Empowered Childbirth
Facilitated by Jan Mallak
Cost: $120
Jan Mallak has over 30-years of experience with birth as a doula and childbirth educator. She offers Empowered Childbirth, a six-hour childbirth preparation course, at Yoga Matrika. If you have questions about this course, please contact Jan directly by calling 724-327-6063.
Please check our online registration system for course dates for 2012.
We recommend that you complete your childbirth preparation sometime after 25 weeks of pregnancy and a minimum of six-weeks before your estimated due date. We offer these classes approximately six times per year, but will add more courses if there is demand. Jan offers private sessions for those who desire them or who may have a birth schedule that is not met by the group classes. These courses have a maximum of six couples (a “couple” being a pregnant woman and her birth partner) and we recommend early registration.
Course Description
Being educated about birth, becoming aware of options and gaining skills to be better prepared are the focus of this class. Expectant couples will learn:
Class 1 -
- Important details about the birth process
- Questions to ask to better understand progress and what to do next
- Positioning and movement options
Class 2 -
- Why a Birth Vision is recommended and how to create one
- How to tap into their own natural resources and innate wisdom
- Ways to physically and emotionally manage birth’s normal course and possible challenges (special doula tips, tools and techniques)
About Your Instructor
Jan Mallak has over 31 years of experience in the baby business. She is certified as a childbirth educator, birth and postpartum doula (by several organizations) and is also a trainer for ICEA and DONA. Jan founded and coordinates “Heart & Hands” Doula Service (heartandhandsdoula.com) which is the most established and comprehensive doula service in W PA. Since 1995, she and her 16 other doulas have provided support before, during and after the birth to over 2000 families. “Heart & Hands” also offers educational classes and monthly Meet & Greets plus miscellaneous things like birth consulting, plaster belly casting or Blessing Way planning. Jan has been published many times, has spoken at several conferences and her first book was published last year called Doulas’ Guide to Birthing Your Way. She is lovingly supported by her husband of 39 years and grown children. She is also the proud “Baba” of 2 and ½ yr old grandson, Zeev.
Jan, like many other doulas, feels she was called to do this work. She loves being in service to other women especially during such a wonderful time in their lives. Helping a woman go through the Rite of Passage into motherhood is truly an honor. Assisting her to dig deep to find her inner wisdom and strength is awesome. And watching a new baby enter the world is a miracle beyond description – each and every time. Until every woman has the birth she wants, there will be a need for doulas and Jan for one is glad to be there for Pittsburgh families! Feel free to contact her at jan@heartandhandsdoula.com.
DYNAMIC CHILDBIRTH™
A unique, yoga-based approach to preparing for childbirth mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually for pregnant women and their birth partners.
You can register for childbirth preparation classes and workshops here.
About DYNAMIC CHILDBIRTH™
Sharon Rudyk has designed a unique approach to preparing for childbirth that includes yoga asana, pranayama (breathing exercises), creative movement and birth partner workshops. This approach is called Dynamic Childbirth™ and it is a holistic preparation that meets the needs of all pregnant women and their birth partners. No matter what you include or leave out of your birth plan, Dynamic Childbirth™ will prepare you for birthing by:
- Helping you stay strong and healthy during pregnancy
- Providing tools for comfort during labor and delivery
- Bringing pregnant women and their birth partners together
- Relieve stress and learn to work with fear of labor and delivery
- Keep mom and birth partner calm and confident
- Mindful parenting skills for parents of newborns
- Tips for enjoying the fourth trimester and how to cope with living with a newborn
- Small group courses allow for individualized attention and support
Research suggests that “moving with awareness benefits both you and your unborn baby (Chopra 2005: 31).” Dynamic Childbirth™ provides pregnant women and their birth partners active and effective tools for partnering in pregnancy and childbirth. The mail principle of this method is that birth is spontaneous and birthing pairs should be too! While it is a wonderful idea to do research, to be informed, to ask mindful questions of your care provider, to carefully choose a prenatal care provider who understands your wishes regarding the type of birth you would ideally like to have, it is also important to remember that it is impossible to know exactly how your birthing will unfold. Therefore, the skills you learn in Dynamic Childbirth™ will help you enjoy your birthing in the moment and regardless of whether or not it is in line with your plans, hopes and dreams, you will be confident that you worked together to bring this baby out with peace, kindness and a profound love. This relationship is built through yoga practice during pregnancy and provides the foundation for a mindful relationship with your child throughout their whole life.
In Dynamic Childbirth™ courses, we focus on what you do have control over during your labor and delivery and not what you can’t possibly predict or have control over. This is an incredibly powerful program that will give you confidence and help you and your birth partner communicate and support one another through the process. We promise not to scare you with interventions, rules and regulations or science and anatomy facts that you don’t need to know—–leave the medicine and science to your midwife or doctor and focus with your partner on sweetly welcoming your little one.
If you are interested, please send an e-mail to Sharon: sharon@yogamatrika.com
We schedule these courses at any time that there are significant requests.
