12 Things To Do When You Are Overdue
4) Pick up a journal at Schuler Books and Music in Grand Rapids. You can grab lunch in the cafe and reflect on your pregnancy
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4) Pick up a journal at Schuler Books and Music in Grand Rapids. You can grab lunch in the cafe and reflect on your pregnancy
12 Things To Do When You Are Overdue Read More »
Gold Coast Doulas asked Kelly Marie O’Brien Pahman to guest blog on the topic of craniosacral therapy. Kelly opened St. Brigid’s Holistic Labor Care in 2009 where she works as a Holistic Doula and in 2014 she added St. Brigid’s Craniosacral Center in order to support clients and their families with Craniosacral therapy. She has enjoyed working on everything from chronic pain , head trauma to the childbearing year. She lives in Grand Rapids MI with her brilliant and kind husband and their 4 year old son.
Several years ago I was pregnant with my son, I was also a doula and had come into a string of exceptionally long labors. I had five births in a row that took days. I found my skills were limited… we had “saved” them from c-sections but this left me shaken. Of the 40 or so births I had attended at the time this felt significant and lead to a turning point in my practice. I went into maternity leave ready to research and find a way to shorten long labors. In my research I found tons on optimal fetal positioning and chiropractic but was specifically drawn to craniosacral therapy. I was eager to learn a gentle and effective method of bodywork that powerfully impacted the childbearing year and beyond. It was then that I began to pursue training with the upledger institute and began seeing the valuable impact it had on the health of women in conception, pregnancy, birth and beyond.
Craniosacral Therapy (CST) is a gentle, effective and relaxing therapy. CST is a modality that uses light touch to aid in tissue release and enable the body to come into balance, allowing women and their babies to experience a healthier and more comfortable pregnancy. A session is very much like a massage session but much more gentle and you are fully clothed. Kate McKinnon gives a wonderful description in her video, (Go ahead give it a gander)!
I was excited to incorporate this new tool in my practice. One client in particular, Heather, was on her third pregnancy and suffered pretty severe pubic pain. As a doula pubic pain was always a mystery and in my extensive toolbox I came up at a loss. You can imagine how thrilled I was when after one session I received this text from Heather:
“Still feeling amazing today after the CST! Still standing straight, no issues with hips or pubic bone. My mom even commented that I looked taller and was standing the best she has seen in a long time. I even feel more mentally and emotionally balanced.”
I also noticed shorter labors and other birth workers began sending me their clients in hopes that their breech babies would turn (and they did!).
So how does it work?
During pregnancy CST can bring relief to a myriad of issues for several reasons!
Because of its ability to help your body release tensions and imbalances it invites your body to be in alignment which enables optimal fetal positioning and can alleviate painful pregnancy complications such as migraines, severe pubic pain, low back pain and sciatic pain.
Craniosacral therapy also balances the anatomic nervous system (the part of us that regulates our very basic functions) which causes it to be exceptionally beneficial for anyone dealing with stress, high blood pressure, liver or kidney concerns, nausea or fatigue in pregnancy. I have worked on moms with HELLP syndrome and they have found significant relief. One mother mentioned she didn’t recognize how stressed she was until she became so calm and she likened it to a ‘yoga massage’. All this from a short 20 minute session! My personal experience has been that CST can help stabilize levels in HELLP and prolong the pregnancy to a healthier and more viable place for both the mother and the baby.
Labor and delivery
– What I personally notice in my clients who have received CST is a change in labor pattern, contractions seem to be shorter yet more effective. It is also noted (in Upledger’s handout concerning pregnancy and cst) that while shorter labors are a common benefit of CST it isn’t necessarily the goal. It may be made clear to both the mother and the therapist that a cesarean delivery may be what’s best in that circumstance.
Receiving Care
While it would be ideal to receive treatment throughout your entire pregnancy, many women find exceptional benefit from even one treatment finding a great provider and discussing your goals will help you discern what frequency of visits you desire. You can find a care provider near you by checking out the Upledger website. It would be ideal to find someone who specializes and has training in supporting families during the childbearing year, the level of training a practitioner has received is listed on the Upledger site. If you find someone who offers craniosacral therapy in your area be sure to ask them how they received their training and what their experience is, skillset can vary greatly between providers so make sure you find a credible one who is right for you!
There are virtually no negative side effects and because the therapy is so gentle, the session so enjoyable, and the benefits are so great there is no reason not to set up an appointment today.
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9-Pose Pregnancy Yoga Sequence
by Deb Weiss-Gelmi, founder of Sing Song Yoga® for kids.
Pregnancy is an exciting and sometimes intimidating time of a woman’s life. There is endless information available for newly pregnant woman that it can be overwhelming trying to decide what is best for you.
As a mom of three kids, a yoga instructor and one who did everything in my power to enjoy healthy pregnancies and natural births, I will share a simple yoga sequence ideal for the healthy pregnant mom.
Below are some of the poses I did nearly every day of my pregnancy with twins. Even though I had already been doing yoga for 10 years, I took it more seriously during these 9 months than I ever had before. I knew that yoga would improve my chances of having a smooth healthy pregnancy and delivery. And with my daily practice I felt better able to adjust to my drastically changing body as well as remain calm and positive in each moment, and about my upcoming delivery. I carried my twins full term and had a natural delivery.
This sequence will run about 30 minutes. If you have any questions please connect with me through my website.
Reclined Bound Angle Pose — Supta Baddha Konasana (5 minutes)
Mountain w/ Arms up — Urdhva Hastasana
Triangle — Utthita Trikonasana
Warrior Two — Virabhadrasana 2
Wide Leg Forward Bend — Prasarita Padottanasana
Bound Angle — Baddha Konasana (five minutes)
Seated Wide Angle Pose — Upavistha Konasana (five minutes)
Legs Up the Wall — Viparita Karani (five minutes)
Savasana (with support – not flat on your back when pregnant)
Namaste.
References:
G.S. Iyengar, R. Keller, K. Khattab (2010) Iyengar Yoga for Motherhood, New York, NY, Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
G.S. Iyengar, C. Saudek, (2008) Yoga During Pregnancy.
C. Saudek, (2006) The Yoga Place LLC General Pregnancy Sequence. La Crosse, WI
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Deb Weiss-Gelmi, founder of Sing Song Yoga®, is a yoga instructor for adults and children. Her company has published a kids’ yoga DVD, an iOS App, and a workbook for use in schools. Her passions include yoga, child development, healthy living, family, education and self-growth. She seeks to better her life and the world at large by fully living each of the small moments within them. She believes in the human spirit and expects to draw out the best in each individual, organization, and business with whom she engages. Deb‘s formal education includes a Master’s in Reading and Literacy and a Bachelor’s in Education and Child Development. However, her desire for growth drives her to incessantly gather and absorb information in whatever her current life or business needs implore.
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