Prenatal Yoga Center

Today we have one of my favorite type of episodes, a community birth story. Truly one of my favorite things is hearing the experience of someone going over the threshold into parenthood. I got to know my guest for today’s episode of Yoga| Birth| Babies Sophie Stalton through 2 pregnancies. Her first as she crossed that threshold into parenthood and then coming back, seeing how she’s a different person and how she’s now navigating her 2nd pregnancy. At PYC we’ve had that honor for so many people, second, third, fourth, sometimes even fifth and sixth pregnancies. It’s incredible watching how that person continues to evolve so it’s really wonderful having Sophie back.
One really special thing that we talk about, people often say to me “How far can I practice prenatal yoga in my pregnancy?” and I say as long as you want. Something that happened during Sophie’s first pregnancy, I got an email in the morning right before I was about to teach one of my 10am classes, and she said “My water broke, can I come to class?” and I said “Absolutely.” And she did. It’s something that I share all of the time, so Sophie is often in my brain as I talk about prenatal yoga.
In today’s episode, Sophie shares her first and second birth experiences. She had an unplanned cesarean for her first and was hoping to have a vbac for her second. We talk a lot about how she made the decisions about vbac and cesarean, but also a lot about how people view cesarean. Sometimes cesareans are pooh-poohed upon or it’s almost like a runner up, and some people are traumatized by the idea of a c section, but what I really love about Sophie’s conversation is that we removed the stigma and celebrated that a cesarean birth or as some people call them belly births, its another option, another way that babies are born and families are made. We can celebrate modern medicine instead of thinking there’s a problem with it or your body failed you in some way. I really appreciate Sophie’s exploration of that idea and I hope that you appreciate it too.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, our website or wherever you stream podcasts.

✨I’ve had 19 medical professionals enroll in the Prenatal Yoga Center Teacher Training program in the last few years.

Which made me pretty nervous to say the least.

While I’m well educated within my scope as a prenatal yoga teacher, Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator & labor support doula, I recognize that I’m not medically trained & there are areas of childbirth & physiology that are beyond my scope.

But…Wow- doctors, midwives & nurses are coming to study with me!?

I’m proud to say, we all learned from one another. Here’s what I mean.

"As a midwife I found this training to be comprehensive & informative with regard to the pregnant body, labor & birth. It was the perfect combination of intense didactic learning & yoga teacher training. PYC has created the most comprehensive, evidence-based, pelvic-sound, prenatal yoga teacher training out there."

~Julie Rauschenplat, Midwife

"As an OB nurse for 18 years, it was important to me to find a training that was grounded in anatomy, physiology, & science. As a yoga teacher for over 10 yrs, it was also important to me that the training brought the ideals of the yoga practice to the prenatal yoga & birth experiences. I found both in this training!

-Caitlin Jeanmougin, RNC-OB, MSN

“In the PYC training, we learned how to guide our students to embrace this transition in life with poise & grace as we help them uncover instinctual wisdom to move more freely during pregnancy & childbirth.

It’s such an honor to be a graduate of the high caliber & well respected PYC prenatal teacher training. It was the seed that has propelled me to change my practice for the better. “

-Dr. Leigh Campbell, pediatrician & neonatologist.

I’m gonna guess you’re NOT a doctor. But I do know that you want to be the best yoga teacher you can be.

If you're excited about a program that will offer you true expert support & go far beyond basic prenatal modifications, you must explore our Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training.

Upcoming Trainings:

✨ONLINE Jan 12-15 & 9-12 (Limited space)
✨IN PERSON NYC March 16-19 & April 13-16

📸

🤕Let’s Resolve Your Headaches!

Headaches can really disrupt your whole day. So let’s look at a few ways to help alleviate the discomfort as well as reasons you may be suffering from them!

A common culprit of heads is postural changes. During pregnancy, all the curves of the spine become more exaggerated. This leads to the upper back rounding and your neck and head jutting forward. This "forward head position" can strain your neck and upper back muscles, leading to headaches!

One tip is to try 360 breathing. With a focus on opening the back ribs, you may find the upper back muscles releasing, which can help with headaches!

As I already mentioned, try to pay attention to your posture. Work to stack your ribs over your pelvis and gently guide your head over your ribcage.

Headaches can also be related to hypoglycemia, dehydration, and hormones (especially in weeks 14-18), and withdrawal from caffeine.

While headaches can be musculoskeletal and alleviated with some yoga poses, they can also be a sign of preeclampsia or other underlying issues.

Please be sure to always mention headaches to your provider!

If you’re pregnant you may find yourself scrolling through Tik Tok or instagram, happening upon a video or post and thinking “I want my birth to look like that.” Whether you’re thinking about the music you’d like to hear during birth or figuring out what type of pain management you’d like these preferences are often referred to as a birth plan.
In today’s episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies we’re going to talk about birth plans or maybe you want to call them birth preferences or fluid birth ideas (my guest Liesel and I say fluid birth plans a lot!). To have this conversation, I invited Liesel Teen RN and founder of .labornurse on the podcast. It was such a fun conversation. Liesel covers so much practical and helpful information! From how to make a birth plan, when to make a birth plan, the concept of a fluid birth plan, to how to work with the hospital and nursing staff from presenting your birth plans to supporting you throughout your birth experience. You might have thought birth plans are only for vaginal births, but cesarean birth plans are just as important considering one third of folks have their babies as a belly birth. You may be surprised to learn that many of your preferences can be brought into the operating room too.
It’s a fantastic conversation full of so much information you can take with you into your birth experience and even your next care provider’s visit. I can’t wait for you to listen.

You can listen to the episode on Apple podcasts, Spotify, our website, or wherever you stream podcasts!

Did you have a birth plan? Do you have a birth plan? Tell me about it in the comments below!

✨Top 5 Pelvic Floor Podcasts

If you’ve spent anytime following my podcast Yoga | Birth | Babies, social media or attended a prenatal and postnatal yoga class, you already know what a HUGE anatomy geek I am and how any conversation involving the pelvic floor I find deeply fascinating.

With that in mind, I figured it was high time I put together a curated list of my favorite most recent pelvic floor podcast episodes! This list is absolutely binge worthy!

So pop those earbuds in and enjoy!

Diastasis Recti and Pelvic Floor with Duvall

Does a Cesarean Birth “Save Your Vagina” & Other Myths Busted with Dr. Janelle Howell

Pelvic Organ Prolapse with Jeanice Mitchell PT, MPT, WCS, BCB-PMD

How Stress Affects Your Pelvic Floor with

Tears Versus An Episiotomy with Dr. Heather Jeffcoat

Go to the link in the bio to hear each episode!

✨Tag a friend who you think would LOVE to learn about this!!

Mothers are everywhere, in every country all over the world. While our cultures might be different, I wondered if the lessons we impart on our children were similarly different or actually rather similar.
To answer this question, I have as my guest on Yoga| Birth| Babies today. Ana is an award winning international journalist, author, and host of Thank You Mama, a podcast in which she interviews women from all around the world about the most important lessons they learned from their mothers. I will say I had the honor to be a guest on her podcast. She has interviewed over 100 parents so a lot of today’s conversation comes from her experience as a journalist and speaking with all of these people on her podcast. Additionally Ana has lived in multiple countries and has a very international family.

It was really a lovely conversation, we dive into some of the universal lessons and traits of parenting from different cultures, some of the biggest differences, as well as her own experience living in different parts of the world and how that influenced her parenting style. It’s a really rich conversation. I think you’re going to get a lot of joy from listening and it’s thought provoking. I really think the bottom line is that as parents we always try to do the best we can. Please enjoy this conversation with Ana.

You can listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, our website, or wherever you stream podcasts!

What did your mother teach you? I would love if you could share some of the lessons she imparted on you in the comments below!

✨This training is NOT for you.

If you are looking to only learn safe prenatal yoga modifications then the PYC teacher training program is not for you.

If you are interested in strictly following a traditional yoga class and simply folding in prenatal yoga modifications then this training is not for you.

If you don’t care about understanding the current paradigm of birth in our country and how that will directly affect your pregnant students then this training is not for you.

If you are unwilling to closely examine your teaching skills and receive constructive feedback, then this training is not for you.

The Prenatal Yoga Center 85 hour Teacher Training is for you if you’re EXCITED to dive deeply into the world of pregnancy and postpartum and examine how this transformational time fully affects the pregnant person.

We explore the anatomical and physiological changes of the pregnant body so we can create a safe and effective yoga practice, attend to common aches and pains, build coping skills for labor and create balance in the pelvis which may lead to a more functional birth.

We learn to develop and encourage community so the new and expectant parent can find support and reassurance during this massive life transition.

We scrutinize the current birth culture the pregnant community faces and learn to interweave relevant childbirth education into our classes so that the new parent can make informed and empowered choices.

If you want to make an impact in the lives of your pregnant and postpartum students, this training is for you.

Upcoming Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training.

✨ONLINE Jan 12-15 & 9-12 (Limited space)
✨IN PERSON NYC March 16-19 & April 13-16

For more details, check out the link in bio.

pic from

✨Calf cramps!✨

If you have ever been awaken in the middle of the night by a calf cramp, you surely do not want to repeat the experience! The best way to alleviate the pain is to flex your foot or stand your foot flat on the ground. This will stretch out the cramping muscle. “The etiology is unknown, but a deficit of calcium or magnesium has been proposed as the cause” (Obstetric and Gynecologic Care In Physical Therapy, 2nd Edition pg 157…. Heheh…who has references in a reel!)

✨Here are some suggestions to stave off those nasty cramps!

➡️You can also try calf stretches and downward facing dog.

➡️Remember, do NOT point your toes. which will only tighten the muscle more. Instead flex your foot.

➡️Epsom salt baths which contain magnesium can help alleviate leg cramps!

➡️Increase hydration!

➡️Add few extra foods to your diet that are rich in calcium or magnesium you can likely get rid of those nasty cramps. Here are a few ideas: dark leafy greens, nuts (almonds, cashew, brazil), wheat germ/bran, seeds and coconut water.

✨Let me know what you have tried that works for you!

It’s not uncommon for partners to feel uncertain, out of place, or even helpless during pregnancy and birth. This can lead to misunderstandings in our relationships, from thinking our partner doesn’t want to be involved or isn’t excited about the baby. More often than not, this isn’ true. What’s true for many partners is that they just aren’t sure what their role is, how they can help, and they often deeply undervalue the importance of their presence.
In today’s episode of Yoga| Birth| Babies we’re going to talk about how partners can help support during pregnancy and birth. To have this conversation, I invited Ben and Jessica Lagrone .birth.couple a husband and wife team and co-founders of Balanced Families. It’s a fantastic conversation. Ben and Jessica give amazing takeaways about how to be involved in pregnancy and the actual birth. We also talk about the feelings of helplessness and fear partners may experience.
You’re going to walk away with solid information and tools so that you and your partner can be prepared mentally and physically for whatever unfolds in your birth.

Listen to the episode on Apple podcasts, Spotify, our website or wherever you stream podcasts!

✨BIRTH NOT REQUIRED! ✨

About a year after my second child was born, I ran into an old yoga buddy of mine on the street. It was nice to quickly catch up on each other’s lives.

After I told him about the birth of my daughter, he laughed and said “Wow- 2 kids now! You can officially call yourself a prenatal yoga teacher!” I smiled and nodded and walked away slightly pi**ed.

What?! I wasn’t a prenatal yoga teacher before I birthed my children? Was the decade I had already spent teaching prenatal yoga not “real” because I wasn’t a mother?

While I am sure my peer didn’t mean to offend me by his comment, the truth is, I had heard this same sentiment plenty before.

Having been a dancer, I happen to be a very supple and mobile person. I rarely experience tight hamstrings, but that doesn’t stop me from teaching a tighter bodied person.

Skill, knowledge, empathy and really looking at my students and their bodies has afforded me the ability to teach a wide range of bodies, not just the ones with a shared experience.

Why am I telling you all this?

Childbirth is not a prerequisite to being a skilled, compassionate and capable prenatal yoga teacher.

If the idea of making a difference in the lives of your pregnant student excites you then you can be a prenatal yoga teacher.

If you want to help provide comfort and ease to your pregnant students, then you can be a prenatal yoga teacher

If you want to learn how the anatomy and physiology of the pregnant body can lead to a more functional birth, then you can be a prenatal yoga teacher.

If you want to empower the pregnant community to take agency and autonomy over their pregnancies, then you can be a prenatal yoga teacher.

You CAN be a prenatal yoga teacher & I am here to help you fulfill that desire.

Join me for the PYC 85 hour Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training. It will help you help more students, which is WHY we do this work in the first place.

Upcoming Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training.

✨ONLINE Jan 12-15 & 9-12
✨IN PERSON NYC March 16-19 & April 13-16

For more details, check out the link in bio.

art

How are you doing?

If you thought there would be glowing during your pregnancy, or you’re ready for pregnancy to be over, we see you. You’re not alone, and it’s okay to be having whatever pregnancy you’re having. You don’t have to love every minute. You might not be glowing. It’s all good.

DM us if pregnancy is rough! We’ve got so many tips and tricks for you at PYC.

Thank you 📸 for the inspo!

Maybe this has happened to you, you’re late in your pregnancy (or you just had a baby), you walk into a room and think, why did I even come in here? Or possibly you’ve walked out the door with two different shoes on (no, not the left and right but different pairs of shoes). Instances like this are often attributed to “Mommy Brain”. No, you haven’ lost intelligence, but yes there can be a little forgetfulness. However Mommy Brain is actually a super power! Instead of thinking about it in the negative, let’s look at some of the amazing things Mommy Brain can do.
To learn about our superpowers, I’ve brought .jodi_pawluski behavioral neuroscientist and therapist onto Yoga| Birth| Babies today. Jodi and I have a really great conversation about what’s happening with the brain late in pregnancy, after baby, the environment that we’re dealing with, the chaos, as well as the impact of having a baby and parenting decades later. Once a parent, always a parent. I think you’re really going to enjoy this conversation.

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, our website, or wherever you stream podcasts!

“Yoga teachers must be willing to step down from this imagined pedestal and utter the words “I don’t know” on a regular basis”.

― Gudjon Bergmann, Create a Safe Space: An Inspirational Guidebook for Yoga Teachers Who Want to Further Serve Their Students

This is one of my favorite quotes. It reminds me of the importance of acknowledging that as a yoga teacher, sometimes I don't have the answers.

Realizing what I don’t know has given me the space and ego-free opportunity to learn. This honesty and curiosity has served me as a teacher, and it allows me to better guide my students. It’s what encourages me to look to my students for the answers.

I created the Prenatal Yoga Center long before I had children of my own. I didn’t know what pregnancy felt like in my body. So I looked at my students and studied how they moved. I noticed what was cumbersome and what was fluid. I turned the “I don’t know” into an opportunity to grow.

More than 20 years later, I don’t take for granted what I've learned about pregnancy, birth, and parenthood, and I'm still humbled by how much left there is to discover.

If you are excited by the idea of working with pregnant people and you’re hungry to learn, check out the PYC 85 hour Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training.

This comprehensive and in-depth 2-WEEKEND INTENSIVE is an 85-hour Yoga Alliance Certified training for yoga teachers who want to enhance their teaching skills, confidently and responsibly serve their prenatal and postnatal community, and improve their marketability as a yoga teacher.

✨ONLINE Jan 12-15 & 9-12 (Limited space!)
✨IN PERSON NYC March 16-19 & April 13-16
✨IN PERSON CT May 4-7 & June 1-4

For more details, check out the link in bio.

pic by

Yes! I 💯 relate to this.

I am either missing them when I don’t see their faces or…

Counting the minutes until they go to bed!

Leave a ❤️below if you can relate!

📸