PRENATAL & POSTPARTUM
MOMMAS AND MOMMAS TO BE
A holistic approach to pregnancy and motherhood
I believe in offering space for expecting women and new mothers to connect with mind, body, baby, and heart. This is a time to listen to your individual body wisdom. Through education, mindful movement, massage, and bodywork, I offer support for one’s changing needs—physically, emotionally, and mentally. I’m here for your journey from conception, childbirth, parenting, and beyond.
Massage Therapy
AND BODYWORK FOR MOMMA TO-BE
I focus on the unique and specific needs of each woman during pregnancy. While this is an amazing and beautiful time in a woman’s life, many pregnant women can feel periods of physical discomfort and emotional stress.
Specific body cushions that contour to a woman’s body during pregnancy are used for the massage/bodywork. This allows accessibility for the prenatal client to lay in a prone position (face down with body raised so that belly can be safely positioned in open space of cushions), side-lying with support and reclined on back with head, heart, and lower legs elevated.
For prenatal women that are close to/at/past their due date, trigger point therapy to help stimulate labor can be applied upon request. Specific acupressure points are incorporated in the massage session for this treatment. Guided breath-work and labor positioning practice can also be incorporated into the session.
Appointments are held at The Village in Collingswood, NJ. Please note: It’s best to plan ahead. My schedule for massage/bodywork fills up fast and I’m typically booked out 2-3 weeks in advance although sometimes sessions open up on short notice. Please feel free to contact me if you have any schedule questions/concerns.
Massage Therapy
AND BODYWORK FOR NEW MOMMA
Our postpartum massage and bodywork sessions focus on the new mom’s well-being. Sessions incorporate a range of techniques to help ease the nervous system, alleviate muscle soreness, stabilize weight-bearing joints, restore postural balance and overall relaxation. This can also be a time to assist with scar tissue release from a c section and gentle abdominal massage for core function.
If you are requesting to come in before your first postpartum check-up by a care provider, please contact Carrie prior to your appointment.
Appointments are held at The Village in Collingswood, NJ.
Group Classes
AND WORKSHOPS
Our HoliMomma classes are specifically designed for prenatal and postpartum women. We take a holistic approach to pregnancy and motherhood and offer a wide variety of classes from yoga, strength and stability, functional/corrective exercise, massage, bodywork, and meditation. We believe in offering space to connect with mind, body, baby, and heart. This is a time to listen to your individual body wisdom. We’re here to support the changing needs (physically, emotionally, and mentally) and are along for the journey from conception, childbirth, parenting, and beyond.
During our in-person classes, we offer group ‘circle time’ at the beginning of each class. This is a great way to connect with other women that are on the journey into motherhood. It’s an opportunity to share ideas, ask pregnancy or postpartum-related questions and/or address anything for the instructor.
All in-person prenatal and postpartum classes and workshops are held at The Village in Collingswood, NJ. The schedule page provides detailed information and registration.
One-to-One
INSTRUCTION
Having the time and space for individualized attention for your specific needs.
Body Education
With individualized body education, I offer support with understanding postural alignment, pelvic floor, and core function during pregnancy and postpartum. This can have wonderful benefits for easing discomfort and lay the foundation for healing and recovery. I tailor the time to one’s specific needs. Sessions often include:
- Functional movement education for postural support
- Corrective exercise for pelvic floor and diastasis recti
Mind/Body Wellness
Many emotions arise during pregnancy and parenting. Having time. to ease the body and mind helps us to embrace the changes that occur during this time period. As a yoga and meditation teacher, I guide women through. restorative, mindful practice to ease the nervous system, and clear away stress and anxiety. This session is tailored to one’s needs and is offered for the individual or couple.
Birth Preparation
One-to-one birth preparation (for the individual or for couples) creates a personalized childbirth education experience. The sessions include information about the labor process + movement, comfort techniques, pelvic support, and breath-work.
HONOR THE SPACE YOU’RE IN
Pregnancy and postpartum stages are a unique experience for every woman. There will be moments of exhaustion to feeling energized and everything in between. Our ‘motto’ is – Honor the space you’re in.
Every day (or even moment to moment), may feel different and know that is ok. We ask for you to be kind to yourself. When practicing our movement classes, do so mindfully. Our prenatal classes are open to all trimesters and we offer options/modifications to support each stage of pregnancy. The most important thing is to listen to your body. We encourage you to feel sensation and breathe deeply but never go to a place of pain. All poses/exercises are optional. Not every pose will work for every woman and that is ok. We’ll give cueing for alignment and offer modifications, but always do what is best for you.
Mommas to-be: Before participating in one of our movement classes, please check with your care provider if you have any pregnancy-related complications such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, heart/lung disease, placenta previa, history of miscarriage, or any other health issue that may concern you.
Additionally, it may not be the best time to participate in our movement classes if you’re experiencing any sharp abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, severe back pain, severe dizziness/headaches, and/or decreased fetal movement. Our restful/restorative and meditation practices may be a better alternative.
If you have any complications, injuries, health conditions and/or any general concerns, please consult with your care provider prior to exercise.
New mommas: If you had a healthy pregnancy and a normal vaginal delivery, it is usually safe to begin exercising a few weeks after giving birth—or as soon as you feel ready. With that said, we recommend to start off with gentle movement and breath-work. If you experienced vaginal tearing or C-section, we recommend seeking your doctor’s approval before engaging in exercise. Your body may not be ready for physical exercise if you are experiencing abdominal pain, bleeding, heavy discharge, urinary/feces leakage and/or heaviness in pelvic region. We recommend seeking guidance from your care provider with any of the above or additional concerns before joining our movement classes.