Birth: Prenatal Balance Support

​~ Physiologic Support for the Birth Giver in Pregnancy & Beyond ~
(for well-being, comfort, ease, &/or fetal position in pregnancy &/or for birthing)

Prenatal balance support appointments are available to anyone who seeks greater well-being, comfort, and ease during pregnancy and/or for birthing -- including, but not limited to fetal position considerations.  I integrate my dynamic background in an eclectic array of numerous physiologic approaches to health and well-being into these prenatal appointments, including as a Yoga (including Prenatal Yoga) Teacher, Spinning Babies® Aware Practitioner (which goes beyond a 1-hour intro. class or 1-day workshop that many other birth workers may have attended), Bodyworker, Holistic Health Educator, and avid pursuer of many traditions/teachings in the integration of body, mind, and spirit.  ​Depending on the Birth Giver's needs & wishes, I offer physical, energetic, and/or emotional support techniques and considerations.
Appointment(s) Typically Include:
  • Check-In / Discussion of how the Birth Giver, baby, and/or partner(s) are doing, relevant history, and their needs and wishes;
  • Information (Including Relevant Anatomy), & Demonstration of both (or either, if preferred):
    • DIY/SELF-CARE practices the Birth Giver can perform throughout the rest of pregnancy to support well-being, comfort, balance, and/or space for baby(ies);
    • ​gentle PARTNERED activities the Birth Giver can be doing with a helper throughout the rest of pregnancy (&/or during birthing (aka labor​)) to further support well-being, comfort, balance, and/or space for baby, which, during birthing, may support sensations, baby's rotation/descent, and/or timing;  
  • Guiding Client(s) through Their Performing Activities/Practices (so the Birth Giver &/or partner(s)/helper(s) experience(s) how to perform them on their own);
    • When a helper is unavailable or otherwise unable to perform any of the partnered activities, if circumstances allow (for example, we are located in the same part of the planet 😉), I might also offer Standing In as Helper to perform with the Birth Giver any or all partnered activities presented; 
  • Suggestions/referrals for other complementary resources/providers. 

If applicable/desired, Extra Support for a Late-Term Baby who is Not Consistently Head Down, including additional specialized "late breach-only" considerations to support baby in their late turning journey; preparing for or following an ECV (external cephalic version ((performed by a doctor)); vaginal breech birth, belly births, etc. is also content we can cover in our appointment(s).

Birth Givers & their Partners/Helpers, if any, who might be interested in this support include those who:
  • Are interested in optimizing getting good sleep on a regular basis, being able to comfortably walk and/or otherwise move/exercise on a regular basis; general sense of well-being/vitality;
  • Wish to prevent, minimize, or facilitate recovery from common aches, pains, and associated discomforts during pregnancy which can be resolved or ameliorated with particular self-care &/or partnered activities;
    • Seek to address known or possible imbalances influenced by modern living or other recent or current repetitive habits, such as long car rides; frequent driving; many hours spent stationary in front of devices; frequently carrying young children on one hip; history of wearing high heels; etc.; 
    • Have concern that an old or recent injury (such as falling on one's butt or tailbone, car accident, etc.) or surgery may be limiting comfort, movement, and/or space for self and/or their babies.
  • Have concerns about their babies being in (or potentially being in) a breech, transverse, posterior, or other position that can challenge the timing, sensations, or other aspects of birthing;
    • Wish to optimize space for their babies in the womb for birthing , regardless of their position, which may support ease and efficiency of birthing for baby &/or Birth Giver;
  • Are interested in learning practices and habits in pregnancy which may help avoid, minimize, and/or offer more resources to address "back labor", prolonged, and/or complicated birthing; and/or
  • Hope to avoid, minimize, and/or delay pharmacological sensation management &/or other common medical birthing interventions and learn prenatal and/or birthing principles and practices which may help with such birth preferences.

Appointment Scheduling:  
  • When:  As early as 20 weeks (or earlier, if pregnant with multiples).. preferably before your birthing ("labor") has begun 😉
  • Who Should Be Present:   Preferably both the Birth Giver and partner(s)/helper(s) (a life partner(s), neighbor, friend, etc. who will be regularly available throughout the rest of the pregnancy and/or birthing to support the Birth Giver with the content shared)  
    • Anatomy & DIY Content:   While partner(s)/helper(s) often find value for themselves for their own self-care in being present for the DIY content, being present for the anatomy & DIY content also helps them  understand and better support the Birth Giver in working with the DIY content.
    • Partnered Practices:   Having partner(s)/helper(s) present for this content allows. them to watch me demo the partnered practices and/or receive guidance and feedback from me as they practice these activities;
  • How Long:  3 hours (perhaps shorter, if wanting to focus only on DIY or only on partnered practices; perhaps longer if wanting extra resourcing for late-term babies who are not consistently head down)
    • Usually:  This long appt. is split into 2 shorter appointments to help you "digest," integrate, practice, and prepare any follow up questions on the 1st part of the content with at least 1 or more days before moving on to the rest of the content.  (This is also especially helpful when trying to expedite the timing of our appointment(s) / coordination of our schedules.)
    • Alternatively:  We can schedule just 1 appointment, if preferred.  
  • Subsequent Appts.:  The usual approx. 3 to 4 hour DIY & Partnered content offers a rich, dynamic foundation to continue on without subsequent appts., however, depending on one's needs, preferences, comfort, and confidence with the practices, and/or one's other interests, indications for further appt(s). might include:
    • the Birth Giver doesn't have an available helper and would like to book an additional appt(s). (1 to 1.5 hours) so that I can stand in and help them with the partnered activities,  
    • one seeks further support regarding how pregnancy is going, preparing for birthing (such as developing written Birth Preferences, ideas for early birthing time at home, partner support during birthing, transfer to another location, etc.) and/or preparing for early postpartum (Birth Giver's recovery/healing, bonding, sleeping, etc.)  (See also my Perinatal Consulting offering); and/or
    • one seeks additional Birth or Well-Being support (for the Birth Giver &/or Helper/Partner).

Mutual Support -- Hourly Rate & Package Pricing:  While you can find my regular hourly rates here (with multiple appointments discounted package here), please also note:
  • Special Offer for a 3 hour Prenatal Balance support split over two 1.5 hour sessions:
    • If you pay for the entire 3 hours up front, you can save money by paying my discounted "3 hour appt" rate, rather than my regular rate for each 1.5 hour appt.  You can also pay the sliding scale virtual rate, even if 1 of those 2 appts. will be in person.
    • The first 1.5 appt. will be online via Zoom.  The 2nd 1.5 hour appt. can be online via Zoom, or if otherwise mutually agreed, in person.
    • [The same principles apply if you want to book 3.5 hours or 4 hours up front -- You can pay for the total hours (again, with my sliding scale virtual appt. rate), but split the time into 2 appts., rather than paying my hourly rate for each individual appt.  Likewise, the first appt. will be online via Zoom; and the 2nd can be in person if mutually agreed.]
  • Special Circumstances:  
    • Financial Hardship:  If paying out of pocket for a homebirth or birth center birth or other circumstances have created a financial hardship such the rates shown are beyond your reach, please contact me.  
    • Birth Happens Before Finish Appt(s).:  If you buy a package and don't end up using all the sessions because your birthing happened earlier than expected, the unused time can be used for Physiologic Recovery Care &/or TRE® (both of which you can consider as a postpartum balance session) in the Fourth Trimester (first 3 months after the birth).
  • Reminder for my Birth Doula clients:  If you would like to book a follow-up appointment for Prenatal Balance support, you are entitled to a special discount off of my hourly rate, as described in my Birth Doula package.
Partners who seek their own emotional and/or physical balance support are welcome to check out my other well-being support services, such as TRE® &/or a variety of different Yoga practices.
​
 
“Relaxin is not your ticket to relaxin'.  In fact, the fact that relaxin is there at all really requires you to work back to your natural alignment ASAP to prevent tissue damage and have an optimal delivery." ~Katy Bowman, M.S. in Aligning or Relaxin Before Pregnancy?
“it is not the physiological state of pregnancy that is responsible for pain, but the alignment and gait habits that a woman brings to her pregnancy that is the underlying cause." ~Katy Bowman, M.S. in Pregnancy and Pain
​~ Soizig's Other Services ~
​These services can be provided on their own and/or in combination with the Prenatal Balance services, described above.​

BODYWORK
Birth Doula
Perinatal Consulting
Perinatal Consult
Birth Recovery
Birth Recovery
Bodywork
Bodywork
TRE®
TRE®
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Yoga
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Self-Breema®
Copyright ​© 2016 Soizig Le Boulch