I was 19 when I was sexually assaulted. 30 when I got pregnant. No one told me survivors are more likely to have a c-section or instrumented birth (use of forceps or suction). I had to use my knowledge as a pelvic PT and research options to improve my chances of an empowering vaginal birth.
I did it alone so you don’t have to. I walked it along because NO ONE asked me if I had past trauma. No one told me I had a higher risk of labor stalling or c-section, or instrumented birth. No one told me my past experiences put me at higher risk for traumatic birth. So I did my own research and developed a program that helped me prevent perineal tearing and emerge empowered.
Our program takes you by the hand to improve your chances of an uncomplicated empowering birth. We help you-
- Identify and tackle your fears. We work through body hacks, mind hacks, and changes in environment to reduce your body and pelvic floor’s response to fear.
- Find positions that work best for your mind, body, and pelvic floor. We practice pushing in many positions to find what works best for your pelvis and pelvic floor to open and allow the pelvic floor muscles to get out of the way. This is a step beyoond what childbirth education classes teach you.
- Teach you to push (to reduce tearing) even if crowning and pain are a trigger for you. Don't rely on what they tell you when you're in labor. Many hospitals and birthing centers still use 'purple pushing' or tell you to push like you're pooping. Studies show that many women tighten their pelvic floors when instructed to push like this. This is the opposite of what we want!
- Find positions that work best for your body so you’re not triggered and can put your pelvic floor in the best position. Some moms find that all fours positioning is empowering. For others, it's a trigger. We help you determine your body's response and find coping techniques to work through this and find the position(s) that are best for you in active labor and pushing.
- Decide what pain management strategies are best for you. We walk you through the pros and cons of each and see what your body responds best to. This is tailored to you and is more in depth and individual than a childbirth education class.
This approach decreases your chances of a c-section + forceps or suction with a vaginal birth. All of these can be lifesaving and we are in support of them when necessary. They’ve saved countless lives and we’re thankful for them. But we also know these come with risks and can increase chances of pelvic floor problems and medical complications so if we can, it's smart to work to prevent them. C-sections risk infection, hemorrhaging, and can be harder to recover from because it's a major surgery. Use of forceps and suction with a vaginal birth puts you at higher risk for prolapse.
Trauma and unprocessed fear are often the root cause of labor stalling for no reason. Uncontrolled pain and fear of pain are often at the root of a traumatic birth.
We do this because we want all moms to be able to go into labor prepared, empowered, and improve the chances of an empowered birth, not a traumatic one. We do this because we’ve been there. We’ve felt unheard, used, and like another number in the system. We do this so you don’t feel like that again. So you can control the controllables and find power and truth in spaces that are meant to make you feel powerless and confused. We do this so you don’t have to do this alone.
If you’re scared of giving birth or just want to know you did everything in your power to prepare your mind and body and tackle that mind –body connection, we’ve got you.
You can book a free consultation to learn more about how our Labor Prep Program can help you (given your particular circumstances and history) or check out our Mind-Body Coping Skills Mini Course for body and brain hacks to calm anxiety, pain, and your nervous system. It will be released on 2-15-23.
