Prenatal & Postpartum

Reserve Your Space in the Spring Session of Yoga Babies Tuesdays, April 3-June 19, 12:30-2pm Register Just delivered? Call 215 238 0989. There may be space for you to join. Get Ready for Birth with Moving Through Labor, with Yoga Child Founder, Gail Silver Thursday, May 31, 7:30-9, pm Register

                                  

I wanted to let you know that my son, Nathaniel Konstantin Rose, was born on Saturday October 2nd, and to share with you his birth story.

To give you an idea of how fast and easy it was, at midnight my husband and I arrived home from a night out with friends, and at 3:31 am Nathaniel was born. The only downside of it being so fast is that I didn't have time to mentally prepare. I didn't even know I was in labor until the resident at the hospital informed me at 2:45 am that I was 6cm dilated and that I was, in fact, in labor. (I had gone into the hospital for a non-stress test because I wasn't feeling well and wanted to make sure everything was OK.) My labor quickly progressed and I went from relative calm and comfort in the intake room to being wheeled into a labor and delivery room as the nurses scrambled to get the room as ready as possible and find the doctor. We later joked with the doctor that it was like an emergency vaginal delivery! So because I had no time to mentally prepare, the first few minutes of pushing were pretty chaotic. I had not been planning on going natural, but there was no time for meds, and I think that was contributing to my distress. But then my husband got me to focus and after just 20 minutes of pushing my son was with us.

I can only attribute my easy labor and delivery to all the yoga that I did (especially those killer squats!) and the general healthy and relaxed lifestyle that I maintained throughout my pregnancy. During the last couple of weeks of my pregnancy, I kept in mind the story you shared with us about another Yoga Child student who delivered her baby 3 hours after she was walking through her labor in Rittenhouse Square with her doula. You had said that for every story about a difficult labor, there is one about an easy labor, we just rarely hear about them. When I shared my story with a friend, she (only half-kiddingly) said I shouldn't share my story with other women. And maybe that's why we hardly ever hear about these easy labor stories, because women feel guilty about not having a hard labor and delivery. Like it is some rite of passage we all must go through for the reward of having a child. But I think you are right, that women need to hear stories like mine to counter all the horror stories we are constantly inundated with, and know that, in all likelihood, theirs will be somewhere comfortably in between. My experiences at Yoga Child definitely helped calm my fears about my own pending labor and delivery, and the Rittenhouse Square story you shared with us was the icing. So please feel free to share my story. And thank you so much for everything you do to maintain an environment for pregnant women that is so nurturing and empowering, both physically and mentally.

All the best,

"I took prenatal and Yoga Babies yoga with you when I lived in Philadelphia, and I really credit the prenatal yoga for helping me to have a speedy labor and a healthier, more comfortable, and more "mindful" pregnancy. The classes I took at Yoga Child were amazing - A true gift. I'm so glad I discovered you!"

-Laura Salvucci, Reading PA , 2005

"I wanted to drop a line to Yoga child and let you all know that Eben Asher Bauman came into the world after only four hours of labor and without any medication for mommy. The yoga classes and Moving Through Labor workshop helped tremendously. I know I wouldn't have been able to get through it as successfully without all of your help. Those contractions came on strong with only about ten seconds in between, so there was no time for aromatherapy, music, etc. It was the moving, moaning, and visualizations that helped me in the end. Thank you so much! Eben is as healthy and happy as can be, and has been breastfeeding like a pro from day 1, so I'm as happy as can be, too!"

-Melissa Bauman, Philadelphia PA, July 2008


"About a month before my due date, my midwife suggested I would likely have back labor based upon the position that the baby had maintained throughout my pregnancy. I set up a private session with Gail, at my home, and we went through a series of exercises. The work proved invaluable during labor, and I was able to remain med-free for hours of intense back labor. I owe many thanks to Gail."

-Anna Forrester, Philadelphia PA, 2006

"Happy news, Rose Marie was born August 20th. All is well, everyone is healthy. I managed a long “pre-phase” labor of about 48 hours with varying degrees of contractions every 30 minutes, and then during a routine NST, I was directed to the labor and delivery for induction because the baby’s heartbeat decelerated during contractions.  In the process of trying to convince them NOT to give me pitocin, my water broke.  After that it was like a steam train going down hill. Rose Marie was born 5 hours later. No pain killers and lots of great support from the Pennsylvania hospital team.  I labored standing up as long as I could stand it, and finally got horizontal because I just needed longer between my contractions to rest up.  I felt mostly in control through the whole thing, which would not have been the case with an epidural. All of the work from yoga class proved helpful. I used, lots of ummming and lots of table top, lots of breathing and third eye meditation.  I know I would have solicited an epidural if I hadn’t had yoga.  So thanks, I’ve had an ideal recovery and want your team to know that what they do makes a difference!"

-Tricia Powell Emch, August 2008

"I wanted to share with you that I had a baby girl on Sunday, March 14th.
After I came back from yoga class with Heather, I had some lunch and around 4pm contraction started. They were three to four minutes apart and  I was confused as to why they were so frequent. I wasn't quite sure if that was it at first!
I went to the hospital around 6:30 pm since my doctor said that I could come whenever I feel like it (rather than wait for a particular sign), and I was 6 cm dilated. Our baby was born at 11:30pm that night. Towards the end, I did get an epidural that helped me relax further, but the main thing really was all the breathing skills I had that kept me relaxed, calm and confident that everything is going to be all right.
Our little girl was 10 days past the due date. I'm glad I went into labor before having to be induced. Thanks for all the great yoga classes and I'll see you for some baby or kids classes soon enough or maybe just adult classes. Feel free to share this with your class and say hello to all those in the class who may remember me and I wish everyone all the best."

-Best, Marija Drndic, March 2010

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1. Arrive 15 minutes prior to class on days when you are purchasing classes, and 10 minutes early on other days. When planning to come to class, please be mindful of yourself, and other students by planning for an early arrival.

2. Wear comfortable clothing that allows for freedom of movement.

3. We have complimentary cushions, blankets, blocks, straps and eye pillows available for you at our studio.

3. Eco friendly, non-slip Jade Yoga Mats and Kulae ECO mats are available for purchase and rent. Rentals are $3 and include an eco-friendly Jo-Sha scented mat wipe. Choose from Lavendar, Peppermint, Eucalyptus or Tangerine, and Enjoy a fresh scented practice!. All other props are complimentary and plentiful.

4. Mat storage space is available to you for $10 per month

5.Bottled water is available for $2