Get ready for your birth with 5 easy exercises. Do them daily to strengthen your body and prepare your mind for your labor and birth. What do those studies say? Did you know that studies show that women who participate or regularly practice using their birth balls feel more confident in their ability to self-advocate during their labor and report having a better birth experience as a whole? Did you know that pregnant women in their 2nd and 3rd trimesters fall at the same rate as women over the age of 70? Even just sitting on the ballot home or at your desk at work, fires your core and cha ..read more

It’s here! It’s here! We are so excited! We are super excited about being able to offer this class option for moms-to-be. It’s especially helpful to those who are taking Birth Ball Basics with an instructor. This video will help you keep on track with the exercises in preparation for your birth. You will be able to access BB30 for your daily practice from the comfort of your own home. The movements are suitable for any level of fitness and stage of pregnancy and feel “simply amazing'“ according to the participants. Here’s a sneak peek! Get pumped! Did you know that studies show that mothers wh ..read more

Here’s the low-down on Doulas and how to hire one that’s right for you. That Double Hip Squeeze is the bomb-diggity during labor. photo cred: Meredith Rowe “Evidence suggests that, in addition to regular nursing care, continuous one-to-one emotional support provided by support personnel, such as a doula, is associated with improved outcomes for women in labor.” — ACOG Feb. 2019 Committee Opinion no. 766 The fact that you are reading this says that you are curious about hiring a birth doula! But you may also be wondering how to go about doing that. It’s good to be Doula-curious and I hope that ..read more

I often get asked about what doula work. What training to take, how to get started and become successful as a doula. Here is the truth of the matter… ONE: Do a training - ANY training. Get Certified and then DO THE THING. Not having a bunch of doula clients is NOT the training’s fault. It’s not your trainer’s fault. It’s not the training organization’s fault. It’s not the area that you live in. Truly. No training gets you clients. YOU have to Hustle to get started. YOU get yourself clients. Take a look at this graphic. Do these 3 action items RIGHT NOW. If you don’t know these people, then ..read more

Have you heard about using peanut balls in labor? They are a favorite in the birth world and with evidence based reasons! Most hospitals and birth centers have peanut balls and, as a doula, I always carry a deflated one in my doula bag, just in case there is not one available for my client. Many people assume that they are only used when a person chooses an epidural during labor but many clients use them in unmedicated birth, too! We’ll go over a number of positions and also some tips to make the birthing AND support person’s life easier! When it’s time to use it, I just go into the bathroom ..read more

You just had a baby…So, just do kegels and you’ll be fine! Huh?! New moms and their babies building strong mom communities in Postpartum Recovery Fitness I am pretty sure you clicked on this blog because you just had a baby and maybe you are wondering about getting back to exercise (or even just back to your non-maternity clothes…). Or you want to “close” your Diastasis Recti (DR) and not pee in your pants. Or you really need to make mom-friends and want to get out of the house. Or you just want to feel better. Probably, it’s all of the above, right? There’s a lot of fear around the 4th Trime ..read more

What is this prenatal test and why am I having it done? Your care provider may order this test if you are past your due date or there are reasons that make you or your baby “high risk”. A BPP test will likely include a 20 minute non-stress test (NST) with electronic fetal heart monitoring. The BPP measures 4 additional areas by ultrasound: fetal muscle tone, fetal movement, breathing movements, and the amount of amniotic fluid around your baby. A BPP is commonly done in the last trimester of pregnancy, usually after you have hit your due date. Each of the categories are given a score from 0 or ..read more

Pads… They might look the same but are they the same? Peeing in your pants? Or bleeding in your pants? Neither is particularly pleasant but using the right absorbency pad will make your life a bit better. But how do you know which pad to use and why does it matter? Read on, Sister… Soon you’ll know more about pads than you bargained for. LOL If you have been at the store and wondered, “Which Pad do I buy?” You are not alone! Don’t make me laugh! I’ll pee in my pants! Have you ever said that to your girlfriends and then ran to the bathroom and grabbed a pad? Well, it’s pretty likely that pad t ..read more

Updated Oct.14, 2022 Say What? Have you ever heard of this? Have you seen it? Did you know that the Purple Line is seen in about 76% of active laboring women and can be used for estimating progression of labor and station of baby? Really! How crazy is that! It is more readily seen in women who are of white ethnicity and who have experience a premature rupture of membranes (1). It usually becomes visible when the cervix is dilated to 3-4 cm. But how in the world does that work? Well, as the baby descends into the deep pelvis, the purple line rises up from the outskirts of the anus. This appeara ..read more

ANOTHER FULL BODY, BUMP FRIENDLY WORKOUT FOR YOU! THIS WORKOUT IS BUMP FRIENDLY, BUT BUMP IS NOT REQUIRED. 1 minute work with a 15 second rest in-between and because you repeat 2 of the exercises to hit both legs - you have a total of 10 exercises. Complete 3 rounds and that gets you to ACOG’s recommendation of 30+ mins for the day. Why move your body? Studies show that moms who exercise during their pregnancy tend to experience less back pain and report having better recovery experiences! You don’t have to do a kick butt fitness activity. Even just briskly walking 3 times a day for 10 mins wo ..read more