Birthing Yoga

In my infinate mama research, I've found the BEST yoga positions to ease labor and delivery pains.... There are quite a few really great yoga postures and movements that bring more comfort and ease to the birthing process.

The first two of postures have you on all fours. This position has the advantage of encouraging your baby to roll their spine against your belly. A position that your doctor or midwife will call Anterior. This is the ideal position for birthing a baby because it is the path of least resistance and therefore makes for an easier birth for you and baby.

1. Cat Stretch – rock your hips forward and back. (The swaying of the low back is not appropriate for all pregnant women. In some bodies, it can simply be too much for the low back and cause strain.)

2. Child’s pose – resting and recovery.

3. Horizontal Figure Eights - Movements that move the hips tend to help the most in labour. This next one isn’t technically a yoga posture. It actually comes from belly dancing which has strong roots in childbirth. It feels very soothing in labour.

4. Hip Circles – standing – with support. - Leaning on a loved one is a wonderful way to feel and be supported during your labour. Just sure to bend your knees so that you can really move your hips round and round. You can also do the figure eights supported in this way as well.

5. Hip Circles on the Ball - Again moving the hips is key. Hip circles are another great way to keep this part of the body open, loose and relaxed… just what you need to help your cervix open more easily. You can do small circles, medium circles or really big ones.

6. Deep lunges - Once your cervix is fully opened, you will start to feel pressure as the baby makes his/her way down the birth path or canal. Deep lunges help to create more openness in the pelvis so that baby has more space to move down into.

7. Squat - Squatting is probably the most traditional way to birth a baby. For humans, the squatting position shorts and widens the birth path or canal. It literally makes the path bigger. This is a very good thing. In addition, squatting in an upright position has the added benefit of using the force of gravity to assist your uterus in pushing the baby out. You can squat by holding onto something (most hospitals have a squatting or birth bar) or you can hold onto your partner. Alternatively you can also squat against the birthing ball.

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Momhood

Okay so I am one of "THOSE MOM'S" ... a home-schooling, diet regulating, recycling & reusing, home-making, schedule-oriented, attachment parenting, coupon shopping mom....
My kids are always dressed in color-coordinated outfits when we take family photographs. Their schedules are more full than mine. They both have team sports and activities YEAR round. I am one of THOSE mom's
I am strict, I set limits and I have high expectations for my children. I do not feed my children junk, or let them watch television. My heart breaks when they cry, regardless of the reason. My children have a chore chart THAT WILL be followed. We praise more than discipline and focus on the positives.
I know that getting dirty is apart of learning, and a dirty child is a happy child. I am one of THOSE MOM'S. My children are my number ONE priority.
I'm also one of THOSE moms who lets my daughter play with dinosaurs, trucks, trains, and all that other 'boy' stuff. And I'd also let my son, if he chooses play with dolls, and wear pink.
I'm one of those moms that made my children's baby food because I didn't want them to eat anything that I wouldn't want to eat myself, and he eats organic where it matters. I am one of "those" moms that only take fresh fruit to my kids parties at school or a friends house.
I am one of those moms who can be seen hugging or kissing the children several times a day, heard whispering "I Love You" in their little ears JUST because. I am one of those moms who thinks her children are brilliant - because they are.
I'm one of those moms who has a messy house during the day, but clean at night.
Who lets their kids run around with milk mustaches, lets the kids run through the sprinkler in their undies, gives their kids vitamins every single day, chases their kids around the house pretending to be a scary monster or makes up silly songs with the kids.
I'm one of those moms whose heart breaks when their child cries, but usually tells them to stand up and "shake if off" or "rub some dirt on it" (as long as there's no blood). I'm one of those, "if you didn't clean your room yet, shut the door before you go out to play" moms. I am one of those, stay up late to get it all done, cook them breakfast so they don't HAVE to eat cereal moms.
I am one of those moms who tries to see both sides before making up my mind.
One of those who hasn't had her hair or nails professionally done in two years because she feels guilty spending money on herself.
But deep down, I'm one of those moms that is doing everything that I can to make my children the first in their generation to be healthy, emotionally secure and intelligent, because to me that is the key to success.

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Petit 5K Race

We all took the trip to Plainville to run in the Petit 5k Road Race. It was definitely the nicest race I have ever seen (other than a Disney race of course). There were TONS of neighbors surrounding all the streets, cheering us on, putting their sprinklers into the road which was burning, and it concluded with a nice little party with lots of freebies... We didn't stick around long, because we went to breakfast at Leo's instead...

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Education Reform

I have stepped out of the "classroom" some time ago but, I am still very away of how it is painfully obvious that we are in need of an educational revolution in the United States.
NOT all students are receiving what they need to THRIVE in the educational system. Some are behind, some excel, however not ALL have their parents support or the necessary interventions.

Realistically education in a large forum can NEVER be ideal, BECAUSE each child develops sensory/motor skills at a very young age and these developments are often taken for granted because they are basic and develop automatically in the typically developing child. When we teach a student at school, children in whom these skills have not fully developed find learning difficult if not impossible. On a separate note, we will NEVER bring a child TO level by moving SLOWER or bring a child who is ahead further ahead by throwing "extra" work at them.

Through the years, many have tried to reform education from the OUTSIDE. It has not worked. IF you have NEVER been in a classroom, you have NO business attempting to reform the educational system! The point is something new and innovative must take place for education to make real changes.

Public education cannot fix it all; it’s not a one-stop shop. Let’s be honest, students come to school with all kinds of issues, and as a whole we cannot ignore the numbers. Our students in this state are not making the cut. That is why we need an Educational Revolution.



THIS is why I home-school... well A LOT of the reason, but not ALL of it!

BECAUSE of my educational background and my views on the current educational system, my current choice of home-schooling my children is often seen as offensive or judgmental or wrong. The truth is, my reasons for homeschooling are many.

I am a teacher and I pretty good one at that. (on a side note: there are lots of smart and productive people who have never gone to college or are college drop outs -- so the fat that I have several degrees is SORT of irrelevant) While I take pride in being the FIRST and ONLY person in my family to have a college degree it is not the sum and total of me being.
I am NOT a patient person and I WILL roll my eyes when people tell me they could not home-school their children because they lack patience. While I strive NOT to complain, and act completely insane some days when it comes to my kids, as it was a CONSCIENCE DECISION I determinately am not exuding patience. I act nutty! I get frustrated! I SCREAM! I wonder what I am doing with my kids some days and yes even think "the heck with this - sign them up for school".
The thing is, I WAS your child(ren)’s teacher AND I HAD bad days, I WAS nutty, I have even shut the classroom door to scream or left feeling crazy, or lacking patience. AND I AM A GREAT TEACHER.
I know teachers. EVERYONE has friends that are teachers and they are not patient, do-rights EVERY day. In fact some of them don’t even like their job or kids.
BOTTOM line - I am doing what is BEST for my child RIGHT now.
I really do believe there are great schools out there in different communities,but as long as schools are following current trends in education and No Child Left Behind, MY child whether they are in a school with excellent standardized testing scores or poor ones, is getting at best a sub par education geared towards fake learning to pass a test at the end of the day. I WAS THERE! I KNOW!
AND there is SO MUCH wasted time in schools, so much NON-EDUCATIONAL GARBAGE goes on in the morning and the time they get home has absolutely nothing to do with educating our children. In fact schools are being used as a substitute for home and for things that should be taught at home. YES, this has A LOT to do with the break-down of the family structure, so maybe what we really need IS FAMILY REFORM and NOT so much education reform?

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I home-school....

I’ve not forgotten the time wasted in the classroom. I’ve not forgotten busy work and worksheets to keep kids quiet and sitting still. I’ve not forgotten the homework and the projects that I feel should be kept at school and not at home if a kid is going to be there for the majority of their day. I’ve not forgotten the boredom or the unreasonable rules.
Our “school-work”, as I call it, exceeds the same amount of time that the children spend on assignments in the classroom each day.

I had children because I am selfish. I stay at home with my children because I am selfish. I home-school my children because I am SELFISH. I WANT to be the one who educates my children, molds their hearts and minds... SO WHAT!?!

Even on my hardest days, when the kids are fighting, the furniture has been written on, and I can’t shower or pee by myself, much clean or WORK, I would rather have my kids here, at home, with me than anywhere else.
I don’t want to miss out special moments, THE MOMENTS I HAD WITH OTHER PEOPLES CHILDREN! (like that gleam in their eye and smile that crosses their face when they realize they can read or understand simple math or the earth rotates around the sun)

Most parents, heck now, only SOME parents are around for their child's firsts, their first smile, steps, and first foods. I don't want to miss ANY firsts! I do not want to give those moments to someone else. No teacher is ever going to care more deeply, about my children’s education and well being than I am.

I want them to get plenty of sleep without being forced out of bed early in the morning to ride the bus or go through a carpool line.
I want to take my kids on vacations whenever I want.
I want my children to have healthy meals.
I want my kids to run around the yard with wooden swords, or using sticks as wands to act – and I want to witness it.
I want my kids to dress up stuffed monkeys and read them books and pretend to teach them geography or even better, pretend to take them off to some far off land while I take pictures when they aren’t looking.
I AM SELFISH!

I NEVER believed homeschooling provides a better education than public or private schools. It can, in certain situations with certain parents and certain students, but across the board this is not true.

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