Fetal Ejection Reflex: Spontaneous Pushing
Fetal Ejection Reflex Towards the end of labor, you may begin to spontaneously bear down or push during the peak of a contraction. This transition occurs as the baby descends into the pelvis and places pressure to initiate the fetal ejection reflex. This spontaneous pushing can be a signal that is now time to push […]
3 Ways to Address Pelvic Girdle Pain
What is pelvic girdle pain?? Pelvic girdle pain is usually pain or discomfort associated with something going one at one of the pelvic joints: pubic symphysis towards the front; the two sacroiliac joints on the back; or even the sacrococcygeal joint by your tailbone. The pain is usually experienced with a single leg, shifting weight […]
Top Relief Tip for Early Postpartum and C-section from Coughing, Sneezing, and Laughing!
You may find that shortly after giving birth, whether it was from a cesarean birth or vaginal birth (or a cesarean birth that you pushed for a long time prior to), when you cough, laugh or sneeze, you likely feel a lot of pain at your incision site and/or perineum! Sudden increases in intraabdominal pressure, […]
Sway Back Posture: Finding Neutral
Sway back posture is when your hips push forward and your ribs shift backwards. This postural tendency involves a clenched or shortened abdominal wall, pelvic floor, and glutes; and an over-lengthened or stretched back, hip flexors, and quads. This is a common position during pregnancy and postpartum, as it allows us to bring baby to […]
Counter Pressure During Labor: How It Works + 3 Techniques
Counter pressure is a labor comfort measure that can be applied by your birth partner or member of your support team to help decrease the intensity of your contractions. It was my favorite labor comfort measure in all three of my births!
TENS Unit for Labor: How to Use It for Contraction Relief
A TENS unit for labor, short for Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, uses electric currents to stimulate the nerves. This stimulation acts as a distraction tool, and can be incredibly helpful with relief from contractions during labor. What is a TENS? The TENS has four (sometimes more) electrode pads, that can be either small or long […]
The 3 Stages of Labor
3 Stages Of Labor 1st Stage of Labor: cervix opening and thinning to 10cm dilated and 100% effaced, while baby also moves down in the pelvis; 2nd Stage of Labor: pushing to the birth of the baby 3rd Stage of Labor: placenta being born After labor is the fourth stage, postpartum, also known as the […]
Nipple Stimulation for Labor Induction
Nipple stimulation can help induce the onset of labor and decrease the overall length of labor. Let’s talk about nipple stimulation, and why it may help with inducing or augmenting labor. When our nipples are stimulation, the hormone oxytocin is release. This hormone is one of the hormones involved in causing labor to begin and […]
My Postpartum Return to Fitness
How did I navigate my own postpartum recovery and return to fitness? Both of my births were vaginal births, but my second was a home birth with no medical interventions. I did have a first-degree tear, that required maybe one stitch, but very different healing than from my first birth. So, please keep in mind […]
My Postpartum Return to Fitness: Week 0-2
This is the first part of my postpartum return to fitness series: find the other parts here. How did I navigate my own postpartum recovery and return to fitness? Both of my births were vaginal births, but my second was a home birth with no medical interventions. I did have a first-degree tear, that required […]
My Postpartum Return to Fitness: Week 2-5
This is the second part of my postpartum return to fitness series. See the other parts here. Week 2-5: Breath Coordination + Mobility After the first two weeks, I began to progress from stationary breathing to coordinating that breathing to gentle movement. This involved floor-based core exercises that were synced to my breath. This begins […]
The Pelvic Outlet: Anatomy & Movement Support
The Pelvic Outlet: Joints & Ligaments The bottom level of the pelvis is the pelvic outlet; this is the final level of the pelvis that baby descends and rotates through during birth. The outlet’s shape is determined by the balance of the pelvic joints, ligaments, and movements. The outlet space can be increased side to […]