PREGNANCY YOGA
Tuesdays 6.30 - 7.30pm
Methodist Church Hall, Penryn
2013 Courses
Half term (6 weeks):
April 9 - May 14
Full term (13 weeks):
April 9 - May 14 and May 28 - July 9
Use the PayPal button to register and pay
April 30th
Active Birth talk with Gillian Nevin, 7.30 - 8pm (after the yoga class) at Penryn Methodist Church Hall
YOGA EVENT
Women's Yoga and Wellbeing Workshop
June 9, 2013
A one day workshop for all women at Idless, Truro with Lucinda and Gillian Nevin. Details to follow.
ABOUT THE PREGNANCY YOGA COURSE
“In order for a woman to nurture and protect the newcomer she must nurture and protect herself”
These Pregnacy Yoga classes aim to help you develop your own instincts so that you can both look after yourself and nourish your baby at this special time. Gentle asanas and breathing techniques promote relaxation and self-awareness, giving you the tools you need to prepare for the arrival of your new baby. Classes include:
- Pranayama - breathing exercises give rise to mindfulness, help to make space for internal organs (& baby!), increase oxygen to the womb and encourage the bond between mother and baby
- Exercises to help make your pregnancy more comfortable and enjoyable
- Visualisation techniques help to focus the mind. Feeling calm and focused helps you to feel more in control during labour as you work together with your baby to bring her into the world
- Practical tips and exercises to help you cope during labour and child birth
- Building core strength and stamina in preparation for labour, childbirth and beyond!
Suitable for all levels including complete beginners.
BIRTH STORIES
Dear Lucinda,
While it's fresh in my mind I thought I should email you my birth story....sorry it's so long. I just can't quite see where to edit it shorter!
As I write I have my gorgeous boy asleep on my lap, drunk on milk! Firstly, I'll just tell you that I was planning on spending most of my labour at home (I invisaged a for a day or so!), before transferring to Treliske as late as possible to birth the baby, as that's where my husband, Jim, and I felt most safe and comfortable. We had the help of our wonderful doula Janey, who was planning on joining us at home when I was in early labour, and be there throughout.
So what actually happened!...
Last Tuesday (25th Oct) was my due date. I pottered round the house and walked to the post office (rather slowly as I felt very heavy and uncomfortable). I then spent a couple of hours with Hagit and her baby Robin before heading to yoga. Gilly took the class as you were on half term. I felt great, loved the yoga class and had a relaxing evening at home. I'd been experiencing good strong braxton hicks all day, which was nothing unusual as I've been getting that since 20 weeks. Just as I got into bed that night, at 11.30pm, I had my first contraction. It was low down and hard, and took me quite by surprise in its intensity. I didn't say anything to Jim, then a few minutes later I had another, strong one. I told Jim so we thought best to time them. 4 minutes later another came. This one had me up on my knees leaning on the bed head. 3 or 4 contractions later and I was really having to breathe through it to keep a clear head and not panic. I did plenty of slow hip circles while on all fours and found this helped. Within about 20 minutes of the first contraction, they starting coming every 3 minutes, and were lasting 1 minute each. We rang Janey (our doula) who told us to relax, rest and contact her again shortly. Nothing slowed down, so I got out the TENS machine which I found really useful for masking the pain and keeping me distracted. When the contractions reached 2 minutes apart (about 1.5 hours into labour) Jim called the midwives who, after realising I was unable to speak to them properly, told us to go to Treliske immediately. Jim called Janey and she agreed to meet us there.
For some unknown reason I decided I needed to get dressed, no mean feat during contractions, while Jim loaded the car. I was convinced I'd be back home within an hour! I climbed into the back of the car and travelled on all fours, clutching the baby's car seat which Jim had thoughtfully put a pillow into. I buried my head in it during contractions! We got to Treliske 15 minutes later (during which time I had 5 extremely strong contractions). It was about 2am I think. Janey met us outside. I refused to get out of the car until the next contraction had passed. I had another whopper in the lift which got me down onto my knees, and another as soon as they put me in a delivery room. With each contraction the only place I wanted to be was on my knees. The most important thing I think I did at this time was deep yogic breathing. This helped me stay in control and stopped my body tensing up.
As soon as we got into the delivery room, Janey immediately got to work making the room cosy, dark and filled it with the aroma of amazing essential oils burning in electric burners. Within 10 minutes of getting there, I had a huge contraction and felt a massive pressure and urge to push. The next contraction came and with a huge pop and splash, my waters burst and hit the floor. The midwives said they'd never heard one do that so dramatically before and wish they had a recording of it! They then examined me for the first time and I was 10cm dilated and in transition! Yippee! I'd only been in labour for about 3 hours at this stage!
Time then becomes a blur. I had a few moments of calm, before the new wave of contractions came. I then felt an overwhelming urge to push. No one else was in the room with us so I shouted at Jim "I've got to push, get someone!". The midwife came and I started pushing whist kneeling on the floor with my arms on the bed. I was offered gas and air, which I took a couple of breaths off and quickly pushed away as I felt it was interfering with my natural controlled breathing. Eventually everyone convinced me I'd be better on the bed, even though I was reluctant to move at all! I got up on the bed and knelt over the raised bed head. I then pushed when the urge came, every minute I suppose. It took a while to get the hang of exactly how to push - quick on the job learning! It was very peaceful, dark and quiet between contractions. As his head crowned I concentrated hard on my breathing and trying to relax every muscle possible! It must have worked as i only had a very small tear which didn't need any stitches. At 4.15am (4 hours and 45 mins after going into labour) my beautiful son was born. He arrived into a dark, warm, totally quiet room. He didn't cry at all. This was exactly what Jim and I wanted. After a good feed, bath for me and a few cups of tea, we left the hospital 3 hours later.
I'm loving being a mummy to Oscar Hobie Standing, and feel very empowered and lucky to have experienced such a positive, natural birth with no pain relief. There's no doubt that your yoga helped immensely.
Please say hi to all the mummies-to-be for me, I hope to catch up with them soon.
Thanks for everything Lucinda, you have been a real inspiration. I hope to see you again soon.
x Leo
Woody's Arrival
Hi Lucinda, I know you like to share birth stories with the ladies at yoga so thought I would let you know how my gorgeous Woody came into the world!
On Monday the 7th November at 8am I went into treliske to be induced I was 6 days overdue and due to the knowledge that I was going to have a big baby they had agreed to bring the induction forward! When they put the monitors on me we found out I was actually have 2 contractions every 10 mins! Still not more than one centre mitre dilated though I still continued to be induced, things happened very fast then and within an hour I was having very strong very painful contractions the breathing techniques ( alphabet counting!) were fantastic and really helped focus my mind on something and also rocking on all fours was a great position, although after a while a good crazy scream really did help and I really let go on those!!! The birth I had with my oldest son was pretty traumatic and at one stage during this labour I had terrible flashbacks, it was at this stage I had a shot of pethadine to calm me down, this was about 5 hours before Woody arrived, from them on I had no pain relief and I relied on the focus of meeting my baby! From being a crazy screamer I went into compleat silence when at the pushing stage which lasted 1,1/2 hours and did not want anyone to talk to me! Not easy when you have 3 midwives and a husband all shouting directions at you! Woody was born at 6.29pm and weighed in at a good 10 pounds 2 !! He had shoulder distosia as he was born due to his size but he and i were looked after fabulously by the midwives and doctors and there is no effects from this at all, I also had a large haemorrhage after the birth but again the care from the staff was fantastic and apart from a few extra days in hospital this birth seems amazing compared with my first! My beautiful boy is settling in amazingly and his brother is already doting on him! I hope this wasn't too long winded!
I hope to come to your evening yoga class at some point as I think the time to myself will be much needed soon! Will be In touch to book as soon as I'm a bit more back to normal!
Much thanks Florence
Baby Felix
Hi Lucinda, thought I'd write a brief letter to tell you about the birth of my gorgeous little boy Felix.
I started having mild labour pains on the evening of 3rd November, but went to bed to see if I could sleep through them. I woke at about 2: 30am to tell my husband that I was definitely in labour and that he wouldn't be going to work that day!!
I got up and had a shower and as the pains got stronger I did lots of swaying back and forth and hip swiveling to ease it. The pains became a lot stronger and at 6:30am we set of for Penrice Birthing Centre at St Austell. The staff were all so welcoming and I was put into my own room with a pool, relaxing music and birhting ball which I then bounced on for what seemed like hours!
When examined on arrival I was 3-4cms dilated and after a couple of hours I was then 5cms and allowed to get into the pool which was extremely relaxing and warm, and I would recommend it to anyone who would like an alternative birth.
My waters broke at 11am in the pool and I felt an immediate urge to push, and after 4 or 5 pushes Felix was born in the pool at 12:05pm on Nov 4th. He weighed 8lb 1oz and had one arm wrapped round his head and the cord round his neck, but he was absoulutely fine, and I considered myself lucky to have no tearing at all!
It was such a nice, relaxing experience that we went home the same day at teatime.
Hope all is going well with the Yoga and wish all the mums-to-be good luck from me! Charlotte