Yesterday was amazing, my kids went back to school after spring break, our trip, and the Passover holiday. I always Thank God for their independent, happy, full of energy, in your face and healthy way of being, and I am the most balanced when I see them two hours in the morning and two hours before bed.

I started my day with Yoga, which I have not done since we went on our trip, over 10 days! It was so good to be with my teacher, and also good to let my body have a complete break, and let it ease back into the practice.  I remember after my three pregnancies, I felt like I was starting over. Sometimes the starting over is a good reset, to get over a plateau, getting some rest and balance.

Then I had a meeting with a potential new Doula client, we talked for one and a half hours, and I was in awe of her power, and my goal is to empower.  Recently I read a mom describing how getting informed made all the difference in her pregnancy, you can read about it below. Nowadays hospitals are wonderful and busy, you are left alone in your room if everything is progressing, baby looks good on the monitor, and mom is healthy, having support telling you everything is normal and it takes time.

Then I finished my day with a mother and daughter Yoga class, and a Prenatal Yoga in the evening.  So good to be back into the flow, doing the work I love, being of purpose in the world, and getting recharged for my family life.

Coach Yulia

Mai Segev-Pohnke Educated myself:

Physiological processes in my body: how the muscles move, stretch and why; understanding what every test that was offered to me is, what it’s for, is it really important and how it may affect the growing baby. (Did you know that sonogram and the dopler’s electronic waves cause immense uncomfortableness for your baby? sound techs describe the sound the baby hears as a ‘high pitch dog whistle’ and ‘helicopter taking off right next to your head’. Use fetuscope it’s better!!! and it you can avoid sonograms all together do it. otherwise stick to the bare minimum at 20 weeks); Learning how to read lab results;

Learning about medical procedures vs. Natural birth: including all medication that may be used, how pitocin affects your body and the baby (in short: it will stimulate the uterine muscles, but will not release the hormones that are naturally release when you gets surges, so it’ll cause you a lot more physical pain, which usually leads to epidural. Now YOU feel less pain, but your baby still feels it, which usually causes baby to get distress. However, as your body was not ready (dilated enough, because it did not go through it’s natural process but was forced forward by pitocin) the chances of a c-sec are very high. FOR NO REASON); what is the placenta and why we should or shouldn’t cut the cord (You shouldn’t. 1/3 of the baby’s blood is still in the placenta and it takes at least 6-9h for it to transfer… then the placenta keeps transferring nutrients to the baby’s body for several more days, and when it’s done the cord dries and falls of on its own.).

Learning about different birthing traditions around the world, and finding the common denominators (birthing had always been considered a spiritual initiation!)

Emotional processes in my body (how certain hormones may affect my moods and feeling). I had non.

How important it is to have my husband involved.
I’ve shared everything I’ve learned with him, and we make decisions together… He get some quality time with my growing belly and has already claimed his role as a father.

The result is that at 39 and 5 months, in my first pregnancy, with a family history of GDM, where I am considered ‘high risk’ by the medical establishment – I have had the most easy pregnancy possible: no sickness, no nausea, no back pain, (no any pains really). In fact, my only ‘pregnancy symptom’ has been a slight forgetfulness… and finally at 38 weeks my feet are now a bit swollen as the baby started descending down 😀
I’ve argued – and proven right – when my insurance insisted I have GDM and therefore most get on meds, and I claimed it’s something else. It was only a vitamin D deficiency…

In short – by educating myself I was able to understand my body in a way that no one on the outside can. It helped me make empowering decisions about my body and my baby and KNOW and TRUST that both (body and baby) know exactly what to do…