Session One: Nutrition & Exercise

Mindful nutrition (including hydration) and exercise are vital components of a healthy pregnancy, birth and postpartum recovery. Starting at the moment of conception, your body begins hormonal changes which can affect you physically and mentally. Activity such as yoga helps develop an instinctive body sense, hopefully establishing confidence in listening to your body during pregnancy, labor and postpartum. These practices coupled with proper nutrition can help expecting mothers stretch, strengthen and tone their bodies, may relieve common discomforts of pregnancy and can help prepare for labor and postnatal recuperation. Birth is a vigorous athletic event every expecting mother should train for in a safe way.

In this session, we will discuss/ explore contraindications of both food and movement during pregnancy as well as which/ when certain foods and movements can be beneficial.

Session Two: Discomfort, Pain & Relief

We’ll begin our second week with a discussion of pregnancy symptoms participants are currently experiencing. While maybe not the most exciting part of becoming a parent, these symptoms are signs that your body is doing something incredible. These signs can show up in every woman and every pregnancy differently.

We will also discuss and explore how to find relief from common discomforts through movement, the support of an acupuncturist, perinatal trained chiropractor and/ or massage therapist.

Session Three: Preparation for Labor & Birth

In our third session, we will open the floor for questions, concerns and thoughts about labor and birth - sort of a childbirth education lite. We will also explore movements and breathwork which can be beneficial during labor and birth. Participants will be invited to consider their birth preferences as a bit of homework following this session.

Session Four: Transition

Our fourth week opens with discussion, offering a space for participants to share if/ how they are coping with the upcoming transition into parenthood including thoughts about relationship changes, work changes and changes in lifestyle. Sometimes during pregnancy so much focus can be on the birth, we forget to prepare for the significant shift that comes after. This discussion provides a space to explore thoughts specifically about the postpartum time.

Session Five: Partners & Your Birth Team

This session will focus a bit more on those providing support to the birthing person. We will discuss who and what this can look like throughout pregnancy and postpartum as well as ways the non-birthing partner can provide support specifically during labor & birth. Also, we will open the floor for partners to share their thoughts about how the parenthood transition has been for them.

Session Six: Final Thoughts/ Open Floor

For our final session, participants will be invited to suggest a new topic or request we revisit a previous topic for group discussion. To close our series, we’ll find a restorative posture for a final meditation.