Guerra - The yoga birth method : a step-by-step guide for natural childbirth

Llewellyn Publications

Woodbury, Minnesota

Copyright Information

The Yoga Birth Method: A Step-by-Step Guide for Natural Childbirth 2013 by Dorothy Guerra.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any matter whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission from Llewellyn Publications, except in the form of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

As the purchaser of this e-book, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. The text may not be otherwise reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, or recorded on any other storage device in any form or by any means.

Any unauthorized usage of the text without express written permission of the publisher is a violation of the authors copyright and is illegal and punishable by law.

First e-book edition 2013

E-book ISBN: 9780738737263

Book design by Rebecca Zins

Cover design by Ellen Lawson
Cover photograph: Tetra Images/SuperStock

Interior illustrations by Lynn Shwadchuk

Cover model used for illustrative purposes only and may not endorse or represent the books subject.

YBM logo is owned by Dorothy Guerra and cannot be reproduced or used without the user obtaining instructor certification. Contact the Yoga Birth Method Organization at http://yogabirthmethod.com or 14-30 Eglinton Avenue West, Suite 258, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, L5R 0C1.

Llewellyn Publications is an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

Llewellyn Publications does not participate in, endorse, or have any authority or responsibility concerning private business arrangements between our authors and the public.

Any Internet references contained in this work are current at publication time, but the publisher cannot guarantee that a specific reference will continue or be maintained. Please refer to the publishers website for links to current author websites.

Llewellyn Publications

Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

2143 Wooddale Drive

Woodbury, MN 55125

www.llewellyn.com

Manufactured in the United States of America

Please Note

This book is a hands-on method of pain management using a natural approach with yoga techniques. If you have a high-risk pregnancy or your medical doctor has diagnosed you with a medical risk, this book may not cover those risks in detail. By using the Yoga Birth Method, you do so of your own free will and at your own risk. The author, publisher, and the Yoga Birth Method Organization assume no liability or responsibility for any complications that may arise during your pregnancy or labor.

This book is dedicated to my children, Antonio and Alessia, for teaching me the beauty in giving birth and the joy it brings forever after.

To all women who have had the joy of using yoga birthing and to all those who will.

To my dear friend Tania and my sisters, Ida and Julie, for giving me the wisdom to make everything possible. To my mother, for every reason that words can never fully express.

To everyone that helped me pull this together and get it out to the world.

Finally, to every women that is empowered in childbirth through my method.

A special thanks to April Kurtyka, Sarah Townson, Danielle Downey, and Lisa Khera for sharing their Yoga Birth Method experiences in this book.

Contents

. The Yoga Birth Method Overview

. Yoga During Pregnancy

. Demystifying the Fear of Childbirth

. Managing the Big Day

. How to Have an Enlightened Birth

. Its Yoga Birth Time!

. Making Informed Decisions

. Partner Support in Labor

. Preparing Your Birth Plan

Yoga Poses

Assisting Cat/Cow,

Assisting Childs,

Assisting Crescent Lunge,

Assisting Downward Dog,

Assisting Frog,

Assisting Pigeon,

Assisting Squat,

Assisting Triangle,

Assisting Warrior II,

Assisting Wide-Angle Forward Bend,

Balancing Table,

Butterfly,

Camel,

Cat,

Chair,

Childs,

Cow,

Crescent Lunge,

Downward Dog,

Extended Puppy,

Frog,

Gate,

Happy Baby,

Lord of the Dance,

Mountain,

Pigeon,

Reclined Hand to Big Toe,

Reclined Lord of the Dance,

Seated Wide-Angle Forward Bend,

Side-Lying,

Side Plank,

Squat,

Tree,

Triangle,

Warrior II,

Wide-Angle Forward Bend,

Introduction

The Yoga Birth Method (YBM) is a way to use yoga in labor to manage a natural and calm birth experience. This method is effective and powerful. It gives you motivation to stay connected to your child as you make informed decisions toward a natural birth. I will teach you how to apply yoga philosophy during your labor to remain mindful and in control of your experience, and how to incorporate the practice of postures and breathing techniques to manage progression and pain. If you have never practiced yoga, dont worry; this method is safe for everyone and can be practiced daily or as often as you wish, even before the baby arrives. The best part is that I will even teach you how to get your partner involved to encourage a daily practice and to be hands-on during the big day.

The Yoga Birth Method can be used by every woman wanting to have a positive childbirth experience no matter what her level of yoga understanding is. The techniques are simple and easy to use. If you have never taken a yoga class in your life, dont feel intimidated. Once you read through this eight-step pathway in chapter 5, you will feel comfortable using it to prepare for labor as well as using it throughout your entire labor. You may even decide to keep it up permanently after your baby is born to help you get into pre-baby shape and help you relax and enjoy your new family life.

If you have a regular practice already, this method will deepen your understanding of prenatal yogas safe poses for pregnancy and encourage you to practice poses that are beneficial to labor. Ultimately, you will bring your practice into your labor as a way to manage your attitude, pain, and energy physically and mentally. As you read, you will notice labor is not black and white; there is no textbook description of how your labor will unfold for sure. Labor is described in a grey scale and is mostly dictated by the choices you make and the needs of your baby. All you can do for sure is be informed of all the grey matter and have an action plan to manage your mind, body, and spirit on the big day.

I assume you are reading this book because you want to birth naturally. You might even be wondering, What is the difference between natural and medicated births? Natural birth is when a woman goes through the entire labor without any medication administered to her body. She relies on breathing and her own birth strategy to fully complete the labor to delivery. A medicated birth is when the labor needs to be intervened by using medications to either start the labor, progress the labor, assist in pain management, or ensure the safety of mom and baby.