Beach Cities Midwifery

January 2021 classes are here - and we've got a full line-up! Visit https://www.beachcitiesmidwifery.com/classes/ for more info!

Whether you're embracing a chill New Year's Eve at home, or longing for a big party surrounded by people, we're just happy this year is coming to a close! Happy New Year everyone!

Postpartum support is more important now than ever and our weekly group meets tomorrow! Depression and anxiety are on the rise during this time, but there are many places to find support and treatment, even at no cost. Meet Rachel Benson, LCSW who leads our Postpartum Support Group! Rachel realized the impact that pregnancy, birth, and parenting can have on a family, and wanted to support new moms and dads as much as possible. She became certified to teach the Bradley Method ...of Natural Childbirth in 2013, and began educating couples on their options regarding pregnancy, labor, and birth. Although she no longer teaches childbirth classes, Rachel continues to support this enormous life change in a therapeutic manner by counseling women and men during pregnancy and the postpartum period. She also discovered that there was a lack of group support for postpartum women in the Orange County area, and so she started the first postpartum support group at Beach Cities Midwifery in Laguna Hills in 2017. What really inspires Rachel, is the hard work that her clients do in therapy. Rachel has witnessed the transformation of so many lives by talking through and processing issues and feelings, gaining awareness, learning new skills, and creating and executing goals. Rachel is excited to meet you on your personal journey and help you in transforming your life. Postpartum Support Group is FREE and meets every Thursday (TOMORROW) 10 - 11 am ! Email [email protected] to be registered for class. A zoom link will be sent out the day before. You can also reach out to Rachel directly at https://www.tustincounseling.com/ for private therapy sessions.

Welcome to little Obi, born early on Christmas Eve! The first Christmas baby at Saddleback hospital. Congratulations to the new parents and grandparents! @rosemadds

We're hiring! Our Long Beach office is looking for a part time Patient Care Coordinator/Front Office Administrator. We offer competitive pay in a positive and empowering environment! We are currently practicing social distancing, which will also apply to your training and eventual work schedule. ... To apply, please send your resume to Josefine at [email protected] as well as a short paragraph about yourself and your interest in women's health and natural birth.

Our next Pelvic Floor and Core class with @restoredphysique is Saturday Jan 9th at 3pm! The last class was full with a waitlist - so sign up now by emailing [email protected]! Please join me as I teach my FREE Pelvic Floor & Core during Pregnancy, Postpartum and Beyond class on Saturday, January 9th at 3pm PST. This free class will discuss ways to have a physically healthy pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum recovery and will also provide simple things you can ...do to treat any symptoms you may be experiencing, even years postpartum. It is intended for women during pregnancy and at any point postpartum (even years postpartum - once postpartum, always postpartum!). Feel free to share this post and pass it on to any women or birth professionals that you know who could benefit from this information. Topics include: -The pelvic floor -Sex -Diastasis recti and the core -Scar tissue management -Posture and body mechanics RSVP is required to receive the zoom link: [email protected] (please add this email to your contacts as the responses often go to your spam!) Click for more info: https://www.restoredphysique.com/free-prenatal-postnatal-cl #pregnancy #postpartum #pregnant #labor #laboranddelivery #core #pelvicfloor #pelvicfloorexercises #diastasisrecti #diastasis #posture #breathe #diaphragmaticbreathing #perinealmassage #perineum #pelvicfloorpt #physiotherapy #pelvicfloorphysicaltherapy #mom #postpartumbody #pregnancyfitness #postpartumfitness #pregnancybody #bodymechanics #restoredphysique

"Juniper Alice Berg I was 38weeks + 3 on Halloween and my normal Braxton Hicks began to feel more like period cramps. I didn’t think too much of it and by midday they were almost un-noticeable. As my husband returned from work I mentioned the cramping and we both shrugged it off, made dinner and watched some tv before bed. Around 7pm the menstrual cramp feeling came back except this time I was unable to get comfortable. I tried to go to bed but was unable to lie down so I tol...d my husband to rest just incase. I labored all night at home, in and out of the shower and on the toilet. My contractions persistently met the 4-1-1 goal of heading to the birthing center but I think I just didn’t believe it was actually happening. I texted my doula on and off and called the midwife twice before deciding to head over at 630 am. When my husband and I got there she checked me and I was 8cm! Little did I know I still had 9 hours before meeting my little girl. At the birth center my doula put on classical music and essential oils and my husband and I got in the tub. The whole labor process was very peaceful, dim lighting, candles and soft music. My husband stayed by my side the whole time and was the best birth parter I can imagine. He is my rock. My doula said affirmations and kept me hydrated and fed. At 12pm the midwife and her assistant came in and had me get out of the tub to be checked as I was starting to have an urge to push with some contractions and they wanted to ensure baby was ok. At this point I was complete so my midwife began coaching me to push. I really couldn’t have done it without her. I pushed in various positions before we made the decision to brake my water. This immediately helped me feel the reflex as baby’s head dropped. I moved to the bed and after 4 hours total pushing our sweet Juniper was born. I was beyond exhausted but immediately in love. She was born on 11/01/2020 and weighed 7lbs 13.2oz, 20.5 long. Thank you to Julie and Janelle from @beachcitiesmidwifery I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. And thank you to my doula @patriciaruiz64 and ofcourse my husband @a.c.berg for being the best support team " @brittanyeustaceberg

Today we honor all who served. Thank you to our veterans.

What is your pelvic floor and what does it do? It becomes especially important in pregnancy, birth and postpartum. @allbodieshealth : "Here’s a little PSA for ya’ll: 1 in 4 folks with vulvas suffer from chronic pelvic pain. But the pain can reveal itself in parts other than the pelvis! Pelvic issues can show up as pain in the vulva, vagina, anus, sacrum, glutes and hips. But, because the pelvis is hard to see, oftentimes people are misdiagnosed or ya know, seen as hys...terical and put on antidepressants. While most of us are likely strangers to our own pelvis, the pelvis is truly the most central part of your body- literally and metaphorically. It’s how we are capable of walking. It supports your core. It’s connected to our gut health, stress, fertility...and the list goes on! It holds your your sex organs... in fact, it's where many of your central organs meet. Pelvic issues can stem from physical trauma, emotional trauma, stress, and anxiety. In Taosist tradition, the pelvic bowl is known as The Cauldron of Desire thanks to its ability to generate so much energy. It is also what connects us to all of the generations that came before us...babies grow within a uterus, held by the pelvis. So yeah...the pelvis holds A LOT Also, literally and metaphorically (Wow the metaphors really abound here!) It’s no wonder that so many of our sex and period issues are actually connected to our pelvic health! Stress? Period probs? Painful sex? Fertility issues? Ancestral trauma? Sexual trauma? Birth trauma? ALL OF THIS IS HELD IN THE PELVIS!" You can contact a pelvic floor therapist to help you work through any of these issues: @restoredphysique @pelvicsanity Whitney Sippl www.restoredphysique.com will also host another FREE Pelvic Floor Class on December 3 speaking about the pelvic floor during pregnancy, postpartum and beyond! More info to come!! #pelvicfloor #pelvis #pelvicfloorexercises #pelvicfloorphysicaltherapy #pelvic #pregnancy #naturalbirth

Virtual Newborn Care Class is THIS FRIDAY 11/13 from 2-5pm and again on 11/20 from 10am-1pm! To sign up email us at [email protected]. We will send a Zoom link to everyone who is signed up. Free to our patients and $35 to non-patients.... In this one-day class, you will learn how to ease the transition for you and your baby as your relationship moves from the womb to the world. This interactive class focuses on caring for your newborn from birth to 3 months. Topics include: normal sleep / feed / wake cycles, newborn appearance, newborn communication, comfort techniques, hands-on practice with diapering, bathing, dressing, burping, swaddling, and more! This class is taught by Bethany Ewers, CD, CLC. Limit 4 couples. For a full list of classes visit Virtual Newborn Care Class is THIS FRIDAY 11/13 from 2-5pm and again on 11/20 from 10am-1pm! To sign up email us at [email protected]. We will send a Zoom link to everyone who is signed up. Free to our patients and $35 to non-patients. In this one-day class, you will learn how to ease the transition for you and your baby as your relationship moves from the womb to the world. This interactive class focuses on caring for your newborn from birth to 3 months. Topics include: normal sleep / feed / wake cycles, newborn appearance, newborn communication, comfort techniques, hands-on practice with diapering, bathing, dressing, burping, swaddling, and more! This class is taught by Bethany Ewers, CD, CLC. Limit 4 couples. For a full list of classes visit: https://www.beachcitiesmidwifery.com/classes #newborn #baby #postpartum

Focus on YOUR journey and loving yourself becomes a lot easier. Thanks to @brittney_harding for these words of wisdom: "That was it. One month postpartum... . I was still 62lbs heavier than I was before baby, maternity clothes were the only things that fit, my stretch marks didn’t appear to be fading anytime soon, and the bags under my eyes were just a permanent facial feature... . Mama, I get it. Some days its harder than others to embrace the extra squish and other fun changes that come with postpartum. I remember seeing a girl in my feed the a few days after giving birth, she had toned arms and a flat stomach, which was totally cool until I realized she’d had a baby 2 days after I did. But it was in that moment when I found myself about to fall back into the comparison game that I had to remind myself-- thisisNOTarace! . So to the Instagram babe who popped a baby out one day and was sporting abs the next, cheers to you girl!. . That’s not my story, and that’s ok . This is just one chapter in my postpartum journey and while it isn’t always easy to embrace every dimple and every roll, when I look at my daughters I am reminded just how important it is not to let that negativity win. . Self love isn’t always easy, but it is ALWAYS worth it . That’s why I’m smiling in this photo, not because the extra fluff around the edges was my favorite, but because I LOVE me! I LOVE where I’ve been going. And I love knowing that while the last few months might have been hard, but they’ve been filled with transformation...and I am proud to have learned to love myself every step of the way" #postpartum #birth #bodylove #selflove

Wonderful start to the weekend! "Last night I caught a baby in the very same tub where Violet was born feeling incredibly honored, blessed & filled with love " @_hippiedippiemama_... #midwiferystudent #midwifelife #waterbirth #birthcenter #normalizebirth #birthmatters #birthisbeautiful #midwifery See more

(not to mention everything else going on!!) So, to anyone who needs to hear this today: Give yourself space and time. Tag a Mamma, friend, pregnant person or family member who needs to remember this.

Congratulations to the whole family and welcome to little Noelani! Plus BONUS cutest first Halloween costume! "Welcome to Earth Tiny Goddess Last Friday Noelani Luna Jasmer made her grand entrance and melted our hearts in the process. We love you more than words and we are so excited to watch you grow Gratitude to the Midwifes and staff at Beach Cities Midwifery for making my pregnancy and labor an empowered and special experience "... @christ1na22

Virtual Breastfeeding Class is THIS FRIDAY 11/6 from 2-5pm and again on 11/20 from 2-5pm! This is a great class to take in your third trimester, to get prepared for breastfeeding. To sign up email us at [email protected]. A Zoom link will be sent to all those signed up the day before the class. ... This class is free for all patients and their partners, $35 per couple for non-patients. Breastfeeding is natural, but it is also a learned skill that takes practice! Latch onto the basics of breastfeeding before your baby arrives. This class will prepare you for success in the first 3 months after birth and beyond. Topics include: how your body makes milk, building your milk supply, getting a good start, positioning, latching, how to tell if breastfeeding is working, common concerns, nutrition, pumping, storing breast milk, and more. This class is taught by Bethany Ewers, CD, CLC. To see a full list of classes. visit https://www.beachcitiesmidwifery.com/classes #breastfeeding #naturalbirth #baby #breastfeedingclass See more

Classes for November are up - Email [email protected] to reserve your spot now! (Don't forget Postpartum Support Group is every Thursday and Black Mothers Support Group is tomorrow - both groups are FREE!) Visit https://www.beachcitiesmidwifery.com/classes for more information.

Welcome baby Ryland who was born Sunday morning "en caul"! Congrats to strong Mama on your hard work and congrats to the whole family "Trick or Treat! Ryland Charles McAllen was born today at 11:30am in our home in the water. He was born en caul which means the bag of waters never broke and he came out in the amniotic sac! I am so so grateful to have been able to birth him (and my other babies) in the comfort of my own home. It was a long and hard labor but we did it. ...He is my smallest baby at 8 pounds but his delivery was much more difficult than Elliott’s even though Elliott was 2 pounds bigger! I was expecting a short and swift birth since he was my 3rd but boy oh boy was I wrong. I’m grateful to my amazing birth team who gave me nothing but patience, love and support the whole way through. It’s been a long couple days but the love I already feel for this little guy is surreal. It’s like he was always meant to be in our family. I haven’t slept in two nights but it’s amazing when you look back and the pain and agony of childbirth melts away to a distant memory when all of a sudden you have this new life in your arms. I love you baby Ryland welcome to this world" @nataliebaldwinmcallen Share your birth story with us by tagging @beachcitiesmidwifery or DM us pictures :)

One simple skill women’s clinical specialist Dr. Whitney Sippl wants everyone to know: if you have pain while turning over in bed, do a kegel and engage your core, gently pulling baby towards your spine, before turning. This helps keep your pelvis stable while turning. For information about pelvic pain, back pain, incontinence and more in pregnancy, postpartum and beyond contact Whitney Sippl at https://www.restoredphysique.com/ .

Happy Halloween from Beach Cities Midwifery! Have fun tonight, be safe, practice social distancing, plus wear a mask & a mask!

Happy Birthday to adorable little Seth! "I posted it on my tiktok a couple of weeks ago on Seth’s birthday. I wanna post it here too so he can look at it when he grows up and be reminded that he was born in a bathtub Forever grateful to @beachcitiesmidwifery"... @sethtaivan #waterbirth #birthcenter #longbeach #naturalbirths