Gestational Diabetes and Exercise
Exercising throughout pregnancy has numerous benefits, to include: increased prenatal comfort; decreased risk of prenatal complications such as gestational diabetes (GDM) and preeclampsia; decreased risk of cesarean delivery; improved fetal tolerance to labor and stress; and decreased length of labor. ACOG recommends the minimum of 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week throughout the […]
Understanding the Myofascial Slings and Supporting Prenatal Comfort
During pregnancy, there may be more pelvic girdle pain due to the increased laxity of pelvic joints (and almost all the joints of the body). We want the joints to have more movement, so that baby’s head can navigate through a mobile structure. However, this extra movement can be come unstable, and result in discomfort […]
Breathing, our Pelvic Floor, and Labor
How does our breathing technique affect the tension of the pelvic floor during the first and second stages of labor?? There is a relationship between our jaw tension and our pelvic floor, and how we breath can influence this tension. There is a fascial connection from our skull to our pelvis, that also includes our […]
C-Section Recovery: How to Approach It
C-Sections are major abdominal surgery that unfortunately seems to have very little guidance on recovery, outside of walk a little bit to avoid clots and keep the incision clean. Very few women are referred to physical therapist post c-section, but if you had any other surgery, you would be sent to see a PT. So, […]
How to Open the Pelvis for Birth: Inlet, Midpelvis & Outlet
How to open the pelvis for birth The pelvis has three major components: the sacrum, the coccyx, and the two os coxae, which consist of the ischium, the ilium, and the pubis (aka the two halves of your pelvis). If you’re preparing for labor, understanding how to open the pelvis for birth starts with knowing […]
During Labor: 4 Cardinal Rotations of the Baby
How the Baby Rotates Through the Pelvis During Labor 1. Baby needs to slide under the sacral promontory (the junction of the low back and the pelvis), and then align their head with the top of the pelvis to then engage into the pelvis. During Labor The baby tends to begin the descent through the […]
Pregnancy: Physiological Adaptations
Pregnancy: Physiological Adaptations The physiological adaptations that occur throughout pregnancy include: changes to the cardiovascular system, the respiratory system, the metabolic system, and the musculoskeletal system. Most systems improve in function in order to accommodate for fetal growth and maternal function, but the musculoskeletal system decreases in function and requires regular exercise to counter the […]
Pregnancy: Benefits of Exercise
Benefits of Exercise during Pregnancy Exercise throughout pregnancy is beneficial for both mother and baby, and can enhance prenatal comfort and function, improve birth outcomes, and support postpartum recovery. The maternal physiological adaptations are enhanced with exercise, to include 10-15% higher blood volume and cardiac output, improved metabolic functioning, improved respiratory function, and increased volume […]
Birth Story: Eoghan’s Home Birth Story After Two Pregnancy Losses
Listen to Eoghan’s Birth Story Eoghan’s Birth Story In March 2020, we decided to switch from planning a hospital birth to a home birth after COVID-19 began to prompt hospitals to restrict visitors and support persons allowed on labor and delivery. While we had hoped by June the restrictions would be lifted, I didn’t want […]
Labor and Postpartum Baskets
Over the past few weeks, I have been preparing these baskets in preparation for my upcoming home birth and postpartum period. These baskets contain items for labor comfort, labor nourishment, newborn care, and postpartum + breastfeeding support, that are easy to move around my home and access items that support each journey. In my last […]
Tearing: Reducing The Risk
Vaginal tearing is a common occurrence for women during vaginal delivery. Most of us would like to avoid tearing during delivery, but in some instances, this may be unavoidable. Is there anything we can do to reduce our risk of tearing during vaginal delivery? What if we have had tears in previous deliveries, are we […]
Breech Presentation: Possible Causes and Solutions
There are several speculations on what may cause breech presentation, or when baby is head up. This presentation tends to result in a scheduled cesarean, so many of us may be looking for solutions toward the end of our pregnancies when we discover the baby is breech. But can you do anything prior to the […]