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Chantal Eder

SELF-CARE FOR THE MIND, BODY & SOUL. FROM PREGNANCY TO MOTHERHOOD & BEYOND.

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Once Upon a Pandemic Birth

May 27, 2020

False Labour?

On Tuesday (38 weeks 5 days) something had changed. My braxton hicks contractions, which where normally happening at night, started first thing in the morning. They started to come more frequently and I thought maybe this was it! Time to meet our baby girl. 

Fast forward 4 days later, to Friday. I had alternated between days where I had energy and could work through the constant tightenings and days where I had to spend most of the day in bed. I worked on some exercises to open and align my pelvis but I was feeling frustrated, annoyed, and exhausted. I’d been wanting to cry all week and I finally did. I wrote my baby girl a letter, I journaled, and I cried. 

Saturday I woke up with a renewed energy. I accepted that this was my life now and the tightenings could continue for days or even weeks. I made açai bowls (which I have never done), finished my postpartum sanctuary plan, had time to connect with Mark about his feelings and how we could stay connected postpartum, finished some admin, hung out with Josef, did more exercises, and just generally had a very productive day. 

Is this it?

Saturday night we watched Together At Home, as I rolled on my birth ball. I went to bed around 10:30pm and got a tightening that felt a bit stronger but dismissed it, as they usually got stronger in the evening, so I didn’t think much of it. I fell asleep and woke at 11:45pm breathing heavily through a tightening. My body instinctively instructed me to breathe, even in my sleep. This one was definitely stronger. Since I had, had days of these I was still skeptical but I got up anyway, told Mark I was taking a shower and to do whatever he needed to, in case this was it. He didn’t believe it either so took his time mustering up the energy to get out of bed. 

I had another tightening in the shower which I had to breathe and move through. Mark was busy changing the sheets, emptying Josef’s bathroom – as this is where everyone would change their clothes, wash their hands, and mask up to ensure a safe environment from Covid19. Another strong one came. They were about 10 mins apart. 

I dried off and changed into comfortable clothes. I had set some birth alters up in the living room, as I had anticipated a water birth but at the moment the bedroom felt like a safe space, so I quickly set up a little alter there. I lit a candle beside my labyrinth and Mother Gaia. I questioned whether I should start my playlist. It all felt a bit silly since I never did all of this last time but I figured why not. I read some birth affirmations and started the contraction timer. 

Mark pumped up the birth pool, put the coffee on, and prepped some snacks for the birth team. 

I was working through the tightenings on my own, leaning over on the bed and rocking my hips, starting to moan through them, then standing and walking in between. They started every 6 mins or so. At 12:50am, after about an hour, I called Robina, the midwife. 

By the time I got a hold of her I was already on to my next contraction. She heard me work though it and decided to head over, saying at worst she would spend the night on the couch. 

Time started to blur. I remember being alone for a lot of my waves, tuning into my playlist, remembering to relax my jaw and shoulders. Connecting with my baby girl. At one point I went out to find Mark and ask what he was doing…’I’m about to chop some vegetables’ he said, as he was preparing the snacks. ‘They are just parking’. I asked him to come move through the next contraction with me, so we could have one together just the two of us. I sat on the birth ball and he was on the bed. I took this position as we laboured like this when Josef was born. Turns out this time it was very uncomfortable. By the time we had moved through one the birth team had arrived. Mark left again to help them set up. 

I was alone, back in between the bed and the closet, the smallest space in the apartment. The waves were getting stronger. I moved my hips, almost dance like, and breathed with the music on my playlist. I thought of my friend who recently had a 40 hr labour and said to myself, if she can do that I can do this, trying to channel some of her strength. At one point I remember standing up and reaching my arms out and holding the hands of all other women in labour at that moment. Sending and receiving strength. I moved through about 3 contractions like this, alone, in my own world of labourland. 

The birth team checked my vitals as Mark started to run the water in the birth pool. It was around 1:45am. Maggie, the birth assistant, tried a hip squeeze to help, noticing that I wasn’t holding any tension in my body.  By that point I was beyond wanting to be touched. They eventually switched places so Mark could be with me. I lost my rhythm a bit with everyone in the room and I couldn’t find a comfortable position. Robina joked, ‘nothing is going to be ‘comfortable’ but she offered me some pillows to lean into and it felt like heaven. I could have almost fallen asleep. I knew I needed to stop standing. My legs were starting to shake. My next wave was strong and brought me down to my knees, Mark was trying to hold me up and I yelled at him to just let me go. In a fit of frustration I threw the washcloth off my back and pushed the bucket away, that I had gone to get as I was feeling nauseous earlier. I went down into a kneeling side lunge and eventually found myself on the pillows on Mark’s lap, moving between all fours and collapsing into his arms. 

In both pregnancies I always ask my babies when they will arrive. Josef gave me the number 8 and he was born just after 8 am. This little Love Warrior was more specific. She said April 18 and  gave me the umber 3. At this point the clock read 2:18am. I thought there was no way she was coming that fast. 

The tightenings where getting stronger and I was getting louder. I was waiting for someone to take me to the pool but everyone was just in the room with me. I had no idea how much longer it would before she arrived, my concept of time was lost. 

I was present in my body but also somewhere far away. I heard a stirring and voices, which brought me back. Josef, our toddler, had woken up from my roars. He came into the room, wondering what was happening. Mark held onto him and I had enough adrenalin to say hello, stroke his back, and tell him the baby was coming and I was ok. Then I couldn’t hold it together anymore. I pushed Mark back with the next wave and roared.

At some point Josef’s babysitter came and helped him back to his room. 

I remember the tightenings getting stronger and not stopping. I yelled ‘I’m not getting a break, where’s the break!’. ‘The baby is coming’ someone said. I remember thinking ‘i know that!!! But when, how long? Now or hours from now? How much longer? Why am I not in the pool?…My thoughts were getting away with me but where interrupted by the most intense wave of all…I half heartedly yelled ’I’m going to die!’… my internal voice again, providing an inner dialogue ‘ I know I’m not going to die but I don’t have the words to describe how I am feeling and that is the worst thing I can think of to say’. 

I began to  reach back to feel a head, anything to tell me it was over soon. I felt my waters burst. Then a little head start to emerge. Then it all stopped. ‘What happened?’ I asked ‘why have they stopped?!’. Robina reminded me, ‘trust it, another one will come’. And it did. I felt the burning as her head emerged. One last contraction as my uterus pushed my baby’s body out. It was 3:03am.

I collapsed in Mark’s lap. I was done. Depleted. I heard a voice calling me back from somewhere  ‘lean back and meet her when you’re ready’. It took all my strength to push up on my arms and crawl back. There she was. Just laying on the floor. Was that my baby? She is here…it took me a minute to take her presence in. Almost unsure if I could reach down and touch her…

Did we let Covid into our home?

Even though I was not in a hospital, birthing in the midst of a pandemic at the epicentre of it all, came with another layer of anxiety and unknowns. After self isolating for nearly 5 weeks from the outside world, opening your house to people feels heavy and dangerous. Am I endangering my son, my family by staying home. Even though home seems safer than a hospital…no where actually feels 100% covid safe. 

On day 5 postpartum, I got out of bed to stretch and immediately broke into intense chills. I had to put 4 layers on and get under the covers, as my body moved uncontrollably. My temperature started to rise. I broke down emotionally. I was terrified. I didn’t know if I should touch my baby, my toddler, my husband. I started blaming myself for things that weren’t in my control. My anxiety rising thinking of the possibilities. Tanya our other midwife talked me through my fears, she stayed calm and told me the chances of Covid were low and all we could do now was monitor the symptoms. She took me through all the possibilities, prescribed some antibiotics to have at the ready in case it was mastitis – which is an odd thing to hope it is, but at this point I would have taken anything, ad we waited.

The chills lasted 3 days, my temperature luckily didn’t rise. Slowly the symptoms started to slow and I returned to health. I was thankful but still on edge. It took another 14 days from then for me to relax into the idea that we were all ‘safe’.

It’s an odd pull of emotions to want to savour the newborn days but also want the 14 day time limit to pass so you can safely say your family is clear of Covid symptoms. To want to make sure your newborn is healthy but not want to take them to the paediatrician. To feel lonely but not want anyone to step foot into your house. 

Birth in the time of Corona is definitely not what anyone anticipated. Being in NYC at the peak of the pandemic, the rules around birth where coming down heavy. There was a panic in most of my mom’s groups which pierced my own experience. Will I have to birth alone? Are hospitals safe? Are there enough paramedics on hand if something goes wrong? Will I be separated from my baby? Should we flee the city?

We had planned a home birth before the virus made an appearance in the US and we are ever grateful that the birth went well and we got to stay home; even still the fear of Covid still made it’s way into our birth space. 

When we had decided on a home birth it held the intention of ease and comfort, away from the strict rules and sterile environment of a hospital. Building relationships with our midwives in longer in person visits. As Covid started to make an impact on the birth world, home births where not free from those changes. 

The idea of people coming into your home after weeks of isolation held fear, even knowing those people where taking all the precautions they possibly could. The joy of preparation morphed into a military like procedure – empty Josef’s bathroom of all his things, ensure there is a safe space for people to place their items and clothes upon entering, sterilise everything. 

Even in the midst of my contractions my subconscious was layering another story…did everyone wash their hands? where all outside items clean? where were they putting them? And making a checklist of what needed to be cleaned after they left. 

I didn’t want to be touched by anyone but Mark, that could have just been a natural reaction or was it because I had an overlaying fear of this virus? 

My husband’s mind was doing the same. Holding me through my waves but wondering is Josef safe. The babysitter had to take her mask off so Josef would recognise her, was this putting him in danger? 

I’m sure the birth team also had their own sub-narrative. Their procedures had changed. They had to learn to communicate through masks, sterilise things they’d never even thought to clean before, they had their own safety to look after, and they too were re-uniting with people they had not physically seen in a long time. 

This pull of Covid, didn’t allow the full ease and comfort we had hoped from a home birth. My subconscious being on high alert pulled me out of the present moment and tuned me into things I otherwise may not have noticed. I distinctly remember Mark and I snapping to attention when the birth assistant was changing the temperature in the room ‘what are you doing?!’, something that would most likely have passed us by if we were totally focused and relaxed. 

For this it felt like this birth has two stories. The timeline, the events, the emotions of the birth itself but also the additional layer of the Covid storyline, which pulled me out of where I wanted to be. 

In my most connected moments I was alone, in tune with my body and my baby. But I also experienced a huge disconnect in the moments of her actual emerging into the world. I feel like I somehow missed it. My body was there doing the work but my mind was somewhere else. Opening into this hyper awareness for Covid also invited my inner critic in. I began to judge myself, my sounds, my abilities. I was worried that I was being judged by the people around me. Was I doing well enough? Something I had not experienced at all with Josef’s birth and not anticipated at all with this birth. I was pulled in more directions than I was prepared for and it has left an impact on my story, that I am still working through. 

Will we get to stay home?

Taking her up on my arms, I remember melting into the wall behind me. She was safe, she was here. 

I was asked by our photographer what that moment feels like and this was the best I could find:

I don’t have the word, or maybe it doesn’t exist and there should be one that encompasses everything you feel when you meet your baby for the first time. The being that has been inside you and part of you for so long, now here on this earth. Relief and Disbelief, Joy and Love, and a kind of breaking. For me at least. Flooded with a rainbow of bright lights that penetrate you to the core. It’s an indescribable feeling of falling apart and coming together. Life. Maybe it feels like life. And Love.

We moved to the bed and she latched for the first time. We patiently awaited the placenta. 

This was a big moment for me. Last time my placenta didn’t detach and I ended up in the OR. Baby was out safe but this was hanging over us. Would I need to transfer now? 

My waves kept coming, they were incredibly strong and accompanied by an intense burning. I wasn’t ready to breathe through these sensations and they took me by surprise.  But this was a good sign. Last time they had just stopped. Robina sat with me patiently, I could feel her supportive energy, knowing that this was a big moment for me. Maggie, the birth assistant, gave me some herbs, Robina asked me to push…more herbs appeared, push again. I was holding my baby girl praying my placenta would detach. And finally, they could see it emerge. One last push and it was out. I was flooded with relief. We were staying home.

The euphoria that followed this moment was like nothing I’d ever experienced. We were safe, she was here, I was home and we didn’t have to go anywhere. 

I can truly say it felt amazing. To be in my own bed with my baby girl beside me. To rest feeling ‘safe at home’ with my husband and son. The relaxation set over me and I was on a high of love and gratefulness. 

THIS IS POSTPARTUM: Postpartum Preparation

April 30, 2020

Big knit underwear, pads bigger than you’ve ever worn, being helped to the bathroom, burning when you pee, feeling like your insides will fall out every time you sneeze or cough, fear of the first bowel movement, so much blood. Prolapse that can last for months or even years, tears that don’t heal, nerve damage, a libido that never returns. 

After pains, cracked nipples, body aches, engorgement. Worry, anxiety, baby blues, post-partum rage, anxiety, scary thoughts. No sleep.

Are they breathing, area they eating enough, is this normal?

Postpartum is different for everyone. It can be extremely hard, especially now with limited support.

Know that it is ok to feel all these things. Don’t look at the blissful Instagram photos and think there is nothing going on behind the scenes. Birthing a human is hard. Recovering is hard. New routines are hard. I see you. I am here for you. 

My recovery from my first birth was heavy mentally and physically, even with some preparation, so this time I knew I needed to do more. 

I want to share with you what has helped me this time around, especially during this time of Covid19. 

Immediate Physical Recovery

Essentials: Peri bottle, a couple days worth of depends, knit underwear, pack of pads from extremely heavy to light (Thinx or Knix work well for lighter days as well), padsicles for first couple of days, tucks pads, perineal spray, sitz bath herbs or epsom salts. 

Support: Someone to contact who you can ask about your healing. Medical professional, doula, friend with lots of experience. 

Aim for 5 days in the bed, 5 days on the bed, 5 days around the bed. At the very least. 

Rest as much as possible. Don’t think of night and day anymore, just sleep when you can. Let them all roll into one. Only things to-do: feed the baby and feed yourself. 

Breastfeeding

Essentials: Syringes ( if you plan on collecting colostrum before baby is born or to top up), Lanolin nipple cream (or other brand), Haakaa pump to catch run off, electric pump (optional) breast pads, nursing bras, nursing pajamas and loungewear, boppy or my brest friend feeding pillow, nursing journal (bought or self made) to keep track of pees and poos, water bottle, nutritious food.

Support: Contact some lactation consultants before birth, check their prices, and make sure they will be available around your due date. 

Know that breastfeeding is hard. Some mom’s even cite it as being harder than labour. Get the support you need. Sore nipples are common, cracked bleeding nipples are a sign you may need some help. It gets easier with practice and time. 

Nourishment

Essentials: Pre-prepped frozen meals or organized meal drop offs. Warm, nourishing foods to restore your depleted energy. Broths, soups, stews. Avoid cold drinks and foods, even in summer months. 

Support: Ask a close friend to set up a meal train, or set up a postpartum fund for meals and other care. Seek out postpartum chefs or meal services that deliver. Ask a friend to prep meals from The First Forty Days. 

Your appetite will increase, especially if you’re breastfeeding and your body will need certain nutrients to heal well and restore your energy. See book recommendations at end of article. 

Mental Health

Essentials: Reading up on postpartum mood disorders before baby is born. If you have a partner, ensuring they are looking out for the signs if PP depression. 

Support: Seek out virtual therapists specializing in perinatal mental health, online mom’s groups, virtual postpartum doulas, ask friends you can rely on to check in on you with a weekly zoom call or daily text, categorise friends who can help cheer you up, have a chat, help to share the mental load, check in on your partner…some people are better to help with the serious stuff, some are better at making you smile. Journal about your journey and how you are feeling. 

Loss of identity is a huge factor postpartum which can come up months after baby has been born. Know that the 4 month mark can be extremely hard for some new parents and postpartum depression can show signs from 2 weeks – 12 months post birth. 

Postpartum Rituals

No essentials here but nice to have a if you can make the time. Traditionally these would be done by others but in the time of Covid19, DIY is the next best thing. 

Moxabustion, acupressure, massage, vaginal steaming, sitz bath, rose quartz, sound healing, reiki, meditation, herbs. 

Support: Contact Chinese Medicine Doctors or Postpartum Doulas and Healers who are doing virtual sessions. They can guide you and your partner through various care rituals that will help the body to process and heal the birth experience. Distance healing is also available from some energy workers. Create a postpartum box for yourself which may include: a meditation candle, some rose quartz, a list of rituals, questions to reflect upon, a journal, a book, music. 

Even though it may seem like there isn’t even time to take a shower putting your healing first for a set time each day or week will be extremely beneficial to your mental and physical recovery. 

Relationships

Connect with your partner before baby is born. Make a list of the top 5 things you see could be a potential problem postpartum. Brainstorm solutions BEFORE they happen. Main areas of conflict include: finances, division of household chores, work, relationship, social life, influence of in-laws. 

Make a bliss list of things you enjoyed before you became pregnant. Remind each other to reconnect with these things postpartum. Could include: favourite music, foods, writing, exercise, favourite flowers, dancing etc…

Know that you may only connect with one of these things in the first year postpartum and that is ok. This list should not be a to-do list but more a touchstone list to help reconnect to a part of yourself that may lie dormant for a while. 

Long-term Physical Recovery

Essential: Safely reconnecting to your core and pelvic floor.

Support: Contact a pelvic floor physical therapist doing virtual sessions. Book a session pre-birth and then follow ups based on their recommendations, after birth. Find Postnatal specialists to help guide you through how to safely connect to your core and pelvic floor, starting with your breath and slowly moving on to physical exercise. Know the signs of prolapse, incontinence, and other pelvic floor dysfunction to help you communicate these issues virtually with your care provider. Since we can not be physically checked at this time it falls on us, even more, to be aware of our own physical state. 

Have patience. Know that recovery can take weeks to months to years. 6 weeks is not an adequate amount of time to heal for many. 

Birth Story Processing

Even if you had a good birth experience, reflecting on your birth can be healing to the body and mind. You may not release that you are holding tension around an event or moment that happened at birth. It is especially important to do so after a traumatic birth.

Support: Seek out a a qualified Birth story as Medicine practitioner, someone who can do virtual Havening, or work through one of the recommended books below.

30-45% of new parents say that their birth was traumatic, in reality the number is most likely higher as many cases go unreported and many who ‘have a healthy baby’ don’t classify their experiments as traumatic.

“Emotional birth trauma is related to an unexpected, unwished for event, in the child bearing year. Which renders the individual helpless, powerless, or abandoned. This event cause a real or perceived threat to the individuals safety, well being or life or that of a loved one” – Pam England

Addressing your story, your experience, your trauma can be an extremely emotional and empowering exercise to validate and help heal your experience. 

Postpartum Classes

There are also many classes that you can take that will help guide you through the postpartum period. They will go into detail about what to expect in those first few days and weeks. Including procedures immediately after birth at home or hospital, healing, the second night syndrome, new born preparation, mental health. 

Some Resources

BOOKS:

The Fourth Trimester – Kimberly Ann Johnson

The First Forty Days – Heng Ou

Body Full of Stars – Molly May

Illuminating Herstory: a safe place to reflect, rebuild, and reclaim your birth story – Arianna Alloway

Labyrinth of Birth – Pam England

Come As You Are – Emily Nagoski

Traumatic Child Birth – Chery Beck

Therapy and the Postpartum Woman – Karen Killeen

This Isn’t what I expected – Karen Klimen

MENTAL HEALTH:

Unfold Your Wings

https://postpartumprogress.com

Birth Narratives

Postpartum.org

Postpartum Stress Center

The Motherhood Center

Mental Health Midwife

PELVIC FLOOR PT TELEHEALTH

Brooke Ficara, PT, DPT – SPEAR Physical Therapy UES 

Rachel Parrotta, PT, DPT  

Amanda Fisher Empower Your Pelvis

VIRTUAL BODY WORK, BIRTH STORY PROCESSING, CLASSES:

Dr Stephanie Propper – CMD

http://www.yiskaobadia.com

https://spiritshopbk.com

https://www.manhattanbirth.com

https://www.birthsmarter.com

https://www.birthmattersnyc.com

https://birthstorymedicine.com

POSTNATAL FITNESS SPECIALISTS

Jessie Mundell

Irene Donahue

The Chelsea Method

ITEMS:

Haakaa: https://bit.ly/2yMq1On

Thinx: https://www.shethinx.com

Perineal Spray: https://earthmamaorganics.com/products/herbal-perineal-spray.html

Perineal care: https://spiritshopbk.com/collections/vaginal-care

Nipple Cream: https://amzn.to/3aF7Pn3

Breast Pads: https://amzn.to/2zsD2Nl

Pads: https://amzn.to/2Sbkbgv

Postpartum recovery tonic: https://www.themilkmoon.com

After Ease: https://amzn.to/2y2cylq

Modifications for an online prenatal practice

March 15, 2020

As prenatal yoga practice moves out of the studio and onto online platforms, your prenatal symptoms and conditions may not be getting addressed as bespokely as they would be in a face-to-face class.

Not all classes will give modifications per trimester or symptom, so it’s up to you now, to modify as needed. This can be slightly intimidating, as sometimes you just aren’t sure what to do or know if anything needs to change. I’ve put together a list of common conditions and symptoms that often come up in class, with basic modifications to help you.

As always check with your health care provider and don’t let any of the below information override what they say. These are merely suggestions from my training and personal experience.

GENERAL:

If you feel faint or dizzy stop your practice immediately and lie down.

Remember that relaxin increases your flexibility but it is not the time to explore how far to push your limits, this can lead to injury and future problems. Be wise with your body. This is not the time to learn how to do the splits.

An inversion practice is ok for some but it is not the time to start one, if you have not tried going upside down before. Exceptions are the Forward Leaning Inversion from Spinning Babies and shoulder stand (when supervised ).

Sit up on blankets or a bolster in seated poses to allow the hips to be higher than the knees.

When coming up from a reclining position, roll to the left side and use your arms to press yourself up. Do not jackknife up!

After 36 weeks take a side lying position in Savasana.

ACID REFLUX AND HEART BURN: This one is pretty easy to self diagnose and very common in pregnancy due to the increase in progesterone, which is relaxing the smooth muscle tissue. Some have said papaya enzymes, which you can buy in capsule form, are very helpful. I staved this off by eating almonds and dried papaya.

MODIFICATIONS: Keep your head above your heart – move Downdog or any standing forward folds to the wall or stay on all fours.

BREECH PRESENTATION: Babies can move positions up until the last moment, however, if your baby’s head is presenting up ( bum or feet down) after 36/37 weeks you will want to limit pelvic opening, to avoid baby descending further into the pelvic inlet. I also suggest acupuncture as the first port of call for this, at home you can visit the Spinning Babies website and practice their routine daily.

MODIFICATIONS: Shorten and widen standing poses, avoid deep squats and Baddha konasana – anything that opens the pelvis. Try a shorter diamond shape, Tarasana, or crossed legs.

CALF CRAMPS: Often occurring at night, these cramps can be caused by dehydration or mineral imbalance. Many people report an increase in magnesium and calcium being very helpful. You can either take a supplement or get this from foods such as dark leafy greens and nuts.

MODIFICATIONS: Avoid pointing your toes. Before practice begins release the calf muscles with a variety of stretches – I have a full post with various poses on my Instagram page.

CARPEL TUNNEL: Usually a result of swelling and increased blood volume. I suffered from this in both pregnancies and can’t recommend acupuncture enough. Sleeping with a brace and wearing one during the day (M BRACE RCA Carpal Tunnel Wrist Pain Relief) has also been very helpful.

MODIFICATIONS: Avoid too much pressure on the wrists, use your forearms or fists on blocks instead when you are on all fours or downward dog or bring your poses to the wall. Placing a wedge or rolling your mat under your wrists may give a bit of relief.

HEADACHES: Usually related to hormones, dehydration or low blood sugar. Acupuncture can be very helpful, at home get your partner to massage your neck and shoulders, release your jaw, and drink plenty of water.

MODIFICATIONS: Stick to a restorative practice

HEMORRHOIDS: Very common in pregnancy due to the increase in relaxin and progesterone.

MODIFICATIONS: Use two blankets, one under each sit bone, instead of one, leaving a little space in between, or create a donut shape to sit in. Avoid squats or any pose that puts additional pressure on the pelvic floor.

INTERCOSTAL PAIN (RIB PAIN): Everything is pushing up and out so some discomfort here is common. A Chiropractor or physical therapist can help release your diaphragm and show you how to do this yourself. Book in a virtual appointment. You can also try hot or cold compresses. If you have scoliosis de-rotation can be very helpful.

MODIFICATIONS: Keep the spine in a neutral position in practice and lengthen when possible. Avoid hunching forward and rounding the back.

PELVIC GIRDLE PAIN ( SYMPHASIS PUBIS DIASTASIS): This comes as pain in the pubic bone, when the two sides begin to separate. I highly recommend reading Relieving Pelvic Pain – By Cecil Rost, and downloading her app Rost Move Mamas. There are varying takes on how to approach this conditions but generally seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist can help.

MODIFICATIONS: If the pain is acute in class, avoid separating the legs and pulling the pubic bone apart in poses such as Baddha konasana, squats, and wide leg forward fold. At home these poses may be helpful as part of a structure program with your pelvic floor PT. Take a wider diamond shape, Tarasana, instead of Baddha konasana and support the knees with blocks. Make standing poses wider and shorter.

PLACENTA PREVIA: This is when the placenta is fully or partially covering the cervix.

MODIFICATIONS: Avoid poses that put pressure on the pelvic floor, abdominal exercises, unsupported squats. Make standing poses shorter and wider.

SI ( SACROILIAC) DISCOMFRORT/PAIN: If you are experiencing ‘low back’ pain only on one side, commonly this will be SI joint discomfort caused by one side the sacrum falling forward or back. A chiropractor or pelvic floor physical therapist can usually help with this, at home hip strengtheners and an SI belt ( SEROLA® Sacroiliac Belt, Medium ) can help ease symptoms.

MODIFICATIONS: In standing poses shorten and widen the poses, we are aiming to keep the back of the sacrum neutral. Place a block between the thighs in down dog to stabilise the pelvis. Widen butterfly pose into more of a Tarasana, diamond shape with heels further away from the pelvis. Do not do pigeon pose, or any pose that pulls the sacrum out of a neutral position, such as a deep anjaneyasana.

SCIATICA: This is from compression of the nerve in the lumbar spine, however, in pregnancy this is usually caused by a tight piriformis muscle that is compressing the sciatic nerve (Piriformis Syndrome). A massage therapist and pelvic floor PT can release this, at home you can use a tennis ball to relieve this area, and by practicing hip openers such a fire log or pigeon pose, wide leg forward find with hips (toes) rotating inward.

MODIFICATIONS: Bend the knees when practicing forward folds to relieve the buttox.

TAIL BONE PAIN: Often what feels like low back pain and hip pain is actually tail bone pain. Relaxin and stretching of the pelvic floor can cause the tailbone to lose its natural curve and straighten down.

MODIFICATIONS: Sit on a blanket, or see alternative for hemorrhoids for seated poses. Avoid poses that widen the pelvic floor, such as Baddha konasana, or that put pressure on the tail bone.

VARICOSE VEINS: Enlarged, swollen veins often appearing blue and located in the legs. Compression stocking can help, as can swimming, and nettle tea. You can also experience Vulvar Varicosis, which is varicose veins in the vulva. You can get a support garmet for this as well. Elevating your legs can help in both cases.

MODIFICATIONS: For the legs, do not partake in calf stretches that compress the legs. For both cases, change positions often and do not hold standing poses for too long.

PRENATAL POSTPARTUM PREPARATION

March 3, 2020

When you’re pregnant and dedicating so much time to birth preparation it can be difficult to imagine what postpartum will look like. Many of us don’t think about it at all or think we will deal with the challenges when they arise, however, it has been shown that parents who prepare for postpartum prenatally navigate the challenges and emotions of postpartum much better. Here are four things you can do to start to prepare for your postpartum journey:


POSTPARTUM ALLIES – Who are the friends and family you can call on to support you in this time of transition? Make a list of the good listeners, the people who are willing to come clean your house, look after baby while you shower, or simply be a friendly voice. I met a mama-to-be in yoga class when I was pregnant. We exchanged numbers and although we lived a 20 min walk away from each other and only met up physically about 3x when the babies where born, she became my LIFELINE. We must have texted 50x a day about everything from baby poop to how we were feeling. 


FOOD || You will not have the time or energy to make nutritious meals for those first few weeks. I laugh at myself thinking about how I brushed off the idea of making pre-papared frozen smoothie bags, thinking I could at least make a smoothie! Nope! Cook larges batches of food  and freeze them, set up a postpartum meal train, or hire a postpartum chef to come in and help you!


TOUCHSTONES || In the first year as parents you are wrapping yourself up in this new human 24/7, it can be incredibly easy to forget about yourself, or even pry yourself away for a 15 minute walk. Make a list of all the thing you enjoy doing, or remind you of yourself. Put it on the fridge and encourage your partner to do the same. Then help support each other to do one of these things during the first year of pregnancy. It can be as simple as: the sound of rain, 4 leaf clovers, yoga, sunflowers, writing in my journal…all things that can easily slip away in the haze of postpartum.


RELATIONSHIPS || You’re relationships will change postpartum  – with your partner, your family your friends. Sit down with your partner and make a list of the top 5 concerns of the challenges you might face as a couple and brainstorm 3 solutions or each. When you are deeply sleep deprived, your routines have changed, and the domestic workload has more than doubled it can be easy to lose site of the team work you may have had before baby arrived. Use this list as a easy problem solver for some of the issues that may arise. 

5 Yoga poses I used in Birth

February 10, 2020

Throughout my pregnancy, Yoga was my go-to exercise. I took regular alignment classes up until 36 weeks, with modifications, and practised pre-natal vinyasa and pre-natal alignment all the way up to the day before I gave birth. 

My labour ended up being hard and fast and in the back on a NYC taxi (see Birth Story Blog) and it wasn’t until I looked back on my 9 hours hours of hard work (‘cause that’s what it is!), that I realized the positions I was drawn to were all asanas I had been practising religiously throughout my pregnancy. 

My body seemed to enter these poses naturally and I strongly believe that my yoga practice helped me find the ‘comfort’ and the body strength I needed to endure my labour and delivery. So without further adieu, here are the Five Yoga Poses I used during labour and delivery.

1.Supta Baddha Konasana/Butterfly Pose

When my contractions started and began to build, the first position I took was Supta Baddha Konasana or Butterfly pose, on the bed, with pillows to support my back and to keep me upright, holding my husband’s hand (and squeezing tight). This pose helps release the pelvic floor, and to be honest I became sick of doing it during my pregnancy but it clearly worked!

You can practise this pose seated or reclined during pregnancy. For the reclined version it is useful to have a bolster or pillows to support your back and blocks or blankets to support your knees. Sit with your sacrum near the bolster, bring the soles of your feet together and separate your knees. Place a blanket around your ankles (or blocks under your knees) and gently lower yourself down onto your support. Make sure your spine is placed evenly with the bolster and your torso is straight. Extend your arms overhead then release them down by your sides, palms facing the ceiling. 

2. Wall Uttanasana or Chair Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Facing Dog

Once the contractions picked up I started to feel pain in my back. I was nervous this might be an indication that baby had his back to my back, so I moved into a position where my belly was facing down, to help get the baby to move into an optimal birthing position, his back to my belly. I used the bed to support my arms and eventually my husband’s thighs. I used a birth ball to sit on during my rest and recovery time. 

To enter the pose, stand near a wall and place your hands on the wall just above hip height. Walk back, pressing into the wall, until your arms are straight but not over extended. Feet should be hip distance or more apart. Align your legs so they are under your hips, bend your knees slightly and lift your sit bones towards the ceiling, keeping your feet parallel. Spread your palms and extend your fingers. Extend your thighs back and lengthen your spine, keeping your head in line with your arms. 

3. Adho Mukha Virasana/Child’s pose

There was an extra pose I was thrown into when I entered the bath and had my first contraction in water which was excruciating – Purvottanasana –  but that was just by sheer force. After exiting the bath very quickly, as it was not working for me, my husband and I resumed a similar position to before but this time on the floor. Child’s pose was my much needed rest and recovery position here. The force of the contractions were lurching me forward and up, pressing all of my body weight into my husband’s shoulder but during those few moments of rest, this was my go-to pose. 

To enter the pose come onto all fours. Place your big toes together and separate your knees. Sit back, reaching your buttocks towards your feet and extending your arms forward. Rest your head on the floor or a block depending on the stage of your pregnancy. I used my husband’s thighs.

4. Utkata Konasana/Goddess Pose

I had no idea how my husband and doula managed to get me out of the apartment but once I was on the move and gravity was playing a role, my contractions became stronger. In fact I had a wonderful, powerful contraction in the elevator surrounded by seven people but I was too zoned in to care! All of my standing contractions felt more comfortable in goddess pose. This allowed my pelvic floor to open further and unlike before where the sensations shot me upright, it felt more comfortable to move down into a squat with the pressure. It also helped me to visualize ‘breathing the baby down’.

Stand with legs 3-3/12 feet apart. Externally rotate your legs one at a time so toes point outward. Raise your arms above your head, palms facing each other. Exhale and squat down any amount, bring arms to shoulder height. Inhale, push into the heels of your feet and internally rotate your inner thighs to lift up as you raise your arms. Stay in the pose for 30 sec-1min or repeat the squats. 

5. Side lunge

This isn’t technically a yoga pose but it was practised often in pre-natal yoga class as it does open the pelvic floor. It is also a good position to go into to ‘change things up’ if you feel the contractions are not progressing. The first few will be very intense.

Once we got into the cab I could not sit down, so I put one foot on the floor and my knee on the seat and entered the side lunge position. My husband was facing me and I used him to stabilise my body weight until I could feel a little more than just the contractions!

To enter this pose stand on your knees, hips’ distance apart. If you need help with balance use a block to rest one hand on while you bring one knee forward, or place hands on your hips. Plant your foot firmly on the ground. Heel/toe the knee out to the side so your inner thigh is facing forward. Square your hips and raise your arms above your head. You can stay in a stable position or lunge out to the side and back a few times before switching legs. 

All of these poses are usually practiced in a pre-natal yoga class and are one’s that you can practise easily at home during those final weeks when it seems too hard to leave the house. In preparing for labour and delivery you are preparing for the greatest physical feat of your life so there is no better time to practice, practice, practice!

Are you carrying too much into Motherhood?

January 5, 2020

“We cannot hold onto to things and enter. We must put down what we carry, open the door, and then take up only what we need to bring inside.” 

This was part of the passage of my daily meditation from the Book of Awakening this week. It struck a deep cord that carried me back to my first pregnancy and transition into motherhood. 

I thought I had done the necessary preparation for the 4th trimester – I made padsicles, frozen meals, organised some body work at my house, had the herbs for a sitz bath, prepared my perineum for minimal tearing, and set boundaries on visitors…. 

What I didn’t prepare for, and what no one told me to prepare for, was the shift in identity/the loss of identity that comes with becoming a mother. Of all the moms I knew and of all the ones I followed on social media, there was no hint of such a grand change. To my unknown eyes it seemed like everyone who had, had babies just kept going, doing the things they always did, being the person they always were, so it didn’t even cross my mind that this wasn’t a possibility. 

Because of this I ended up trying to carry everything from who I was, to that door of new Motherhood. Trying to open it with all of who I used to be, trying to force it all through to come out into some nice package on the other side. I was trying so desperately to not let go of who I was then, I wasn’t letting myself become who I was now. 

I tried to navigate this transition on my own for months, feeling lost, alone, broken, torn between past and present. Not wanting to let go, but not even sure of what I was holding onto anymore. Sometimes waiting for the ‘old’ me to return, sometimes desperately seeking her. But mostly just not knowing who I was anymore. 

There is something about the transition into motherhood that is hard to describe to those on the journey. Some will understand it enough to do the work, others have to get lost and find their way. 

I have tried to describe the loss of identity many times and not been able to find the words. It’s hard enough to describe how disconnected you feel to your own body, let alone your own soul. And the experience is different for everyone, all dependent on what we try to carry through that door. 

It wasn’t until I heard the story of Inanna, the Goddess of Heaven and Earth, who travels to the underworld that I finally started to recognize what I didn’t do and what I could have done differently in my journey. 

There is a passage in the story where Inanna can no longer ignore the call from the Underworld. She knows that it is a place that needs complete focus in order to journey down to and, hopefully, return from. So she goes to each of her seven temples and shuts each of them down. She puts the fires out and locks the doors, knowing that nothing from the upper world can continue, if she is to give her full attention to the journey ahead. 

I realised that in my journey to Motherhood, I left the fires in my temples burning. Thinking that I could tend to them as well as go through the most momentous transition of my life. I was being pulled backwards through the door that I was trying to walk through. 

So this time I have labelled those temples very clearly, some I know I will never be able to return to, and some I hope to one day return and relight the fires. I know that I must put down the time together as a family of 3, to fully transition to a family of 4. I know that my career must take a backseat for an unknown amount of time. I know that my alone time will be non-existent for many months. The travel we used to do as a family with ease will stop. The small amount of time me and my husband have together now will decrease. The Mother I am today will change.  

I will put the fires of those temples out, I will put down what I am carrying so I can open the door to being a mother of 2, and walk through that door with only what I need. 

Letting go is hard, but sometimes holding on is even harder. 

FREE Childbirth Education Workshops

July 29, 2019

Over the next few months I am offering FREE childbirth education workshops.

My name is Chantal Eder and I am a yoga instructor in NYC, specialising in Alignment, Back Care, and Pre & Postnatal wellness. I am a certified Postnatal fitness specialist and am currently being certified as a Childbirth Educator with Birthing From Within USA.

The certification process is 9 months long and during that time I am looking for families who would like to work with me on the material. Birthing From Within was founded by Midwife Pam England, and was one of the main guides I used during my pregnancy. Their philosophies centre around birth as a heroic journey, addressing not only birth data and techniques, but diving deeper into our inner process throughout pregnancy and birth.

Each workshop will be different and cover one portion of an overall child birth education class. You can choose to work with me through your entire pregnancy or dip your toes into the experience by booking a singular workshop.

Workshop topics and exercises may include: mindfulness, ceremony, birth art, interventions, cesarean awareness, pain coping awareness and techniques, postpartum preparation…and much more

“Birthing From Within-trained childbirth educators and doulas bring a depth of inquiry to parents in a variety of ways, including art, mindfulness, visualizations, storytelling, ritual, and ceremony. In all situations, our members are mentors, guiding parents through the unknown so that they can fully experience the transformation that birthing a baby brings. Birthing From Within mentors also bring current research into their work, building the bridges between ancient and modern knowing, myth and science, grit and grace.”

If you would like to find out more about birthing from within please visit: https://birthingfromwithin.com/our-story/

To learn more about me please visit www.chantalederyoga.com

The workshops are completely free. Some materials may be required such as journals, bowls, paper etc…it would be helpful if you can provide these. Workshops can take place at your place of work, at home, or in a private studio space (at a cost of $35/hr). Workshops are intended for both the pregnant parent and birth partner but can be done alone if necessary.

Length of workshop:

1-2 hrs depending on the material

Times and availability:

Evening availability Mon, Thurs, Fri, Sat

Daytime availability: Thurs mornings, Sat all day

To book a workshop please email me with 3 dates and times you are available and the area of the city where you would like the workshop to take place: chantalederyoga@gmail.com

The ‘other’ Birth companion

April 26, 2019

When I contacted a doula for the first time at 16 weeks, I didn’t even really know what they did. Somewhere over the course of my 34 years I’d heard that they helped new moms ‘figure it out’ and I was already sold .

Turns out Doulas do much more than support you post-partum. They essentially become one of your most trusted pregnancy and birthing companions. Checking in on you in the weeks leading up to birth, showing you pain relief techniques, that they may use during your labour, and become an emotional and physical support during your entire journey.

Its been 21 months since the birth of our son and a while since I looked back on my pregnancy days. Recently though, people have been asking me, what is a doula? You can find this answer easily on google, so I thought I’d make it a bit more personal and share what our Doula helped us with on our journey to birth and into parenthood. A lot is the answer, so feel free to scan read for any bits that are more relevant to you!

First off, doula support covers more than just birth guidance. I remember the first significant issue that arose during my pregnancy was switching providers at 20 weeks. My doula was an experienced birth partner whose discussions played a key role in this. She helped me discover my birth preferences, and assured me that switching providers was ok, and the right thing to do if I wasn’t feeling 100% comfortable with where I was.

After this hurdle, she also provided me with countless resources on childbirth education, lactation consultants, new born care, and at one point she was even trying to find a Shaman-esque character in NYC that would preform a pregnancy blessing. We came up short there.

For me, one of the most important aspects of the pre-birth support was that she was someone who listened. She never criticised the ‘vision’ I had for my birth. She didn’t laugh when I asked to pack fairly lights in my hospital bag, and she believed in me. Countless times, she told me to follow my gut when I was wavering and pulled me through to the other side.

On my due date, when the baby hadn’t come yet and I was in the land of the ‘ in between’, not knowing what to do with myself. She sent me an article that again, guided me through my thoughts and feelings. In that moment she knew exactly what I needed.

Birth was slightly different. I had imagined her role to be more hands on in my labour. Using her Robozo techniques, or squeezing my hips to alleviate pain but by the time we called her ( she heard my contractions and started her way over even though we thought we had more time) my husband and I were already in the deep throws of labour. Of course we didn’t know it.

Mark and I had already found our rhythm, ritual, and relaxation techniques, and there was no way in the world I was going to switch it up then. But she did what she could. Straws with coconut water on the other end, would appear out of nowhere, cold compresses were placed on my head, and at a certain point Mark couldn’t even leave my side to call the midwife so she did it. She worked with me on my breathing, she called out birthing affirmations, and when I said I couldn’t do it anymore she said ‘ you are doing it!’.

She took some photos of us working together, helped clean up what she could, moved me to and from the bathroom, and when it was time to leave got me dressed and gathered all of our things.

She calmly yelled from the front seat of the cab to pull down my shorts, when I said the baby was coming. She stopped traffic and negotiated with truck drivers to stop honking. She was by my side just after I had pulled my baby up to my chest and reassured me I was ok until the paramedics arrived, she ran into emergency to get the midwife, and she held my hand as I was waiting in pre and post op, as I had to have my placenta surgically removed. She left me an apple and an orange, the only food I’d have for hours, and parted with the words ‘you have a very strong uterus!’. Which to this day makes me laugh.

After we where home and settled, and panicking about Josef’s latch, she raced over on a Sunday, bringing us soup and showed me various breastfeeding positions. Talking to me about all things newborn care that we’d forgotten to ask at the hospital. And then just as fast as she entered our lives, like Mary Poppins, her time with us came to an end and she was away to be someone else’s birth guide.

I’m sure I’ve forgotten or was unaware of many of the roles she played in my birth. And until I wrote this article I don’t even know if the thanks we sent afterwards were worthy of the support she gave. So I will say it again. Thank you Taylor, for all of your support, love, energy, and encouragement. I don’t know where my journey would have led without you by my side.

Birth Doula’s are definitely an incredible breed of women. Ones that truly support their sisters in arms, ready and willing to help, encourage, defend, and sometimes suffer along side women in their journey to motherhood. If you are on the fence about working with one, I encourage you to take the leap.

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Qualification

200hr Yoga Union Three Pillars of Yoga with Alison West

Certified Postnatal fitness specialist with Jessie Mundell

Birthing from Within trained mentor

The Breathing Project: Embodied Anatomy of the Axial and Appendicular Skeleton with Amy Matthews

100hr Yoga Union Backcare and Scoliosis Certification with Alison West (in process)

Ropes and Slings certifications

85hrs Pre/Postnatal/Baby and Me – Prenatal Yoga Centre NYC

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