Yoga | Birth | Babies

Even if a medical intervention isn’t in your birth plan, you should still be educated on it; because, at the end of the day, no one can predict their birth!  Today is all about: epidurals. Joining me today on Yoga| Birth| Babies, I have Erin Capnerhurst. Erin is a wife, mother of three, and a Registered Nurse who has been supporting families through pregnancy and childbirth for 15 years in the hospital, clinic, and birth education settings. Most recently, Erin earned her Prenatal Yoga Teacher certification with the Prenatal Yoga Center!  Are there different types of epidurals? How should you push with an epidural? Is there only one position to push in when you get the epidural? Let’s dive in. Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com (*hyperlink episode link from Wordpress!) Don’t forget to grab your FREE guide, 5 Simple Solutions to the Most Common Pregnancy Pains HERE  If you love what you’ve been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies (Apple) or on Spotify! To connect with Deb and the PYC Community:  Instagram & Facebook: @prenatalyogacenter Youtube: Prenatal Yoga Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joining me today to share her birth story on Yoga| Birth| Babies, I have Agathe. Originally from Paris, Agathe moved to New York City nine years ago, where she met her husband and, in November 2024, welcomed their baby girl. In this episode, Agathe opens up about the mindfulness practices she created throughout pregnancy in order to help navigate the anxiety she was experiencing during this time. Her embracing of these practices only extended into her birth and postpartum journeys. Agathe’s story is heartfelt, relatable and deeply inspiring, and I hope you enjoy listening to it. Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com (*hyperlink episode link from Wordpress!) Don’t forget to grab your FREE guide, 5 Simple Solutions to the Most Common Pregnancy Pains HERE  If you love what you’ve been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies (Apple) or on Spotify! To connect with Deb and the PYC Community:  Instagram & Facebook: @prenatalyogacenter Youtube: Prenatal Yoga Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we’re diving into a topic I’ve wanted to explore for quite some time now: External Fetal Monitoring (EFM). I held off, however, because I wanted to ensure we had the right medical professional to guide us through this important conversation- and I’m thrilled to say that we do. To have this conversation today with me on Yoga| Birth| Babies I have Caroline Jones. Caroline is a certified nurse midwife practicing in New York City and a childbirth educator with The Parent Collective. She particularly enjoys supporting parents throughout postpartum, and she created the Postpartum Prep Workshop to proactively address common postpartum experiences and concerns.  Caroline lives in Westchester with her husband, toddler, and dog.  In this episode, Caroline draws from her extensive experience as a midwife to shed light on all things EFM. We discuss what it is, the pros and cons, the differences between intermittent and continuous monitoring, and more. We also delve into evidence-based research and explore which types of monitoring may be appropriate in different scenarios- including internal fetal monitoring. My hope is that this conversation equips you with the knowledge to make informed choices about fetal monitoring and empowers you to advocate for those choices in birth! Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com (*hyperlink episode link from Wordpress!) Don’t forget to grab your FREE guide, 5 Simple Solutions to the Most Common Pregnancy Pains HERE  If you love what you’ve been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies (Apple) or on Spotify! To connect with Deb and the PYC Community:  Instagram & Facebook: @prenatalyogacenter Youtube: Prenatal Yoga Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Newborn babies have some peculiar quirks, habits, and bodily functions. If you’re entering parenthood unfamiliar with what’s normal and what isn’t you might be scared or deeply concerned by things that are pretty routine for new babies.  To have this conversation today with me on Yoga| Birth| Babies I have Dr. Tracey Agnese. Tracey received her undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware.  She graduated from SUNY Downstate medical school and completed her pediatrics residency at NYU. As a Pediatrician and a mom, Dr. Agnese knows how difficult it is to have and care for a newborn baby. She also knows that new moms often neglect taking care of themselves and wants to help change that. Dr. Agnese sees patients in her private practice on the UWS and is also an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).  In this episode, Dr. Agnese goes over many things from oddly colored baby poop, to irregular breathing patterns, to signs that something is really wrong and you should consult your doctor. My hope is that new parents can be put at ease by learning about what is normal to expect from their little one! Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com Don’t forget to grab your FREE guide, 5 Simple Solutions to the Most Common Pregnancy Pains HERE  If you love what you’ve been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies (Apple) or on Spotify! To connect with Deb and the PYC Community:  Instagram & Facebook: @prenatalyogacenter Youtube: Prenatal Yoga Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, we’re diving into some of the common—yet often overlooked—stressors of pregnancy. We explore everything from hormonal changes and PMADs (Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders) to the profound life shifts that come with this transition. We also take a closer look at trauma-informed care: what it really means, how trauma is defined, and how to effectively communicate your needs to your care provider when it comes to support during birth. To have this conversation today with me on Yoga| Birth| Babies I have maternal health specialist Ja’Neen Jenkins. With a deep passion for supporting mothers through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, Ja’Neen integrates her expertise as a licensed mental health therapist, doula, and perinatal coach to provide compassionate, trauma-informed care. Ja’Neen holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, a Master’s in Teaching from Louisiana College in Pineville, and a Master of Science in Counseling from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. She currently serves as the Clinical Supervisor at Jenkins Counseling Services, where she is committed to shaping the future of perinatal mental health care. In this episode, we talk about everything from birth debriefing and birth maps to nervous system regulation and how it influences the flow of labor. If you or someone you love is expecting, this episode is a must-listen. So often, people leave their birth experience feeling unsettled or disappointed. But as Ja’Neen and I discuss, the work done during pregnancy can significantly reduce the risk of birth trauma and postpartum mental health challenges. Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com Don’t forget to grab your FREE guide, 5 Simple Solutions to the Most Common Pregnancy Pains HERE  If you love what you’ve been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies (Apple) or on Spotify! To connect with Deb and the PYC Community:  Instagram & Facebook: @prenatalyogacenter Youtube: Prenatal Yoga Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode features one of my favorite kinds of conversations- a community birth story. It’s always such a joy to hear and share the birth stories of students I’ve had the honor of working with in class, throughout their pregnancies, and today’s story is no exception. To have this conversation today with me on Yoga| Birth| Babies I have Mia DiBiase. Mia is 33 years old and lives in Jersey City, NJ with her husband, their dog, and now their new baby. She works at Meta in advertising sales and enjoys staying physically active. Mia is also a PYC alum! What makes Mia’s story especially powerful is her experience with a rare and serious pregnancy complication called vasa previa, diagnosed early on. She opens up about the anxiety that came with this diagnosis, its toll on her mental health, and the steps she took to advocate for herself during pregnancy to gain clarity about what was happening in her body. This advocacy became a foundation of self-trust that supported her throughout her birth, through both the challenges and the triumphs. Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com Don’t forget to grab your FREE guide, 5 Simple Solutions to the Most Common Pregnancy Pains HERE  If you love what you’ve been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies (Apple) or on Spotify! To connect with Deb and the PYC Community:  Instagram & Facebook: @prenatalyogacenter Youtube: Prenatal Yoga Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do you do when motherhood feels challenging—when it doesn’t come as naturally as you expected? This episode was inspired by honest conversations in my prenatal yoga classes, where some students shared fears about entering parenthood. One even admitted, “I don’t know if I’m very maternal.” That vulnerability struck a chord, and I knew we needed to explore it further. In this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, I sit down again with Paige Bellenbaum, LCSW of The Motherhood Center, for a deep and heartfelt conversation. We talk about the emotional complexities of becoming a parent, especially when expectations and reality don’t align. We dive into the guilt, shame, and comparison that can arise during this transition—and how examining your own values can help shape a more authentic and supported experience of parenthood. This episode is a must-listen for anyone navigating, supporting, or anticipating the emotional journey into motherhood. Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com Don’t forget to grab your FREE guide, 5 Simple Solutions to the Most Common Pregnancy Pains HERE  If you love what you’ve been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies (Apple) or on Spotify! To connect with Deb and the PYC Community:  Instagram & Facebook: @prenatalyogacenter Youtube: Prenatal Yoga Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we are talking about stalling versus flow, in birth, and how your body’s balance, and alignment can play a major role in that process. What does it even mean to be balanced and aligned? To have this conversation today with me on Yoga| Birth| Babies I have Lindsay McCoy.  Lindsay McCoy is an exercise physiologist, an experienced birth doula, and a childbirth educator of 12 years. She combines her knowledge of biomechanics and functional movement with her knowledge of the childbirth process to help prepare the body for birth. She has worked in a clinical setting as an Exercise Physiologist and now works exclusively with the prenatal/postnatal population in private practice. She is the co-founder of the Body Ready Pregnancy, Birth and Postpartum, a biomechanics based exercise program. She is also the co-founder of Body Ready Method®, a training for birth professionals. She has trained over 1200 birth professionals and supported 10K+ pregnant families. Her specialty is pelvic biomechanics for pregnancy and childbirth and the core system + pelvic floor. Lindsay and I dive into baby’s journey through the pelvis, the emotional state of birth flow, and the different levels of the pelvis. We will cover what you can do during labor to keep things flowing, and of course what you can do prenatally for a more efficient, supported birth. Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com (*hyperlink episode link from Wordpress!) Don’t forget to grab your FREE guide, 5 Simple Solutions to the Most Common Pregnancy Pains HERE  If you love what you’ve been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies (Apple) or on Spotify! To connect with Deb and the PYC Community:  Instagram & Facebook: @prenatalyogacenter Youtube: Prenatal Yoga Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taking medication while breastfeeding, even taking something as common as Tylenol can be controversial. So what about parents on or who need to start taking medicine like Zoloft, Prozac or other psychotropic medications? Is it safe for both parent and new baby? Today we’re going to talk all about postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression medication and breastfeeding. There are lots of thoughts, stigmas, and fears about this, so I wanted to get to the bottom of breastfeeding your child while taking any sort of mood stabilizing medication. In today’s episode of Yoga| Birth| Babies I invited Heather ONeal and Maureen Farrel both midwives, lactation professionals, and hosts of an amazing podcast called The Milk Minute (which I am so excited that I got to be on, so make sure you listen to that)! These ladies have so much amazing information and we get into the nitty gritty. They talk about different types of medication, more popular brands for perinatal folks, how these medicines come into breastmilk, and all about antidepressants and psychotropic medication while nursing. If you are concerned about starting a medication like this, or maybe you’re already on medication and you’re considering breastfeeding your child or any sort of way of lactation, this conversation can help you have some clarity on the benefits and risks. Of course always, always, always check with your care provider as well! But if it’s something that has just been lingering in your mind, I hope this conversation gives you some peace of mind. Get the most out of each episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com Don’t forget to grab your FREE guide, 5 Simple Solutions to the Most Common Pregnancy Pains HERE  If you love what you’ve been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies (Apple) or on Spotify! To connect with Deb and the PYC Community:  Instagram & Facebook: @prenatalyogacenter Youtube: Prenatal Yoga Center Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices