Benefits of Yoga for Preconception & Fertility
 
Constant stress can negatively affect our health and wellbeing.  For a woman, the consequences of having cortisol and adrenaline constantly pumping through her body impacts her viability to conceive.  These ‘fight or flight’ hormones, in excess, compromise the ability to get and stay pregnant.  Think of it this way, if you are constantly running from the imaginary Saber-tooth tiger your body has the instinct to survive and stay alive.   In the presence of stress, it is as if your hormones as saying, “Quick, close and secure the doors to the precious ovaries.  It is NOT safe to release an egg here.”  Make sense? 
 
Unfortunately, stress is a part of everyday life.  Thus, a woman (and men for that matter) would greatly benefit from the practice of  Yoga.  Yin classes like Prenatal and Restorative Yoga brings a fresh supply of oxygen to the body and also calms the mind to activate the parasympathetic nervous system.  Yoga also allows the mind and body a chance to recover from being overloaded by the ‘flight or flight’ mode and thus enhance the hormones of fertility and conception as well as maintain a healthy pregnancy.
 
For women preparing to conceive and wish to practice yoga to assist in their fertility efforts, can seek classes in Restorative, Yin, Iyengar and gentle Hatha yoga.
 
By no means do we suggest doing yoga is the one and only tool to assist with fertility, but rather it can be used effectively in concert with other modalities such as acupuncture, herbs, proper nutrition, and sometimes the assistance of fertility medical treatments.  No matter your journey through conception, the benefits of yoga are countless.
 
Although there's no research showing a direct link between yoga and fertility, some studies have found that yoga does have benefits for those who are trying to conceive. Yoga relieves stress, which can negatively impact your ability to get pregnant. Some experts also believe that specific poses can help promote baby-making by increasing blood flow to your pelvis, stimulating hormone-producing glands, and releasing muscle tension.

A compelling study by Alice Domar, PhD, of Harvard Medical School at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital supports this notion of increasing fertility by reducing stress. In 2000, Domar conducted the study on a control group and found that 55 per cent of infertile patients were able to conceive and later give birth within one year of participating in her 10-session program, which included introduction to yoga and meditation, along with other relaxation techniques and acupuncture. In a control group, just 20 per cent of participants were able to have babies. Domar later opened the Domar Center for Mind/Body Health.

Here is a list of a few poses, which are beneficial for fertility:
 
1) Upavistha Konasana and Parsva Upavistha Konasana – Improves circulation to your pelvis, regulates menstrual flow and stimulates the ovaries.
 
2) Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand)* – Regulates emotional stability and balances the hormones.
 
3) Viparita Karani – This pose calms the nervous system, brings blood flow to the abdomen and balances the endocrine system.
 
4) Baddha Konasana – Brings blood flow to the ovaries and alleviates heaviness in the abdomen.
 
5) Bhujangasana (Cobra)* – This is an important asana that strengthens your back muscles while stimulating hormone production in the uterus. Lie on your stomach. Later, lift your upper body portion by putting your weight on your hands. Raise the upper body and look up.
 
6) Janu Sirsasana (one-legged forward fold) – Janu Shirasana is useful during pregnancy as it will strengthen your lower back muscles. When properly executed, this yoga pose is very relaxing and releases tension from the lower back. It effectively stretches the calves and the hamstrings, making them very supple. 
 
7) Adho Mandukasana (Frog)* - The benefits include an increased openness in your hips and reproductive area, not to mention much-needed grounding and centering. Frog pose is a fertility tune-up. Stay in this one for a while and breathe through your nose. Focus at a spot in between your thumbs and just breathe.
 
8) Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (supported bridge)* - This is a tough yogic pose. This asana requires you to lift your pelvic region up while keeping your buttock muscles firm. When the pelvic area is thrust upwards, both the energy and blood flow get circulated to the uterus and ovaries. 9) Paschimottanasana (seated forward fold)* - stimulates the ovaries and uterus. The forward bend stretches the muscles at the lower back, hips and hamstrings.
 
10) Uttanasana (standing forward fold)* - Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression. Stimulates the liver and kidneys. Stretches the hamstrings, calves, and hips. Strengthens the thighs and knees. Improves digestion. Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause. Reduces fatigue and anxiety. Relieves headache and insomnia.
 
11.) Utkata Konasana (Goddess pose) and Malasana Squat - is a very empowering pose. It is essential for your fertility yoga practice, as it stimulates the reproductive areas by increasing the energetic flow (chi) to your hips and pelvis. It makes you proud to be a woman.
 
12) Savasana – Corpse pose relieves anxiety and nervous tension. It can calm the nervous system allowing the body to move into rest and digest mode, which encourages an internal environment for conception.

Pranayama: Bhramari Pranayama (Bee breath): The Bee breath instantly relieves the body of tension, anger and anxiety. The chances of conception are better with a more relaxed body and mind.
 
Note: While some of the poses are considered great Restorative poses, the poses marked with an asterisk (*) should not be done in pregnancy. Some poses can be done with props and support.

For private yoga for Fertility sessions please contact me Patricia@serenitybirth.com.
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My friend, Maysa, and fellow Yoga teacher shares her inspiring birth story with me. A little background, Maysa is a doctor and also just completed her prenatal yoga teacher training, the Khalsa Way, through Gurmukh. I also went through that training, based on Kundalini Yoga, many years ago. Thus you will hear Maysa describe some aspects of birth with medical terms and also with a very spiritual lens.  Grab your latte' or tea and sit back. Here it goes!
<Story and photos posted with Maysa's permission. >
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Maysa’s Home Waterbirth Story – Baby Girl, Jasmine, weighed 7lbs. 11 oz. Jasmine was born on November 15, 2020, a little after the sunrise.

"How do you begin to describe the ineffable, most defining moment of your life, the most powerful natural high of labor and motherhood? It feels as though it happened yesterday but I've been slow to put words to this beautiful experience, knowing they could never do true justice.

Our state's window for a midwife-assisted home birth (42 weeks) was fast approaching. We had been coaxing Jasmine to join us earth-side for a few days, when like clockwork, at midnight November 15th she began her exit/entrance exactly as we had rehearsed... right into full-on, in-your-face active labor. My entire pregnancy, since her conception, we have had a dialogue. Her birth was no exception. She delivered perfectly on her big debut, our first dance. I had rehearsed with her the motions she would go through. "Head down, chin tucked, corkscrew, crown and out!" I made my request for a "quick" home birth in the birth pool.

When the time came it was game on. We worked each contraction, making the most of each intense moment and like Savasana between postures in a Bikram hot yoga class, found stillness and surrender between the rapid fire waves of sensation. My partner prepared the pool as my doula applied counter pressure and third eye rubs to help me relax. "Allow the contraction do its work," she said. "Allow the pressure to become part of you." In the bathroom I willingly did some toilet laboring knowing this, though extra uncomfortable, would speed the labor. Cat/cow in the warmth of the bathtub sent waves of shivers from pure endorphins through my body. I took the cue to shake and shimmy, putting my prenatal belly dancing to use. Eventually the porcelain tub became painful on the knees and it was time to move to the birth pool in the library. Jeffrey supported my walk there.

Finally fully submerged in warm water and soft surfaces I felt more comfortable. My midwife arrived shortly after. I examined myself thinking I was complete and found myself with an anterior cervical lip and zero station. "OOOOOPEN," I told my cervix. With each contraction, using sound, my mind and pressure from my fingers to help her relax open.

So I'm on my back in the birth pool, my fingers on the 12 o'clock position of my anterior cervical lip, the last bit of cervix that remains before I can push. I'm applying cervical acupressure through the contractions to speed dilation. It's making it more painful in the short term, the most powerful of my contractions thus far. Having delivered my fair share of babies during residency, I was no newb to the wiles of the anterior lip, often the last, most resistant bit of cervix. What was unique was being the one to diagnose it and the only person to examine my cervix during my entire labor. So there I am praying to the "Lord," all kind and benevolent sentient beings, Angels, my spirit guides, all women across all time, my ancestors and my cervix, for help. "Oh Lord, help me Lord" kept escaping from my lips. I am asking Jasmine and myself to remember all the past lives that we've been born and birthed. I'm calling on that knowing to help me deliver here and now. At some point I looked at my partner Jeffrey and I say, point blank "Get in the tub." I know exactly what I need in every moment. We held eyes for a contraction. He later described it as very, very intense. Holding eyes for that contraction was as though we had held eyes for a thousand of them, present, past and future. Like any psychedelic trip, time has very little meaning here, but at some point I sensed it was the hour of my morning Sadhana: me and baby's daily morning practice. Starting at 5am for the last few months I had been doing this sequence of meditations, movements, and chanted prayers. We started with Japji, the prayer that guru Singh of the Sikh tradition sang upon waking from a meditative state in a river. He was thought to be dead. After 3 days he awoke singing this prayer. The soundtrack continued...Triple Mantra, Adi Shakti, Ek Ong Kar Sat Guru Prasad, Puta Mata Ki Assis, Kirtan Kriya, and finally Long Time Sun. Unbelievable to all I began singing these mantras in labor. They summed up all my prayers baby: for her protection and health, for her ultimate liberation, and for the miracle of birth to occur. So I left my body and sang...
 
Between squatting contractions, I would collapse backward into Jeffrey's arms and take respite in a brief Savasana. I would quickly feel another begin to build, grabbed my Rebozo, which was hanging from a thick bamboo shaft propped between two speaker stands, and Jeffrey would give me a shove up into squat. In this final hour my body entered these alternate states of consciousness to do the sheer work of pushing. Baby girl would come down with each push, then slide back up, slowly stretching the birth canal. That went on for some time. Jeffrey told me there were lots of contractions I swore were then last one. "She's coming on this one, here she comes!" I am an optimist, even in labor it seems. I stood up, waist just above the water, and suddenly a gush of water. “My water bag broke!” I had imagined Jasmine being born with a bag around her but she had other plans.
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Then everything sped up even more and the time between contractions was no longer pain free. The pressure was now persistent during what used to be my interval of rest! "She's in the pelvis and trying to go under your pubic bone." This was like the video my midwife Sally sent me, though I never watched, showing a woman's pelvis and tailbone change shape during labor. I could feel it all. "The pressure is persisting in my back between contractions!" In that moment and with every final push I understood why a woman might accept and epidural or have only one child. No judgement reigned supreme. I applied perennial pressure and urethral pressure praying my parts would stay intact. I felt like I was tearing in two from the inside out. "Accept the pressure as part of you, allow the contraction to do its work" I heard my doula Melanie say as I breathed into the contraction, visualizing my entire pelvis expanding open. I exhaled release. The uterine squeeze is the strongest muscular contraction of the human body and I was feeling it in full effect. On my back in happy baby there came a moment, gripping my hamstrings tucking my chin, when I knew the end was near. "RING OF FIIIIIRE!!!" I yelled. Her beautiful round head, in it's full, glorious circumference was making it's final exit from my bodily orifice. At this point the fire, or "burn," is real. Now between contractions she did not slide back up the canal. Her head sat there, stretching me open.

"RING OOOF FIIIIIIRE!" and then out of me darts a scream so high and shrill, my vocal cords remember it for days. "Can you bring the sound down into your pelvis? How about some horse lips?" Sally gently reminds me. I let out some more earthy groans, moans and roars, as the lioness regains composure. I begin blowing air between my lips like a blubbering horse (or, blowing raspberries), to slow things down...I feel her near. I brace my bits for the next contraction and with it, blurring the lines between labor and sex, I yell a resounding "She's COOOOOOMIIIIIIIING!" And with that almighty push her head overcomes my final orifice and I feel...instant relief! "Feel her head" says Sally. I am calm and relaxed. Pain and pressure free, I feel her head floating outside of me in the pool. "Sooo much hair!" I exclaim. My voice is of pure, airy wonder like I'm tripping on mushrooms for the first time. I'm laughing and joyfully delirious. I expected I would be bleary eyed, crying with joy and happiness like I am now, recounting this magic, but that moment the feeling is confident, calm, composed. We rejoice. I feel like the hardest part is over. I inhale and exhale relief. I expand into this long, well deserved break. The final contraction begins to build. "Now it's time to get her shoulders out." I know what I have to do. At the peak of the next contraction, I push my hardest and press my feet against the tub. My knees buckle inward and out she shoots into the pool! My midwife holds her below the surface for us to take everything in. For the first time we see her, still in her habitat of the last 10 months...she is a tranquil marine mammal. We stare at her beautiful, face studying us from under water. Her eyes are WIDE open. She is completely still and is the most peaceful, pure creature I have ever beheld. We give her a few more moments in aqueous home before pulling her to surface. She is quiet & calm in her new atmosphere. Breathing in silent contemplation we behold one another. Finally meeting after 10 moon cycles of bonding on the inside and just under 7 hours of labor, I bring her to my chest, earth-side, and hold my new born daughter. My life is forever changed. And like that, I am Mother."

Credits:
Sally Acosta, Midwife https://www.letitbemidwifery.com
​Melanie Schatz, Birth Doula https://www.nolanesting.com
Photo credits belongs to different members of the birth team whom were present.
See video on how to do 'horse lips' or blowing raspberries, as Ina May Gaskin calls it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97ikBlo95IY
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The Cesarean rate in the United States was last report at 32% according to the last report (2017) from the Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC). The new report is not out yet and I hope the rate might have dropped a bit as more and more women are getting educated about their choices with childbirth. We see more women are hiring birth doulas; attending yoga classes; attending childbirth prep classes; and in general taking a bit more control over their choices. 

I am delighted by ACOG's latest Practice Bulletin 205, published February 2019. This report modifies the treatment of women with prior Cesareans and offers VBAC and TOLACS are possible routes for delivery.
ACOG's overview statement says, "It was once thought that if a woman had one cesarean delivery, all future babies should be born that way. Today, we know that many women can undergo a trial of labor after a cesarean delivery (TOLAC), and many will be able to give birth through the vagina—called a vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (VBAC). It is important to understand the risks and benefits when deciding to attempt a VBAC. Ob-gyns, physicians whose primary responsibility is women’s health, are best suited to help a woman determine if a VBAC is the right choice for her."

I strongly believe that the support of VBACs and​ TOLACs can further reduce the Cesarean rate in America and also increase a new mom's overall satisfaction with her birth experience.

Join me in this special and sweet 2-hour Couple's yoga class where we will do partner stretching; learn breathing to manage contractions in labor; and movements to encourage a pain-free childbirth!
Please bring one exercise ball that is about 65-72 cm already inflated.
This workshop is so much fun! 
Sign up through YogaWorks South Bay studio: ​https://www.yogaworks.com/workshop/couples-pregnancy-yoga-for-birth-051819/

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recently published Committee Opinion Number 736, released May 2018, which recommends Optimizing Postpartum Care. We birth workers and pre/post-natal yoga teachers have been talking about this “fourth trimester” and the importance of postpartum care for new mothers well after the birth of her baby and well beyond the typical 6-week postpartum check-up. “This Committee Opinion has been revised to reinforce the importance of the “fourth trimester” and to process a new paradigm for postpartum care.”
 
In ACOG’s No. 736 Abstract (replaces No. 666, June 2016), the following published statements are especially exciting to me: “To optimize the health of women and infants, postpartum care should become an ongoing process, rather than a single encounter, with services and support tailored to each woman’s individual needs.”
 
ACOG also discusses financial responsibility which may make Insurance companies’ eyebrows furrow, “Changes in the scope of postpartum care should be facilitated by reimbursement policies that support postpartum care as an ongoing process, rather than an isolated visit.”
 
Here is where I start doing cart-wheels, “…the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that the timing of the comprehensive postpartum visit be individualized and woman centered. To better meet the needs of women in the postpartum period, care would ideally include an initial assessment, either in person or by phone, within the first 3 weeks postpartum to address acute postpartum issues. This initial assessment should be followed up with ongoing care as needed, concluding with a comprehensive well-woman visit no later than 12 weeks after birth. Insurance coverage policies should be aligned to support this tailored approach to the “fourth trimester” care (see Policy and Postpartum Care).”

Whoah. I still do the ‘Happy Dance’ after I read that! Out of curiosity, has ACOG hired more women? I am happy to see ACOG finally coming on-board with a formal Committee opinion in an effort to change postpartum medical practice as well as affect policy changes for financial reimbursement. I haven’t been this excited over an ACOG opinion since they revised their decision about VBAC births! Although change make take time before we see it materialize into practice, this recognition of the Fourth Trimester is a step in the right direction!

(Replaces Committee Opinion Number 666, June 2016)

Bringing a child into this world can be one of the most rewarding experiences you will ever have as a woman. The idea of birthing a new soul and bringing life to our community is something most women have dreamt of since they were little girls.
 
However, having a child can also be very overwhelming with all of the tasks and things on your to-do list that must be done. Unless you have had a couple of children already and are a seasoned pro at this, you are going to have a lot of work on your plate that can feel a bit stressful (especially if you still have to work a full time job).
 
This is where having a life coach can come in handy.
 
While many people may assume or associate life coaching as someone who helps you “fix your life”, this is not fully accurate. While the coaching industry has made its name with helping people get their lives back on track, the truth is that a life coach uses certain techniques and skills to help their clients accomplish their goals regardless of their circumstances. Even the most successful executives, athletes, and Hollywood elite use coaches to support them.
 
Some of the main methods a coach uses are:
 
1. Active Listening & Empathy
 
This is where the coach is able to connect with their client on a deeper level to truly understand what it is they want to accomplish so they can help them find clarity and get unstuck.
 
2. Setting Goals
 
Once the coach has helped you get clear on what it is you want to accomplish, they will then be able to assist you in identifying and prioritizing your goals.
 
3. Chunking
 
After you have made a list of what your goals are, a life coach will help you break them down into bitesize steps so that they do not overwhelm you so that they are more manageable on a daily and weekly basis.
 
4. Support & Encouragement
 
As you begin to tackle your goals on your road to success, there will be lots of twists and turns that come up that could potentially throw you off your game. It is now when your coach can provide support and encouragement so you can face your fears and overcome adversities.
 
So to summarize, a life coach is someone who understands what you want to accomplish and supports you along that journey making the process easier and more enjoyable.
 
Isn’t that what all moms need during their pregnancy?
 
So if you are feeling a bit overwhelmed and scattered, try working with a life coach. Many professionals also offer online coaching services making it easy for you to gain access to them from the comfort of your home or smart phone.

Contact Coach Sam at the Coaching Institute for more information: ​http://coachinginst.com/contact/

Midwife from Mexico, Naoli Vinaver Lopez, came to Los Angeles to demonstrate to the local doulas how to use the Rebozo for labor and delivery. In case you have not heard what a Rebozo is, essentially it is a Mexican shawl about about  4-5 feet in length, which serves many functions.

Mexican women can wrap and carry their babies around their back or in a sling or pouch in front of the body. In labor, the Rebozo can help a woman with relaxation techniques and help progress labor and relieve pain. Angela from Rebozo Me Tenderly sells beautiful authentic Rebozos at a very reasonable price.
Find Angela on Facebook RebozoMeTenderly.

I keep a Rebozo in my doula bag and bring with me to every birth.  The Rebozo keeps me warm in those very cold hospital rooms and can be used in a variety of ways during labor and delivery. Midwives and doulas can help correct a mal-positioned baby in order to help the baby rotate into proper anterior fetal position (tummy to mummy) and progress labor.

What I learned at Naoli’s workshop, though, was about the “movement of sexual energy.” Of course! Birth is the manifestation of sexual energy. I just have never heard it described that way, as Energy. It makes sense then that when a woman is inhibited and her sexual energy blocked, labor would be longer and often more painful.

Author Jennifer Vanderlaan of Birthing Naturally website has a great one-page description of the Rebozo and simple how-to techniques. Here is a short video clip on YouTube where Naoli and several doulas practice one Rebozo technique I like to call Sifting because it reminds me of sifting flour through cheesecloth.
Watch this demo using a Rebozo (Mexican Shawl) in order to move Sexual Energy and progress labor.
I reckon this particular movement might also help women with fertility blockages? If nothing else, it feels great!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uyww8GZnT3k

So pull out that Pashmina or Rebozo and move it, move it!