Spiral™

How I Birthed Naturally Using Yoga

By: Erin Weed

On August 18, 2009 I gave birth to our first baby – an 8 pound, 4 ounce, 22

inch long little boy named Miles.  We planned a natural birth at the

Mountain Midwifery Center in Englewood, CO. (Which was the best decision my

husband and I ever made – the midwives are amazing!)  But this post isn’t so

much about my birth story.  It’s about 3 fundamental principles of yoga got

me through 8 hours of active labor and a successful delivery without any

pain medication.  (To read my birth story, click here:

http://www.erinweed.com/2009/09/02/birth-story/)

Yoga has a place in birth, regardless how baby comes into the world -

whether it’s natural, using pain medication or via scheduled or emergency

c-section. The basic fundamentals roll into any stressful, painful or scary

situation (which most women feel at some point during the birth process),

and help keep us in the moment as the miracle of life unfolds.  Below are

the 3 yogic lessons that I actively relied upon during my 8 hours of active

labor…I hope they help you too!

1.  Choosing to be present.

I think all pregnant women should take pre-natal yoga classes at Spiral…and

they should also read a book called “Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle.  When

feeling fear or pain, we naturally want to escape to some other time or

place.  But during labor, there is no escape from the sensations that take

over (without medication), and this can cause great anxiety and fear.  In my

case I had severe back labor, and I found no position gave me relief or

comfort. I found myself using breaks between surges to think about the pain

of the last contraction and to fear the next one on deck.  This was a total

waste of energy, because I was using my rest period to get more stressed

out!  Yoga helped me consciously identify this early on.  As hard as it was,

I chose to ride the wave of a contraction as it happened, to bask in the

break when I had one, and to accept the new contraction as it arrived.  (And

I emphasize that it’s a choice.  A natural response to pain is to fight it,

but through yoga we can rise above our physical circumstances.)

2.  Learning to surrender.

Because there was no escape from the pain, I learned to surrender to the

wisdom of my body.  I found great hope and strength in my 6 year yoga

practice, recalling times when my teachers have assured us we could hold a

pose just 3 breaths longer – even when every muscle is shaking and you think

it’s impossible!  I have yoga to thank for not only appreciating my body for

what it is, but knowing I can rely on it to get me through difficult

situations.  Laura’s pre-natal classes specifically helped me surrender to

the greatness of the female body and what we are capable of.

3.  Breathing.

I saved the most important yogic lesson for last.  Without breath, there is

no life.  And since birth is the act of bringing new life into this world,

there is no higher lesson. Pain can often lead to fear, which leads to

tension, which leads to one holding their breath.  Ironically, this leads to

more pain, more fear and more tension…and complete and utter exhaustion as

your body fights itself. The midwives told me the #1 reason mamas transfer

from the birth center to the hospital is exhaustion, and I believe it.

Birth is like an endurance race…can you imagine finishing a marathon without

breathing? B.K.S. Iyengar once said, “When you inhale, you are taking the

strength from God.  When you exhale, it represents the service you are

giving to the world.”

And what greater service can we provide as women, than to perpetuate life?

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