Breastfeeding After Breast Reduction Surgery
There is a common misconception that you cannot breastfeed following breast reduction surgery, so I am here to share my alternative experience. Let me start by sharing why I decided to undergo this surgical procedure, even though I knew how important breastfeeding would be to me. When I was in …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Should You Take a Childbirth Education Class?
When you are going through pregnancy, you often receive information from everyone and everywhere – whether it’s your neighbor, the internet, or books. With so much information available, it can be hard to decide what you and your partner want out of birth. This is exactly why a childbirth education …
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 …
Tips to Manage Postpartum Anxiety: A 4-Part Series (Part 3: Mindset)
Part 3: Mindset Next in this series, we are reviewing how to implement various mindset techniques to support the symptoms of and promote healing from postpartum anxiety. For more information on the symptoms of this disorder, check out Part 1 of this series. While anxiety is not a choice, …
Tips to Manage Postpartum Anxiety: A 4-Part Series (Part 2: Nutrition)
Part 2: Nutrition In this series, we are exploring how to employ BIRTHFIT’S Four Pillars to support your mental and physical well-being if you are experiencing postpartum anxiety. If you haven’t had a chance to read the first part of this series on how to utilize fitness to support …
Prepare for Preconception With These Four Positive Changes
In a world with so much noise and an overwhelming amount of information, it’s easy for us to feed into the fear and anxiety surrounding conception and preconception. In some circles, just mentioning the words preconception or even fertility can stir up negative feelings. Oftentimes, these words are considered “bad” …