http://www.bebirthpositive.com/

Birth Positive Childbirth Education, Woodmere, NY (2026)

01/08/2026

If you ever thought having a positive birth experience was all “up to chance”, think again. While there are certainly aspects outside of one’s control - there are many aspects that are actually *within* your control to help yourself has as positive of an experience as possible 💃 I can’t wait to share more about what you can do before, during, and after your birth that can help you have an experience that is empowering, safe, joyful, and satisfying. Please join me at the on Wednesday, January 14th to learn more! Tag or share with a friend that’s local to the Five Towns!

08/07/2025

Posted this to my stories and here were the results..

44% of people said their first birth was traumatic. Yikes. Why? Why are so many people saying their birth was traumatic? No like really - why?

So - I don’t know for sure. But I’m wondering. For those who identify with that traumatic group - if it’s because something about your experience felt out of control.

Like you weren’t listened to or respected.

Or your plan for pain relief didn’t work (whether that was an epidural or something totally unmedicated).

Or you ended up in a c-section that you had not considered, were unprepared for, and didn’t even see coming.

Or your pain was minimized.

Or you felt like you didn’t have a voice.

Because yes while there are absolutely objective things that can be traumatic for anyone, I observe that a lot of traumatic birth stories come from these factors. Basically feeling like things happened *to* you and there was nothing you could do. ☹️

And in this poll about 31% of people said their birth was different than they hoped but still positive.

Is this crew just lucky? Or was there some difference that influenced their experience? 🧐

For the people who had an experience that was different than they hoped but was still positive - I wonder if that’s because regardless of the circumstances, they felt like an active participant in their birth. Like they were listened to and respected.

There are many factors that affect your experience. And while a lot can be out of your control, there are definitely things in your control to help avoid potential trauma.

Things like with who/where you give birth, the birth education you do beforehand, and the support team you have.

And just to be clear even if you do all the right things it doesn’t guarantee a specific outcome 😮‍💨 (though I wish it did - trust me). It doesn’t guarantee that there won’t be trauma, but it *can* give you the best chance of having an experience where you remain an active participant no matter what happens.

There’s so much to say on this. Feel free to chime in below 👇

08/05/2025

Spoiler alert🚨The main goal of birth education is not about learning facts and information 🫢.

🌟 It’s about unlearning the false narrative that birth is unbearably painful, scary, horrible and automatically traumatizing.

🌟 It’s about reconnecting with your intuition.

🌟 It’s about reminding yourself of that innate wisdom you know your body has to birth your baby.

And only once you get that foundation do any facts, evidence, or information even matter.

Birth is not a high school test where you need to get the answers right. It’s a process where you need to surrender more than anything else. If you’re a straight A student this might be a challenge for you. Don’t worry - I got you.

Should you be informed about your options? Yes. Absolutely. It’s important to be savvy about what choices are available to you.

But if you don’t yet trust yourself. If you can’t yet listen to your inner voice. If you can’t wrap your mind around the fact that birth was designed to work the vast majority of the time, then none of those facts will make a difference. You can’t birth with your brain. In fact your logical brain has to more or less check out in order for birth to flow.

So when you’re considering what to do to prepare for birth - make sure that it is something that helps you reconnect with that inner voice. That helps you geek out about how cool the birth process is 🤓 (because it is so cool 💁‍♀️). That kindles that fire of power inside of you - not extinguishes it with fear.

You can get the facts and statistics in a google search or typical pregnancy preparation book. But you can’t get that foundation of inner trust from just anywhere.

Consider if you have internalized the notion that birth is painful, horrible and traumatic. Hint: if the first word that comes to mind is “pain” when you think of labor, you probably have. One thing I love about what I do is helping expecting parents overcome these fears by seeing the incredible design of the birth process and actually getting excited for the birth of their baby. If that’s something you’d like to explore further, shoot me a DM so we can chat about this more ✨

07/29/2025

Too many women have a traumatic, unsatisfying birth experience where they feel their voice was not heard.

Where they did not feel fully informed of their options.

Where they felt like they were on a train and they couldn’t get off.

Where their thoughts, values, and experience were overridden by policies, protocols, and routines.

And in these scenarios - there are two reactions I see.

There is a lot of cognitive dissonance in what you hoped would be and what was. And that’s why you might be tempted to choose #1. To lower your expectations. To think “well - I was just a foolish first time mom I should have known better that I shouldn’t have expected to feel empowered, safe, seen, supported, strong during my birth.” Because honestly - it’s painful to face the reality that your expectations were so far from being met. So you lower your expectations to meet what was.

But then there’s the second option. Which is to still hold those expectations in the front of your heart and mind. You do everything in your power to have a better experience the next time because you know your expectations weren’t misplaced. Because you know that birth can be transformative and you won’t give that vision up.

So you make different choices the next time around. You do more, or different birth preparation. You do more research into choosing a doctor, midwife, and place of birth that actually aligns with your values. You do your histadlus (effort). You know you can’t control the outcome, but you also know that birth satisfaction has less to do with checking the boxes of your perfect birth than it does with knowing you did everything that was reasonable within your power, and felt seen, safe, supported, and strong throughout pregnancy and birth.

If you’re sifting through a birth that didn’t meet your expectations, I’m here for you. I’m sorry. I see you. It’s not okay. I want you to know that you always deserve better. You deserve more. You don’t need to lower your bar because there are places, providers, and communities out there who know your birth matters, too. When you know in your gut that you deserve better, you don’t need to settle for less. What’s your take on this?

06/01/2025

I recently caught up with a student of mine who shared her birth story with me.

Their baby is a few months old now and when we recently caught up, this scenario you just imagined is actually based on the conversation we had about her birth experience.

I’m sharing this because this could be you, too.
🏥 You can walk into the hospital like the savvy lady you are.
💫 You can handle contractions at home and not go into the hospital too early.
🧘‍♀️ You can know what’s flying and remain calm and trusting of the process.
💪 You can be prepared to cope with labor with or without an epidural.
♥️ You can build a team of people that support you.
😌 You can surrender to the process knowing you did everything in your power to make your birth a positive experience.

I’m so ready for more people to have birth experiences like this. This student is not the first one to have an experience like this, and I do this work so that she won’t be the last ♥️.

When you’re ready for this to be you, too I can’t wait to help you get there! send me a DM to talk about the different options for working together.

05/14/2025

If you thought craving pickles and ice cream was wild, you’re just getting started.

A few weeks ago I posted a reel asking you to share your most unhinged unusual pregnancy cravings. The responses were wild 🎢 and - still going.

Here are the top 5 that were shared.
🥛 Dairy
💨 Ci******es
🏝️ Sand, dirt, soap
🧼 Smell of cleaning products
🥩 Raw meat

Other notable ones include..
🍋 Citrus fruits of all kind
🧍‍♂️ Husbands
🥨 Salty foods with all kinds of condiments
🌀 Bizarre food combinations
🍷 Wine

Missed it? Go back and add yours to the comments. At a minimum, definitely check out the comments. I was literally laughing out loud reading some of them!

Pregnancy cravings are thought to be due to nutritional needs or emotional comfort. With some - like if you’re craving non-food items this is something to discuss with your provider because it can signal an iron deficiency (quite common in pregnant women). It’s soo interesting to see what the body is telling us via these cravings. Of course some are safer to indulge than others 😋

At the end of the day - I found it fascinating that multiple people shared the same very unusual craving. So just know - even when it comes to the foods you’re obsessed with in pregnancy, you’re never really alone 😉

05/06/2025

Have you ever thought that …
🤔The way a birth unfolds is simply luck of the draw
🤔All OBs practice in the same way - and the one you choose won’t affect the outcome
🤔Once you choose your doctor, you’re committed to them

I know I have. But here’s the thing - none of these statements are actually true.

The care provider - OB or midwife - is one of the most influential factors in how your birth unfolds.
⭐️ It’s not just up to chance.
⭐️ The provider you choose actually does influence the actual outcomes in care
⭐️ You are never stuck if you are unhappy with your provider

Want to avoid an unnecessary c-section? Choose a doctor with a low c-section rate.
Want to avoid tearing? Choose a provider with a high intact perineum rate.
Want to participate in decisions around your care and not be told what to do? Find a doctor that engages in shared decision making.

So often women are choosing based on who everyone they know uses, who their GYN was, logistical considerations like location/insurance, and who has the best bedside manner. But when you really want to have a birth where you feel empowered, seen and on the same page as your provider - you need to go a level deeper.

💫 Get in touch with your own birth philosophy.
💫 Figure out what’s important to you.
💫 Ask the right questions.
💫 And find the provider who is best aligned to you as an individual.

And I get it - there is usually no *perfect* unicorn 🦄 option - but you can make the best choice for you based on your priorities and values instead of just making this decision blindly.

💻 I hope you’ll join me on Thursday 5/8 at 12PM EST for this Free Webinar on How to Choose the right OB [or midwife!] for you.

You can take steps to set yourself up for a higher satisfaction with your birth. It starts by making intentional choices like this one. If you’re newly pregnant, deciding about an OB, thinking about switching for your current/future pregnancy, or just interested to hear more - I can’t wait to see you there! Can’t join live? Register and you’ll get the recording after.

How did you choose your doctor/midwife? Share below!👇

04/08/2025

A client messaged me recently after she had her first appointment with a new OB practice.

“Wow I didn’t know an OB appointment could actually feel like this. I was treated like an equal - it even felt like she was my friend.”

Rewind to her first pregnancy - where she felt that she had “loyalty” to the doctor she chose. She had a personal connection… So many people use them… Everyone says they’re so great. Even when she herself was not 100% satisfied, she stuck with that practice.

But now thinking about having another baby, she realized that she needed something different for future pregnancies. That she deserved to be with a practice that aligned with her more.

We worked together to help her find a new Dr. and this ⬆️ is what she shared after meeting with the new practice 🥹.

There are multiple options of OBs/midwives out there for a reason. Certain people will connect with certain providers and that’s great. But you deserve to be with the provider that’s the best fit for *you*.

It might feel uncomfortable to switch. To work with someone different than all your female family members. Or your friends. Or your community.

But you know what’s even more uncomfortable?
❌Staying with a provider that isn’t aligned with your goals and values.
❌Feeling like you could have had more from your birth experience and like it fell short.
❌Not honoring your intuition and the fact that you know you deserve better.

You are never stuck. It’s never too late. When you know what you want out of your birth, you have to be brave and step out of your comfort zone. But trust me - it’s worth it 💪.

Choosing the right team is an essential component to a birth where you can feel calm, respected and in control. If you need support figuring these decisions out, send me a private message to see how we can work together to make your birth dreams a reality.

This time of year invites us to not be stuck in the things holding us back. Let’s not get stuck in the limits we place upon ourselves in all areas of life. Wishing everyone a Happy Passover & Chag Kasher v’ Sameach ♥️

04/02/2025

If you’re expecting or thinking about having a baby in the future, you may be wondering if an epidural will impact your postpartum recovery. I’ve gotten this question a few times so wanted to give it a space on my feed.

Here’s what I know:

⭐️ I am not aware of research based evidence that says this to be the case (if you are - please post the info. below!). According to a smallish study I found of 300 women that studied this topic - no differences were actually found between those who did / didn’t have an epidural in terms of their physical recovery. Link posted in the comments.

In addition to the research, I also think it’s important to take into account other basic facts about how an epidural impacts labor like:
⭐️ An epidural leaves you numb for some period of time after birth so it takes longer to get up and about
⭐️ An epidural causes swelling from the IV fluids
⭐️ An epidural can make certain interventions more likely that can impact recovery (assisted v@ginal birth for example)
⭐️ If you cannot feel with an epidural it’s possible that during labor/pushing you may be positioned in ways that you wouldn’t normally be (ie legs way farther back than your normal range of motion) - leading to soreness or otherwise.

So could it impact your recovery? Sure. But as this follower said in her DM - how do we really know if it’s “just birth” or from the epidural?

From my POV, we don’t know for sure 🤷‍♀️🙈 Birth recovery is a real recovery even without an epidural.

But I will say this: if you’re like most women who want as easy of a recovery as possible, consider what else impacts postpartum recovery. Things like having as gentle of a birth as possible, as well as good support, rest, and adequate nutrition as you recover.

The main thing I do hear anecdotally is people feel more “back to themselves” sooner without an epidural. Is that technically proven by research? Not that I am aware of. Do I also value common sense and anecdotal experience? Yes.

I’d love to hear from you on this.. if you had an easier or harder recovery with or without an epidural - could you share below?

03/31/2025

For those of us who see birth as a significant life event, the way it goes down matters to us.

And when we are surrounded by messaging that tells us that the only thing that matters is a healthy mom, healthy baby, and to stop worrying about the birth so much - we can start to second guess ourselves.

You start thinking.. Am I crazy for wanting an unmedicated birth? A peaceful birth? To want a say on what happens to my body?

It is really hard to be the idealistic person amongst a culture that only sees birth as just getting the baby from the inside to the outside. “A healthy baby is all that matters”, they say. And of course that’s what you want. But in an environment that doesn’t also value the process itself, you start to feel like there’s something weird about you if you do.

If this is you, you have a choice - you can succumb to that pressure to give up on your dreams and let it deflate your hopes like a tiny hole punctured in a balloon. Or - you can still do everything in your power to achieve the birth you want.

When preparing for birth, we have to hold this tension between hope, positivity and also the reality that we cannot control the outcome.

But don’t let anyone lead to you to believe that just because you can’t control the outcome you shouldn’t try to do what you can to influence it.

The preparation you do matters. The choices you make matter.

Because that’s the only thing that will actually enable you to have the birth you want.

Giving up, not trying, not investing time/money/effort because it “might not work” only does one thing. It does not protect you from disappointment if those things don’t work - it simply guarantees that you won’t get the birth you yearn for. And I know you won’t accept that.

03/10/2025

“So… are you getting an epidural?”
⭐️ If you’re pregnant, I’d bet money that you’ve heard this question a million times. And the advice is ALL. OVER. THE. PLACE. You’re probably more unsure than ever what the “right” thing to do is.

“Once you get the epidural… it’s smooth sailing.”
“You don’t need a doula if you’re getting an epidural.”
“Omg, don’t get one—it’ll ruin your birth!”
“Wait, you’re not getting an epidural?! There’s no gold medal for that.”

Sound familiar?

Here’s the truth: It’s your birth. And YOU get to choose.
But the best way to make that choice?
💫 With actual facts and information — not just stories and opinions.
🏃‍♀️ So let’s cut through the noise and discuss how you get to decide what’s best for you.

💻 Join me on March 24 for a live on Zoom webinar into all things epidural.
⭐️ We’re covering:
➕The process of getting an epidural step by step.
➕Why some women choose to forgo it.
➕How an epidural actually impacts labor (the good & the not-so-good).
➕Myths vs. facts: so you can make a truly informed decision.

Plus a Q&A at the end to ask me anything!

Should you get one? Should you skip it?
You get to decide. And I’m here to help you feel confident in that decision.

It’s FREE to join live if you register before we start. Replay access is $15 after we’re done, so don’t wait! ✨

Click the link in my bio to grab your spot, or comment “EPIDURAL” below!

Birth Positive Childbirth Education

01/08/2026

08/07/2025

08/05/2025

07/29/2025

06/01/2025

05/14/2025

05/06/2025

04/08/2025

04/02/2025

03/31/2025

03/10/2025

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