Happy Baby!

Joaquin is already doing yoga.....

hazel rose thompson

hey guys. here are some of her first pictures. we're all doing fine. it's no joke about the sleep deprivation though!hope all is well.nicole

aloha cian!

It is with great pleasure that Ted and I share the wonderful news of the birth of our son, Cian Edward Collins. Cian, pronounced Key-in, is an Irish name meaning ancient and enduring. He was born on Wednesday at 11:27 am, weighing 7Ibs 3oz and measuring 22 1/2 inches. Our daughter Audrey has been staying with Grandma and Grandpa for the last five days and we anxiously await her return home tomorrow to meet her new brother. Thank you all for your well wishes and we are eager for you to meet our baby boy!
Penny & Teddy

Namaste Corduroy!

So this little hunk is Corduroy and his mama, Jennifer, wrote an incredible birth story. 6 full pages long. I need to go through and shorten it for the blog but I just don't have time tonight and I am going on vacation tomorrow. So, I promise I will get to that as soon as I get back.

Welocme Lyla Rae!

Lyla Rae Farley

written by Mama Michelle Frier

During my pregnancy I romantically pictured my birth to be mostly at home, natural without drugs and of course really quick! Well- during my 37 week I found out my baby was breech and suddenly my vision of my first birth was now looking more like a C-section. I was pretty bummed but then my doctor performed a version (where they actually try to turn the baby) and it worked! My baby was no longer breech and I could now look forward to the due date again! In the early morning of my 39 week anniversary, I woke up with some mysterious cramps. Since my due date was still a week away and I was convinced I was going to be late, I just though the pains were related to something I ate. Of course after a few hours of the cramps coming every ten minutes I had to admit something was up. We stayed somewhat calm throughout the day as the contractions got a bit stronger and closer together. We had some visitors and did some last minute decorating. Around 3:00 pm the contractions were getting painful and were about 5 minutes apart which made my husband a bit nervous so we decided to make the trek to the hospital. Once we made it to Cedars they checked me out and I was only dialated to 2 cms! I was blown away. Here I thought I was laboring through grueling contractions all day and that I was almost there- but now I'm being told it could be 24 hours or even days before I reach 10 cm. So 5 hours after being at the hospital we were sent home at 2 cm feeling a bit defeated. Once we got home at 9 pm and it felt like the contractions doubled in pain and were every 5 to 7 minutes. But I also knew that I had a long night ahead of me so I figured I would stick it out as much as I could. My husband and I nested all over the house doing different positions and there were momments that I just couldn't deal with the pain. I did this for about 5 hours and then once they were about 3 minutes apart with my waters still in tact... I decided that I was over it and was ready for some pain relief! Give me that epideral!!! So 5 hours after leaving the hospital we were back to Cedars again. I was hoping that I was at least at 5 or 6 cms. After checking in and doing paperwork we were brought to our room. While I was gowning up I suddenly felt the overwhelming need to push. It freaked me out. 30 seconds later it happened again. I went into the room and told my husband what was going on... he freaked! The nursed freaked too! She made me hop in bed so I could be examined and she said...'Well no wonder you want to push honey- your are 9 and a half cms!! You don't have time for an epideral, you are having your baby!' Suddenly tons of people were in the room and we were going for it. The doctor broke my water which felt amazing and the pushing began. Although it hurt to push it also felt great knowing that this would all be over soon. 40 minutes of pushing later and I heard that perfect cry that I have been wanted to hear for months! She was so precious! They placed her on my chest and she immedialtey wanted to feed. It was incredible!! We named her Lyla Rae. She weighed 6lbs 5 oz and 19 and 1/2' long. The doctor was floored that in 5 hours I went from 2 cms to 9.5 cms. If we would have wanted 30 more minutes to leave our house we probably would have had the baby at the intersection of Vermont and Beverly!! Ha! Overall it was an awesome experience. I think the trick was that we stayed calm most of the time which made the experience much more manageable. I also think knowing many differnt positions helped the laboring process move along faster and easier! So ladies keep up that yoga! At 2 weeks old Lyla is a super sweetheart that suprises us everyday.

Gentle Birth Method

The Month by Month Programme to Help You: carry your baby to full term; have a shorter, easier labour; feel happy, confident and in control
by Dr. Gowri Motha

I have mentioned this book several times in class and some of you have shown interest. The author is an OBGYN in London since 1981. She has a truly wholistic approach to pregnancy and childbirth. Her statistics are pretty amazing. C-Section rate for UK is 21%. Her clients' C-Section rate is 9%. Induction rate in UK is 21% and her clients' induction rate is only 6.5%. Good stuff.

Her method includes:
A Strict Diet (including no sugar or wheat the last month of the pregnancy)
Ayurveda
Hypnosis and Mental/Emotional Preparation for Birth
Regular Yoga Practice
Regular Bodywork (massage, reflexology, cranial-sacral therapy)
Regular Home Massage (that's right Dads--get those hands in shape)
Perineal Massage
Homeopathic Medicine and Aromatherapy

You can go to her website (http://www.gentlebirthmethod.com/) and purchase kits of Homeopathic medicine, How-To massage tapes, Massage oils, etc.

The Gentle Birth Method by Gowri Motha and Karen Swan Macleod

Alternatives

There are tons of alternative therapies you can use during your pregnancy. Here's a short list of practitioners, teacher, etc. that we put together in class on Sunday. Please feel free to add your favorite practitioners to this list by commenting at the bottom of this entry.

1. Christopher John, gentle chiropractor, http://www.nonforce.com/
2. Reena McGill, acupuncturist and energy worker, http://www.healingenergycenter.com/
3. Matt Schwartz, acupuncturist, http://www.goldenmonkeyhealing.com/
4. Abigail Morgan, acupuncturist specializing in pre and post-natal, http://www.floatchinesemedicalarts.com/
5. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, John Kabot-Zinn, http://www.mindfulnesstapes.com/
6. Mindfulness Based Childbirth and Parenting, http://insightla.org/schedule_details.asp?event_ID=214
7. Thomas E. Schertz, Homeopathic Doctor and Chiropractor, (310) 372-2113
8. Dr. Lou- TCM (I can't find this acupuncturist's info. If you know it, let me know)
9. The Whole Pregnancy Handbook: An Obstetrician's Guide to Integrating Conventional and Alternative Medicine Before, During, and After Pregnancy by Joel Evans and Robin Aronson
10. Silver Lake Health and Wellness Association, local group of alternative and wholistic therapists, http://www.silverlakehealthwellness.com/
11. Susan Minich, Kaiser Sunset Nurse/Midwife/Acupuncturist
12. Dr. Eliot Berlin (chiro) and Jason Starr (acupuncture), wellness center specializing in Pregnancy, http://www.doctorberlin.com/

Trust

I was giving a massage at one of my clients' homes today. She recently hung some new prints in her nursery. This one particularly caught my eye, especially after last nights Prenatal class at SLY. The artist is Nikki McClure. Her stuff is very cool. http://www.nikkimcclure.com/

Check out Louka!

On August 17, I was four days past my due date. I had been having contractions all week and then I strained a muscle in my groin in yoga class. I was concerned that whatever I did might have impacted the baby, so I went to Kaiser to get checked out. While at Kaiser, contractions started, more intense than the others. They examined me and everything was normal, the baby was fine, and they told me that I was dilated 3cm. By the time we got home, the contractions were gone again. Leah, our birth coach, came by and worked some pressure points around 8pm. By 11pm, just as I was giving up on going into labor my contractions started kicking in, this time much stronger. Wilder advised we should sleep, I tried but after an hour of tossing and turning, I had to get up. By 3am the contractions were 2-3 minutes apart and quite strong so we decided to go to Kaiser (although I had a feeling we should spend a little longer at home).

We arrived at triage at 4 AM. I expected to have dilated to at least 6cm as the contractions were so close together. However, I had only dilated one cm in the last 12 hours! Regardless, I was still excited as they decided to admit me. Since we arrived we were very active; either pacing the room, trying different poses or simply sitting on the birth ball. I was avoiding the bed and Leah and Wilder were magnificent at keeping me on the move. Leah would suggest different poses and Wilder was a trooper helping me with them.

At around noon on Monday I asked the midwife to check my progress. I really felt we were getting close; it had been about eight hours since I arrived and I was ready to have this baby! However, I had only dilated one cm!!!! I lost all steam and excitement and I was so tired that I decided to lay down and rest for a little bit. Bad idea. The contractions slowed down and lost intensity. We got up again to walk around the hospital. I would take three steps and a contraction would take over, I would lean over Wilder, Leah or the wall and try to contain myself from screaming and scaring the passersby. At around 5pm I asked the midwife to check me again, hoping that this time I had progressed faster. My hopes soon turned to disappointment; in 5 hours I had only dilated another cm! I was only 6cm dilated.

Leah and Wilder worked really hard to get my energy back up and to get me moving and once we got going I was again on the contraction rollercoaster. I made a conscious effort to not look at the clock and to focus on honoring the work that my uterus was doing. At some point a new nurse came in to hook me up to the monitors and asked me to get on the bed – I did reluctantly. Within minutes of getting on the bed my water broke, it was an incredibly loud burst and it felt as if my entire belly had deflated. I immediately started trembling, the room was hot, I was hot but I couldn’t stop shaking - - Wilder was frightened, he kept asking me to look at him - - he probably thought I was dying. Soon after my water broke I felt an overpowering and exhilarating need to push so I did but one of the doctors said to NOT push because I wasn’t completely dilated. Apparently I had a small section of the cervix still needing to dilate (cervical lip) and if I pushed I could injure my uterus. I hated this doctor for telling me to not push. This was absolutely the most painful part of my labor. With every urge I would try to do the opposite and visualize my uterus pulling in but it was so hard I would grunt and bury my filed nails in my husband’s arm. It seemed eternal but eventually they checked me and gave me the green light to push - - ohh what a glorious moment! I don’t know where I garnered the strength to push but even after 20 something hours of labor I felt I had a fresh supply of energy to bring my baby into this world.

Pushing was delicious but it did not come easy. I was probably in the third hour of pushing when an older doctor came in to “give me his opinion after 20 years of experience” as to whether I would be able to keep going. I was afraid he would prescribe a C-section, after almost two days in labor! He was talking when I got another urge and I pushed with everything I had, knowing that I had to work harder. It worked, he told the rest of the staff that I would be able to push my baby out and left the room. My OB came in shortly after and offered some options as she could tell that I was getting tired. I felt that I was pushing as hard as I could but I sensed that my baby was stuck. She offered using the vacuum, which I initially opposed, but I was so exhausted that I decided to go for it. She promised to not use too much force and to work with my push but she warned me that if the baby’s torso was stuck they would have to do an emergency C-section. Shortly after, ten additional Kaiser staff were in the room, the NICU folks setup on the side to ensure the baby was not harmed by the meconium he passed while in my belly. It all happened really fast, I was pushing, being told to keep going, harder and harder -- I felt I completely tore apart, I screamed and my baby was out! He was 10 lbs 1.7 oz, 20.5 inches long.

I was sad that I couldn’t have my baby at my chest right away but at least my husband got to be beside him. When I finally got him, he looked right into my eyes and I could tell he recognized my voice. He was just as swollen as I was - -he worked so hard! Thank the heavens he is healthy and did not have any problems despite the long hours of labor.

In retrospect I think my labor was hard because I expected a 14-hour textbook labor. From the onset my labor was completely different and my expectations were not meeting my reality but I didn’t realize it in the moment. I thought that being active throughout my pregnancy meant I would be better prepared and hopefully I would be in labor for no more than 14 hours. Five months into my pregnancy I was still jogging, I picked up swimming when I couldn’t run anymore and I did yoga up until the 39th week but none of it made it ‘easier’. However, it did make it easier for me to endure the long hours of strong contractions and pushing. It has also made recovery a swift breeze– I didn’t have any muscle aches afterwards (only my neck) and two weeks later I feel as good as new.

I’m very grateful that the Kaiser staff worked with me and followed my birth plan closely. They were very respectful of my choice to have an unmedicated, natural birth and did not push any interventions or medications, just as I requested. I was also extremely lucky to have Leah help us throughout those 27+ hours, we might not have been able to stick to our guns without her presence. My husband’s support was invaluable, he was in labor just as much as I was. I’m also grateful that our friends were standing by to help with food and anything else that we needed. This little miracle was truly a team effort.

Gearing up for parenthood...

Here's the short list of parenting books we talked about in class, plus a fun website.

Pria:
Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth

Michelle:
The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Newborn Baby Sleep Longer by Harvey Karp
Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with Your Baby by Tracy Hogg and Melinda Blau

Candice:
The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two (Revised and Updated Edition) by William Sears, Martha Sears, Robert Sears, and James Sears
www.rookiemoms.com

Pediatrician List

I am trying to put together a list of pediatricians in the area. PLease forward me your favorites and I will add to this list, or just add your response to this entry.

Dr. Paul Fleiss, located on Hillhurst in Los Feliz, 323-664-1977
Dr. George Nakashima, located in Little Tokyo, 213-617-7073

When's the right time to return to Yoga class?

In the last few weeks, I have had several of you with new babies email me about when you can come back to yoga class.

First off, I think it's just fabulous that you all want to get back into class. And I know it's not just about getting rid of the mummy tummy but it's also about breath and focus and balance and (perhaps most importantly) community. So kudos to all of us!

The rule of thumb is that if you deliver vaginally, you can come back to class after 6 weeks. If you deliver via c-section, then 8 weeks. Usually, you have an appointment with your OB 6 weeks after your little one's birthday. They will check you out and ask you lots of questions and give you the go ahead for returning to exercise. Typically, they want to make sure that you are done with the lochia (bleeding). If you stop bleeding after 3 or 4 weeks, you didn't have any complications with the birth, and you are dying to get out of the house, then call your OB and ask if it's okay to come back to yoga. They very well may give you the go ahead.

If you do exercise before the lochia is completely over, then make sure that it doesn't get worse afterwords. Heavier bleeding is an indication that you are doing too much, too early.

At Silver Lake Yoga, we offer 3 classes that you can attend. The best one for brand new babies at SLY is Juliette's Friday class at 10:45 in SLY 1. This class is filled with moms and pre-walkers. Sunday with me at 10 and Monday with Juliette at 10 are Parent and Me classes. You are MORE than welcome to come to these classes too, just know that there are toddlers in these classes. And toddlers LOVE babies.

I also teach a class at Yummy Yoga in Los Feliz on Wednesdays at 11 AM. This class is for pre-crawling babies. It is a very sweet and safe class. And I think it is a great intro back to yoga. Classes at Yummy are $16 each or $70 for 5. The studio is imaculately clean and quiet and I adore teaching there (this is where my massage room is located). If you want more info on Yummy Yoga, check out their website at www.yummyoga.com.

Getting out of the house and connecting with other new parents is very powerful. Breath and exercise will help you with this incredibly challenging transition into parenthood.

For those of you who are waiting to get the okay from your OB, take lots of walks. Check out the support groups at the Pump Station or stop by SLY or Yummy before or after Prenatal or any Postnatal classes. I would love to see you and meet your new little person.

All my best,
Leah

A Brand New Yogi: Julien

Introducing, Julien!
Born 8/15/08
Congratulations Andrea! He is gorgeous. Can't wait to see him in yoga class soon.