By Guest Blogger, Jacqueline Holden, MA, NCC, PMH-C The New Parent Checklist When preparing to welcome a new baby, parents often make long lists of things to buy and classes to take. Most prenatal checklists look the same: -find a provider -take a childbirth class -schedule maternity pictures -decorate the nursery -write a birth plan Preparing Your Relationship Unfortunately, what’s missing from most lists is anything about preparing your relationship
Dreaming in the Darkness of Night: Harvesting the Power of Solstice
December 21, 2020
By Guest Blogger, Julisa Golden The Shortest Day and Longest Night When the sun enters Capricorn today, it marks the completion of our descent into winter in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s a turning point as the days will start getting longer. It represents a time of hope and renewal with the promise of the sun’s return. Tradition The traditional holiday, also known as Yule or Yuletide, is where we draw
Postpartum Doulas Fill the Healthcare Gap During COVID and Beyond
December 1, 2020
By Guest Blogger, Marnellie Bishop The arrival of a global pandemic on America’s shores has quickly and glaringly brought to light the dangers of the US healthcare system. The COVID-19 crisis made it painfully clear that our medical institutions are failing a significant portion of our citizens. Sadly, postpartum doulas have known this for a long time. Fortunately, these newborn specialists are ready and able to support the whole family
New Start
November 24, 2020
By Carol Gray, LMT, CST, RPYT, ERYT-200 In yoga practice we often say that each breath is a new beginning, a do-over. As 2020 gets closer to the finish line, I know we all feel like we could use a good do-over, something really different, not anything like this year, especially the things we didn’t like. Enough already. We want something truly different. Yet the temptation is great to keep
Pandemic Fatigue
November 17, 2020
By Carol Gray, LMT, CST, RPYT, ERYT-200 I’ve been reading about pandemic fatigue. I’m tired of the pandemic. It’s pretty easy to fall into complaining about the things I love, but can’t do until – when? I was talking with my doctor recently. She said that she asks her patients what new thing they have learned during the pandemic. For many of us, learning is a key to happiness. What
Questions to Ask Homebirth Midwives
October 27, 2020
By Carol Gray, LMT, CST, RPYT, ERYT-200 With more people considering home birth or planned out of hospital birth these days it’s good to know what kinds of questions to ask while searching for your perfect birth attendant. I wrote and published these questions on my website years ago when I was a homebirth midwife. I’ll never forget the one time a pregnant couple who interviewed me pulled out my
Questions to Ask Obstetricians and Hospital-Based Midwives
October 20, 2020
By Carol Gray, LMT, CST, RPYT, ERYT-200 We get lots of questions about pregnancy birth and postpartum care providers and hospitals. Our prenatal yoga students have so many choices to make – especially during the pandemic. In some hospitals laboring people can have only one support person. In others, they may have more than one. Some people are considering virtual doulas. In other situations they can be accompanied by an
I Miss Teaching In-Person Prenatal Yoga Classes
September 29, 2020
By Carol Gray, LMT, CST, RPYT, ERYT-200 As I stand in our old yoga studio, I prepare to begin again. I’ve rearranged this room – several times. In some ways it’s almost unrecognizable. I’ve moved shelving and props. I’ve hung blankets from the ceiling and walls to produce better sound quality for our yoga videos. I’ve hauled lighting and camera equipment up and down flights of stairs. I’ve spent hours
Culturally-Relevant Care
September 15, 2020
By Carol Gray, LMT, CST, RPYT, ERYT-200 Black Women Again Turn to Midwives, Some Fearing Coronavirus in Hospitals. I was so happy to read this headline. I’m sad that fear of contracting COVID-19 in the hospital and concern over no support people allowed to attend laboring people in the hospital is driving some of the change. Nonetheless, it’s change. We’re headed in the right direction. Sobering Statistics for Black Parents
Responsibility
September 1, 2020
By Carol Gray, LMT, CST, RPYT, ERYT-200 Many yoga studios around the world have reopened or are planning to reopen for in-person yoga classes. We aren’t (yet). At MamaSpace Yoga we serve a particular population – pregnant and postpartum people. It’s obvious to me that we can’t yet know what any long-term (or short term) effects of COVID-19 infection in the first trimester of pregnancy would be. People who have
