Dads /Partners often come into my childbirth classes or doula consultations with a feeling of unease when I ask them, “What do you want your role to be during birth?”. Beyond “support her”, they often don’t have a clear picture of what options they have, what she might need (or not need), how to express […]
Standing in Labor to Manage Contractions
Standing labor postures keep you active and moving, which helps to facilitate baby’s decent and rotation though the pelvis. These postures also help you to manage pain. In all phases of labor, before pushing, it’s generally better to be active and upright during contractions. Standing and leaning over something, in this case a chair, allows […]
Help Open your Pelvis in Labor with Kneeling and Lunges
I’m a big fan of labor postures that involve a mother kneeling. Though we can get the same benefit from standing postures that are similar, the kneeling versions avoid the issues of balance, potentially falling, fatigue, sore feet, etc. I’d encourage moms, if they are in the hospital, to kneel on the bed, as opposed […]
Seated Labor Posture with the Comfort of a Partner
Next up in our series with Josh and Amy is a seated labor posture which is a perennial favorite. It allows dad or the birth partner to sit down and allows the laboring mom to rest as comfortably as she can with the touch of her partner to comfort her. Here, you see Amy sitting […]
Rock Your Labor with these Birth Ball Pro-Tips
One of my favorite tools for labor comfort is the birthing ball (i.e. exercise or yoga ball). Most of the time, we envision sitting on the ball during labor. Sitting is comfortable and lovely. However, the ball is one of the most versatile labor comfort tools out there. So, let’s explore two of the most […]