[Deb]

Hi Deb,

I'm sorry this e-mail is so long in coming! I wanted to let you know that my son, Gus, was born at 8:17 pm on Thursday, August 5th (nine days late!). 7 lbs., 11 oz., 20.5 inches.

Here's the story:

I could tell that I was in early labor from about 3:00 in the morning. It wasn't enough to wake me up (the heat took care of that!), but enough to realize that we weren't going to work that day! I got up at 6:00, took a shower, sent some e-mails, and was in active labor by 9:30. I'd expected that early labor would last for hours and that contractions would build, but they were intense and really close together from 9:30 on -- anywhere from two to four minutes apart, lasting from 20-40 seconds. That was the worst part: that they were so irregular and unpredictable and that I never got a break. But I did it! 12 hours of labor without an epidural, as I'd hoped. I was concerned that I was too tense and that I wasn't really doing the exercises and focusing techniques that we worked on in class, but I think even the fact that I was trying to focus and relax and breathe really helped. That and my husband, the best coach and support system of all time -- the man could be a doula! And here's the part for the moms-to-be in your classes: only 12 minutes of pushing! I really focused on pushing with my abs, even though they made me hold my breath. So tell the girls -- those ab exercises work! And kegels, kegels, kegels; I did tear, but it was very small and I was pretty comfortable after just a few days.

Thanks for everything. I had wished that I started prenatal yoga sooner, but even doing it consistently from 32 weeks until delivery really helped me in my pregnancy, both physically and emotionally, and I have no doubt that it helped with labor and delivery. It's such a valuable service that you and the other instructors provide to pregnant women and I want you to know how much I appreciate everything.

All my best and with thanks,
Lisa Kiffer