December 01, 2021 | by: Cara Terreri
Partners going through a first-time pregnancy often worry about what to expect during the upcoming birth. For anyone, the unknown feels scary and since birth is (unfortunately) associated with plenty of myths and negative stories, the unknown of birth feels particularly frightening. It's like being told to plan for an emergency situation of an unknown nature a few months down the road. Wouldn't you want to know more details, how to prepare, what to do?
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October 19, 2020 | by: Cara Terreri, LCCE, CD(DONA)
Talk about versatility -- the exercise ball, also called yoga ball, balance ball, fitness ball, stability ball, birth ball, is a cheap and effective multipurpose tool that helps with pregnancy (for stretching and sitting comfort), labor (for comfort and progression), and postpartum/early parenting (sitting comfort, bouncing baby to sleep, stretching), and the rest of your life (desk chair replacement, fun toy for kids of all ages, exercises, stretching). Today, we're talking about the practical ways to use an exercise ball in labor.
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September 24, 2019 | by: Cara Terreri, LCCE, CD(DONA)
Seems like a ridiculous title, right? "How to Use a Bed..." The truth is, a hospital bed, in labor and birth, can be used in so many helpful ways -- the least of which is lying in it!
You may have already heard that gravity can be very helpful in birth. If you think about how you get ketchup out of a squeeze bottle, it makes perfect sense. Baby needs to come down and out; contractions squeeze down and out; so you should.... lay down flat?? Of course not! (Though laying down in labor certainly has its place; keep reading.)
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July 18, 2018 | by: Cara Terreri, LCCE, CD(DONA)
People who are in labor, from early labor up to the point of pushing, often instinctively find ways to cope with contractions as a way to reduce pain. This is true for those who do not use pain medication as well as for those who do. In labor, a person's
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July 24, 2017 | by: Cara Terreri, LCCE, CD(DONA)
As you prepare for your upcoming birth, have you given thought to what, if any, music you'll play during labor? Whether you're a music aficionado or not, you might be surprised at how adding music to the environment of your labor and birth can help change
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