From prenatal classes to massage and even yoga. These are the places in Vancouver that I went to during my pregnancy and postpartum.
They say it takes a village and I believe that starts even while you’re growing that little baby. There are so many ups and downs during pregnancy emotionally, but also physically. It’s important to take care of yourself as you grow a little human! I carried very low, which meant I faced a lot of pelvic pain and had to seek help to manage it. A happy tradeoff though, as I didn’t have much heartburn or kicks to the ribs with her settling so low for so long.
I had such great experiences throughout my pregnancy, I wanted to share where I went for a midwife, prenatal classes, massage, acupuncture, prenatal yoga, pelvic floor physio, and labour/delivery. In terms of postnatal care, please note that I am only a few weeks postpartum and will likely have more to add to this list as time goes on!
I live in East Vancouver, so I will say that most of the places mentioned are on this side of the city. I hope you still find this list helpful and if you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below or shoot me an email.
Midwife Group Care at South Community Birth Program
The South Community Birth Program came to us highly recommended by many friends. Adam and I already see a Doctor at South Hill Family Health Centre, which is attached to SCBP, so it was really a no-brainer for us. We loved how medical-based the Midwife group is and we opted for their group care option. That included attending a monthly (and later on, bi-weekly) prenatal group/checkup with other couples who were due within a few weeks of us from 20 weeks onward.
I’ll admit that I was skeptical as things began about the group and sometimes wondered what was “so great” about it. Now that I’ve had a baby in the program, I can honestly say that they are the best of the best. The care and attention we received during labour and the support they offered us afterward is incredible. I love that they always have a midwife on rotation at the hospital, I knew we were in good and familiar hands as soon as we arrived. There was a nurse from SCBP at our place the first morning we got home to check on Lucy and I, and we’ve since been to a handful of appointments, so I have confidence that Lucy is doing well. I also love that they have lactation consultants readily available and you can book in as much as you need to! I’ve felt completely supported by the SCBP from the moment we arrived at the hospital, which has helped my mental health immensely.
The prenatal classes were informative enough, learning the science behind childbirth helped ease some anxiety, but I see now that it’s the connection with those people in the room that is far more important. We started a What’s App group chat with everyone, as well as a separate one for just the Mamas and as babies began to arrive, the chat became so important. You realize that we’re all in this newborn haze together and people are asking great questions and/or sharing helpful advice. I love that we can all be breastfeeding in the middle of the night and messaging, you just feel less alone. I appreciate everyone in the group so much and I don’t know what I would do without them!
They also offer a Doula program, where they match you with an amazing local Doula and we honestly couldn’t have done it without our Doula Shania. She knew what I needed even when I didn’t and was a calming presence while I laboured. She was friendly but very professional and I absolutely have her to thank for coaching me through pushing and for being a large part of how I was able to have the birth experience I’d hoped for.
Acupuncture at Acumamas in Olympic Village
Acumamas came highly recommended by the local women on Instagram. I was nervous, having never tried acupuncture, but Renee made me feel very comfortable. She also did some cervical softening acupuncture points at my last appointment and that, combined with walking and my sweep is definitely what I think jumpstarted my labour!
Prenatal Yoga at Uphoria Yoga
The timing couldn’t have been better, with Uphoria Yoga opening so close to me while I was pregnant. They largely focus on yoga for the family, including pre/postnatal, childcare, kids yoga, etc. The prenatal yoga instructor, Brenlie, is simply amazing! Her classes are incredibly insightful and give you a real sense of community with fellow expecting women in the neighbourhood. It was the perfect place to meet up with fellow pregnant friends from our SCBP class and beyond as well!
I have to say, Brenlie of Nurture Natal was actually extremely influential in my birthing experience. She always weaves in lessons and topics to do with childbirth into her classes, as well as faux contraction work, pelvic floor exercises, and plenty of helpful yoga poses. While I was in the throes of contractions, her teachings and mantras were repeating on a loop in my head and I was desperately hanging onto them like a lifeline. Her words gave me hope and comfort while I survived contraction to contraction. She always says that her goal is for women to have an empowered birth and it was definitely the case for me!
RMT Massage at Healing Tree and Acumamas
I already went to Healing Tree for RMT treatments, so it was an easy transition for me to get some prenatal massages there as well. I went for a slew of appointments at the end of 2019 to use up my health benefits and it was a real treat. Unfortunately for me, I needed some more appointments at the very end of my pregnancy because I was so sore those last weeks and was kicking myself for not pre-booking a bunch of appointments in anticipation of that. Hot tip for any pregnant ladies out there, book massage appointments the month leading up to your due date. You can always cancel if baby arrives early!
Luckily, Acumamas, where I already went for my acupuncture, offers specialized prenatal massage therapy. I was able to put myself on a waitlist and got an appointment before it was go-time. I desperately needed that massage and Cassidy was a very talented RMT!
Pelvic Floor Physico at The Cheerful Pelvis
I am SO glad I began my pelvic floor work while I was pregnant and that I consulted with Rachelle at The Cheerful Pelvis. She assessed me (I didn’t do an internal assessment, we’ll see how my recovery goes over the next month and where I’m at 6 weeks pp) and gave me really helpful exercises to help minimize my pelvic pain. I only had a few appointments beforehand, but she did provide me with information and a helpful document about perineal massage and what to expect postpartum and I look forward to our follow up next month.
For additional pelvic floor and postpartum work I love following Kim the Vagina Coach on Instagram. She has lots of great exercises, pelvic floor and pp advice, as well as fun pelvic floor challenges!
Labour and Delivery at Women’s Hospital
I also have to give a shoutout to Women’s in general. Every single nurse and staff member we interacted with at BC Women’s Hospital was incredible. Even when they were short-staffed and the admitting nurse was scrambling, she made sure to stop by, provide me with a bouncy ball and heat pack, and reassured us that we’d get a room soon.
We opted to stay over for a night and all the nurses who checked on us throughout the night and into the next day were incredibly helpful. My friend advised me to enlist as much help with breastfeeding as possible while in their care and I’m so glad I did! Every time I would demonstrate a feeding, each nurse had different tips and tricks and combined, Lucy and I learned what a good latch was and got some really solid practice. She eats like such a champ now!
What do you think, any places I’ve missed? Let me know in the comments below if you have something to add!
