Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be enduredArticles
Positive Bradley Birth Stories
NORTH COUNTY TIMES - AROUND VISTA
October 13, 2005
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December 12, 2004
"YOGA HELPS PREGNANT MOTHERS"
by Angela Holman
Vista, CA - Helena Wenger was nine months pregnant with her third child when she began taking prenatal yoga. Wenger has back problems that bothered her during her pregacy, and she was going to a chiropractor who suggestted she take a prenatal yoga class.
Wenger said she wishes she would have taken the class when she was pregnant with her first two children.
The class teaches deep breathing exercises that Wenger said helped her during labor. She said the class also helped her relax more during labor, and her body wasn't as stiff as it was with her previous children.
Stephanie Rimmer is 31 weeks pregnant with her first child, and she's been taking the class for two months. She said she wanted to take the class because the instructor, Liza Janda is also an instructor of the Bradley Method of natural childbirth. The Bradley Method is a system of natural labor techniques that encourages the mother to trust her body during labor and to use natural breathing combined with relaxation. "The yoga classes kind of enhance that and go along with it," Rimmer said, "I love it."
During class Janda has the moms-to-be hold a pose for one-minute, which is about the same length of time as a contraction. Her favorite part of the class is the breathing techniques portion. Rimmer says she enjoys it because she can relax and let herself go.
Marcelle McAfee, who's supposed to have her baby in two weeks, took the class while she was in her second and third trimesters. "I think Liza's a great teacher," McAfee said. "It's nice to have someone that's in tune with natural childbirth teaching [the class]."
Janda has been a fitness instructor for 27 years. She is certified to teach the Bradley Method and yoga, and she enjoys teaching the classes. The focus of her prenatal yoga class is to work with moms-to-be to help them build their stamina and strength and learn breathing techniques to have as smooth a delivery as possible.
"Labor and birth really are an athletic event," Janda said. "You have to have the stamina to make it through."
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