Minimizing Risk of Perineal Tears During Labor
The thought of perineal tearing causes shivers to run down most mama’s backs. The perineum is the area between the vaginal opening and the anus that sometimes tears during labor. In fact, 53-79% of women who have a vaginal delivery will have some type of tearing or laceration to the …
Top 5 Practices for Shifting Mindset from Competition to “Training for Birth”
High-intensity fitness classes tend to draw a lot of “Type A” go-getters. These are people who can buckle down, put in hard work, and get it done. Pushing the limit of our capabilities through training and regularly testing ourselves through competition can be a great way to stay motivated and …
What Is Prodromal Labor? How Do I Know If I’m Having It?
Much to my amazement, significant evidence-based research on the topic of prodromal labor, historically and unfortunately termed “false labor,” is lacking. There is nothing false about the preparatory work of the maternal body and baby. As midwife Anne Frye states, “false labor” lends “credence to the myth that one is …
Three Tips for Exercising While Pregnant
“I want to exercise, but I’m so tired I fall asleep instead.” “I know I should exercise, but I just don’t have the time.” “I feel like I am running out of steam and just going through the motions.” Movement during pregnancy is a beautiful thing. If …
Why Do So Many People Believe Out-Of-Hospital Birth Is Illegal?
Midwifery is an ancient art and profession that spans almost all cultures since time immemorial. Over the past 150 years, midwifery in the United States suffered massive social, cultural, and political setbacks that directly impacted public perception of the safety, legal status, access to, and affordability of out-of-hospital birth (nowadays …
Current Events in Maternal Health Care: Week of May 4, 2020
We have a new addition to the BIRTHFIT Blog! A couple of times per month we will be discussing current events in maternal health care. Take a look at our first installment below! In these ever-changing times as a result of COVID-19, it is important to be up-to-date with …
Why Don’t We Perform Lifts To Failure During Pregnancy
If you’ve followed any of the BIRTHFIT online programming, specifically the Prenatal Program, you might have asked yourself, “Why don’t we perform lifts to failure during pregnancy?” The short answer? Because you have a baby in you. The long answer is that birth is one of the single most athletic …
Links We Love: Linking to Evidenced Based Research and Awesome Sites
At BIRTHFIT we believe resources that give up to date, unbiased, and inclusive information are the best. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of favorite sites and resources for your reference. This list is broken down into each pillar so that you can see how BIRTHFIT can support you in …
BIRTHFIT Online Prenatal Training
Birth is an ATHLETIC event. Delivering a baby takes strength, endurance, flexibility, and balance to name a few physical skills. If I signed up for a marathon, the first thing I would do is search for a training schedule. I would start planning right away. I would not run that …
My Top 5 Pregnancy-Related Misconceptions
When mom and baby are healthy, there should be no reason not to train for birth. In my opinion, and what I founded BIRTHFIT on, is that training includes, but is not limited to, strength, conditioning, flexibility, and balance. These skills can easily translate into other ordinary life tasks. When …