Testimonials

Alyssa & Brian E.

Dr. Laura Pendlebury

Henrico Doctors Hospital

Our classes with Amy were extremely informative and enlightening. She has an obvious passion for childbirth education and is quite effective at communicating. We believe after taking her class we were as knowledgeable as untrained people could be about the pregnancy and the birthing process. The books she recommended to us were useful both before and after the birth of our son. We planned a natural childbirth and she was a great resource for our birthing plan and preparation. When our baby turned breech, she gave us contacts and information to help us through the uncertainty. When we ended up having to have a c-section birth, but she was able to guide us through different questions we should ask and different things we might experience post-partum. Because of this (and extremely good care by our OB-GYN and nurses) we were able to have a very smooth recovery. She was (and remains) available for questions at any time.

*****

Jeanette & Mike C.

Dr. Sumac Diaz

CJW Chippenham Medical Center

I had a private class with Amy for my pregnancy. She came to our house and helped my husband and I realize that although we were health professionals and though we knew a lot about labor and delivery we still did not have to succumb to the medical model of the process. Without Amy I would never have had the confidence to truly believe that a natural birth is something I could have achieved. She also provided great resource videos and handouts and encouraged us to get a doula, which was the best decision we could have made. I would recommend Amy's class to any family interested in natural birth.

An Informed Childbirth has made some changes!

An Informed Childbirth is now being offered through private classes!

Private instruction affords you the opportunity to customize instruction, get to know your instructor, explore fears, and dive deeper into topics that are pertinent to your unique situation.

I can work with your tricky work schedule, meet you at your home and customize a class that meets your needs exactly! See the Tuition Rates and Registration page for more information.

I am looking forward to serving you and meeting your needs!!

Welcome Baby Theo!

We welcomed our new little one to the world on Thursday, June 25th at 4:52pm! He was 8 pounds 10 ounces and 20 inches long.

Keep checking back... Eden's Garden has some new things in the works!

Eden's Garden is on Maternity Leave!

I knew the day would come, but it's official!  Growing this new baby has become my life's work!  For the last trimester, I will be taking a break from teaching.  I expect to return in mid-August.  

Check back for baby updates and for the new class schedule.  I hope to have the class schedule for the late summer and fall up in the next week or so.

Blessings,

Amy

Birth Talk

The next Birth Talk will be on Monday, April 6th at 7 pm on the Southside!  The NEW Northside meeting will be April 20th (also at 7pm). Hope you can make it to one or both!

Come early (at 6:30) and hear about birth education options in Richmond!

Birth Talk Mission: To form an inclusive circle of trust and support for pregnant and postpartum women by:
SHARING stories of pregnancy and birth, as well as options for local providers, birth locations and birth educators;
INSPIRING power and confidence throughout the experience of pregnancy, birth and parenthood;
DISCOVERING how to become your own birth advocate in order to experience the birth you desire;
and CELEBRATING the life-changing experiences of pregnancy, birth and parenting.

Birth Talk will meet on the Southside the first Monday of each month from 7-9 p.m. at Bon Air Presbyterian Church (9201 W Huguenot Rd), and on the Northside the third Monday of the month at Lewis Ginter Rec Center (3421 Hawthorne Ave).  For more information contact Jennifer Kyzer at 440-2498 or e-mail safe-n-happy@iglide.net.

Evidence-Based Healthcare

Many people want to be informed consumers of healthcare.  We all want to make the best decisions about our care and our family's care.  How do you find the best information?  How do I know that what my doctor is telling me is the most up-to-date information?  

Cochrane.org is the website of The Cochrane Collaboration.  They are an organization that is dedicated to improving healthcare decision-making globally, through systematic reviews of the effects of healthcare interventions.  They do not accept "conflicted funding" and are funded through grants and donations.

What does this mean for you as a pregnant woman?  It means that you have a place to go and find the studies to back up your choices!  You can find out if your doctor's advice is based on the evidence!  You can make your own best choices.  The site is free.  Check it out!

Practical Ways to Avoid Back Labor

I have been discussing optimal fetal positioning with a client and thought it was something that I should write about!  

One of the positions that you hear about a lot among mamas is the occiput posterior position (OP).  OP is the position that is responsible for the often painful "back labor" that is the subject of so many labor horror stories.  You probably know someone who has had back labor.  Here are some practical ways to avoid it yourself!

Your baby's back is the heaviest side of its body. This means his back will naturally gravitate towards the lowest side of your belly. So, if your belly is hanging lower than your back (you are sitting on a chair leaning forward) then the baby's back will tend to swing towards your belly. If your back is lower than your belly (you are lying on your back or leaning back in a recliner) then the baby's back may swing towards your back.

Avoid positions which encourage your baby to face your belly. The main culprits are said to be reclining chairs, sitting in car seats where you are leaning back, or any position where your knees are higher than your pelvis.

The best way to avoid the wrong positions is to spend lots of time kneeling upright, or sitting upright, or on hands and knees. When you sit on a chair, make sure your knees are lower than your pelvis, and your trunk should be tilted slightly forwards.

• Watch TV while kneeling on the floor, over a beanbag or cushions, or sit on a dining chair. Try sitting on a dining chair facing (leaning on) the back as well.
  
  
• Use yoga positions while resting, reading or watching TV - for example, tailor pose or lotus pose (sitting with your back upright and soles of the feet together, knees out to the sides)
  
  
• Sit on a wedge cushion in the car, so that your pelvis is tilted forwards. Keep the seat back upright.
  
  
• Don't cross your legs! (not that you can anymore anyway) Crossing your legs reduces the space at the front of the pelvis, and opens it up at the back. For good positioning, the baby needs to have lots of space at the front.
  
  
• Don't put your feet up! Lying back with your feet up encourages posterior presentation.

• Sleep on your side, not on your back.  Switch sides whenever you wake up (and I know you wake up a lot!!)
  
  
• Avoid deep squatting, which opens up the pelvis and encourages the baby to move down, until you know he/she is the right way round.  Sitting on a birth ball or a low stool with your legs in a deep spread is a good way to open your pelvis. 
  
  
• Swimming with your belly downwards is said to be very good for positioning babies- not backstroke, but lots of breaststroke and front crawl. Breaststroke in particular is thought to help with good positioning, because all those leg movements help open your pelvis and settle the baby downwards. A mask and snorkel may be helpful.
  
  
• A Birth Ball can encourage good positioning, both before and during labour. Doing "hula" movements is particularly helpful.
  
  
• Various exercises done on all fours can help. Wiggling your hips from side to side, or cat/ cow (arching your back like a cat, followed by dropping the spine down). 

Helping your baby into the proper position before labor begins is the best way, but if you find yourself in a tremendous amount of back pain during labor, try these techniques again!  They may keep you from having one of those horror stories!