Our older son turned 10 the other day. Phew!! it has been an exhilarating, and fulfilling 10 years.While I was carrying him we did not know much about what childbirth entailed, both from a physical and psychological perspective. Though our doctor and nurses at the Southern New Hampshire Medical Center (in Nashua, NH, USA) were very helpful, actually experiencing those emotions and physical changes was nothing like what we had heard and read (especially in books such as “What to expect….”).

After our older one was delivered via emergency c-section, I was determined to have our next child the normal way. Believe me, it took a lot of effort in terms of being mentally and physically prepared. But I finally succeeded with our younger son. We now have two adorable and active kids who are a constant source of joy.

As I started to practice physical therapy again after our older son was born, I had a chance to work a lot with mothers-to-be. That kindled an interest in applying my training to helping would-be-mothers to prepare for the childbirth process and to help them understand that it is a normal process.

All expectant parents want the same thing: a healthy baby. But, what are the steps to having a healthy baby? The Healthy Mother(TM) Program believes that a healthy baby begins with a healthy pregnancy and normal birth. It builds upon the well-established principles of Lamaze International to promote, support and protect normal birth through a mix of hands-on wellness programs, as well as by providing reliable, vital information to expectant parents about what is perhaps the single-most important event in their life.

Childbirth is a wonderful, joyous journey. When parents are prepared and well-informed about this natural process, the woman’s confidence in her ability to go through labor and childbirth increases dramatically, and she is able to enjoy this incredible phase in her life!

Watch out for my next post on early pregnancy. Until then, feel free to join in, and discuss anything that’s important to you about your pregnancy and childbirth. Share your experiences and ask questions. I will try to answer as accurately as possible.

Dr. Vijaya Krishnan