Research and resources for perinatal professionals.
September 14, 2022 | by: Ken McGee, PT, DPT
As the saying goes, if you don’t know your options then you don’t have options. This is certainly true when it comes to pushing during childbirth in the United States and many other places across the globe. Birthing people are often encouraged to hold their breath and sustain a pushing effort for ten seconds, repeated three times per contraction. However, recent evidence points to the alternative option of breathing during pushing efforts as being better protective of the pelvic floor. Childbirth educators can support pregnant families by informing them of the benefits of breathing during pushing. This is another post in the The Body in Birth Series.
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October 08, 2020 | by: Katie McGee, PT, DPT
Childbirth educators serve a unique role in helping pregnant people understand their bodies and the physical challenges of growing a baby. Unfortunately, one common challenge is joint pain. In particular, pelvic joint pain affects 16 to 25% of pregnancies, with onset anywhere from the first to third trimester (Kanakaris, 2011). This article will give you answers to the seven most common questions childbirth educators get about pain in the pubic symphysis—the joint at the very front of the pelvis that expands as pregnancy progresses.
September 02, 2010 | by: Amy M. Romano, RN,CNM
The levator ani is a muscle, not a clinical outcome. Ok, ok, I've heard from enough of you about the study purportedly showing that epidurals protect the pelvic floor, I suppose it's time to write up what I think about it. First, a little about the study from the (overzealous) journal press release.
July 26, 2009 | by: Henci Goer, BA
According to Listening to Mothers II, a survey of U.S. women giving birth in 2005, 17% of women having vaginal birth reported a health professional pressing down on her belly to help push the baby out (Declercq 2006, p. 35). This is called fundal pressure, and 17% is fairly common, so I decided to
June 13, 2009 | by: Amy M. Romano, RN,CNM
Reality TV fans (not me) and readers of the Celebrity Baby Blog (OK, that's me) may have heard that Kendra Wilkinson of The Girls Next Door "fame" is expecting her first baby this winter. In addition to the news that Kendra's ex, Hugh Hefner, will be the baby's Godfather (ick!), CBB readers were
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