Blog & Updates on Vancouver Prenatal Classes
Gate Control Theory
There are many approaches to coping with the physical demands of labour, ranging from breathing & relaxation to the use of medical anaesthetics. Before you give birth, it is a good idea to be aware of some of these options so you will be able to make use of them during labour.
Choosing Your Doula
So you have decided to hire a doula for your upcoming birth. That’s great! If you’re still considering the pros and cons, you can check out this article. But if you’ve already made the decision that you’d like to have doula support at your birth, the next step is choosing your doula.
Here are eight things you might want to consider.
The Turtle Trance
Although I had never seen a green sea turtle laying eggs, I have attended many human births. And the similarities struck me at every step of the way.
Water & Pregnancy
If you’re pregnant, you’ve probably already noticed that you’re thirstier than usual. You may have also heard that you’re supposed to drink a certain amount of water every day. While most people don’t need to actually measure their water intake (unless there is a particular concern and your doctor or midwife advises you to), one does need to drink more than usual to stay sufficiently hydrated. There are a few reasons for this, for why we need more water during pregnancy, and some of them might surprise you. This list is not at all exhaustive–there are many more reasons than this!--but here are a few of them.
15 Hacks for An Easier Birth
If your due date is fast approaching and you’re a bit nervous about giving birth, you might be wondering if there is anything uncomplicated that you can do to help make your birth a little easier. Good news. There is!
Weighing In on Pregnancy Weight Gain
How much weight should you gain when you’re pregnant?
While a cursory glance at the internet may appear to provide a consistent answer, a deeper search risks poking a hornet’s nest of dissonant opinions. There are many ways of thinking about this question. And they fly in wildly different directions.
Discrediting Babies’ Experience: From Gas to Grins
For some reason, in Western culture there has been a long tradition of dehumanizing babies. Baby behaviours have been dismissed as random brain reflexes. Baby crying has been written off as lung expansion. And baby emotional expressions have been ignored as mere primitive impulses.
Colonizing the Female Body: From Braxton Hicks to the Hymen
Anatomical history is littered with body parts that were “claimed” and named by male explorers, effectively colonizing territory already inhabited and well-known. Leah Kaminsky makes the strong statement, “Men are all over women’s bodies—dead, white male anatomists, that is. Their names live on eponymously, immortalised like audacious explorers for conquering the geography of the female pelvis as if it were terra nullius.”
Colostrum: 12 Fun Facts About This Miracle Milk
You might already know that colostrum is the first milk you (and all mammals) produce, but did you know that it’s actually alive? Or that it never runs out? Here are twelve cool things about colostrum that you might not have known.
The Postpartum Waterfall: Tips to Survive Newborn Hell
Baby’s needs are simple, but they are all-the-time. It’s like having to keep a balloon in the air: it doesn’t require any particular skill, but you can’t do anything else at the same time.
