September 16, 2024 • 18 mins
Curious how Latin dance can benefit pregnant women? Join us on Parenting Genie as we welcome the multifaceted Kimberly Lear, a prenatal yoga teacher, midwife, and surf coach. Kimberly takes us through her incredible journey, from her early love for surfing in Bundaberg to her impactful volunteer work in Haiti post-Hurricane Matthew. Learn how bachata, with its rhythmic and hip-focused movements, can provide amazing benefits for expectant mothers, and get inspired by Kimberly's dedication to empowering women throughout their pregnancy.
Discover the holistic benefits of prenatal yoga as Kimberly shares expert tips on alleviating common pregnancy ailments like sciatica pain and enhancing mindfulness to prepare for labor. We delve into how her unique integration of midwifery and yoga supports women both at home and in hospitals, ensuring a positive birthing experience. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to join the Parenting Genie community for consultations, yoga classes, and engaging Facebook Live sessions. Tune in to feel strong, aligned, and ready for the beautiful journey of childbirth.
Thank you for listening to Parenting Genie Podcast. For more parenting information, visit our website https://parentinggenie.com.au. or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter @parentinggenie.
We value your feedback, so please feel free to reach out to us via email at admin@parentinggenie.com.au.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Carey Donohoe (00:00):
Hello and welcome .
Every Tuesday, we dive deepinto pregnancy and then on
Thursday, we switch gears tocover everything about parenting
.
Rest assured, we're committedto providing you with Hello,
amazing parents; it's Carey fromParenting Genie.
(00:20):
loads of insights and expertadvice every week.
I hope you're all having afabulous day Now.
We have a very special guest onour podcast today, a very
talented woman who is a prenatalyoga teacher and a midwife, and
I've been particularly excitedabout this combination.
(00:42):
So let's all give a warmwelcome to Kimberly Lear.
Hello, kimberly.
Kimberly Lear (00:46):
Hello.
Thank you so much for your warmwelcome.
Carey Donohoe (00:48):
How are you?
I'm good.
Thank you for joining us, andwe really are excited that you
are joining the Parenting Genieteam.
So thank you.
Kimberly Lear (00:55):
Thank you, great to be here.
Carey Donohoe (00:59):
Now, kimberley, can you tell us a little bit
about yourself, or somethingunexpected, or something a fun
fact about yourself?
Kimberly Lear (01:10):
A fun fact.
People are often surprised thatI love Latin dancing, so I'm
often dancing bachata and salsa.
Carey Donohoe (01:18):
Wow, exciting, I would say.
Kimberly Lear (01:19):
I'd recommend bachata for pregnant women.
Actually it's really good forthe hips.
So what is bachata for pregnantwomen?
Actually it's really good forthe hips.
So what is bachata?
Bachata is a form of Latindancing, like salsa, but it's to
a four-beat count, but itreally incorporates a lot of hip
movement.
So I think it's quite fun.
My parents have actuallystarted learning salsa since
(01:41):
watching me the last few years.
Carey Donohoe (01:44):
So how long have you been dancing?
Doing uh since 2018.
Kimberly Lear (01:49):
Actually, I started learning when I was
volunteering in haiti.
Uh, there's a big latin dancingscene over there yes, wow.
Carey Donohoe (01:57):
So tell us briefly about your experience in
haiti.
What were you doing over there?
Kimberly Lear (02:03):
uh, in haiti, I went to volunteer in a small
midwifery clinic, so on theoutskirts, not in the big city.
I was drawn to go and volunteerthere following Hurricane
Matthew, and I also had asponsor child over there.
So that's what drew me to Haitiin the first place over there,
(02:27):
so that's what drew me to Haitiin the first place.
Uh, I did a lot of aneducational role.
Uh, because they don't so muchhave education in Creole, their
native language so I wastranslating um in French and
Creole in English just to help,uh, the midwives, to educate the
mothers and, of course, somehands-on delivery and things as
well, which was really beautifulover there it must have been a
(02:50):
very exciting time for you and Ibet yeah really loved it and I
bet you learned very enrichingwell definitely now, I know you
love surfing, so tell us alittle bit about how you got
into that uh, I got into surfingfrom my father, so I grew up in
(03:12):
Bundaberg, which, if you'veever been up there, it's flat
the surf.
But we took the long course out.
We weren't jumping out whenthere was cyclones and such just
to try and get a bit of abigger wave.
Um, and you know, we watchedkelly slater since I was little.
I fell in love with the man it'samazing and um yeah, since I
(03:35):
started studying nursing on thesunshine coast when I was 17,
that's when I started reallygetting into surfing.
Surfing some bigger, more funways uh and where I live now in
Lenny's head, has a really greatsurf break, so I'm often out in
the surf every morning, um andalso a surf coach.
Carey Donohoe (03:51):
Oh, a surf coach as well.
Kimberly Lear (03:52):
Wow, and so is that something you teach each
week uh, yeah, I've been umworking a bit of a blend between
working the midwifery, the surf, coaching and some lifeguarding
uh, getting all of my passionthis week yeah, how interesting.
Carey Donohoe (04:09):
Well so, from latin dancing to surfing, that's
amazing.
So can you do any things?
Kimberly Lear (04:17):
to enjoy.
Carey Donohoe (04:18):
Yes, oh, it's great to have an outlet, really,
isn't it?
It's amazing.
So can you tell us a little bitabout your professional
background?
Kimberly Lear (04:26):
uh.
So professionally, I am aregistered nurse and midwife.
I've also studied tropicalmedicine before volunteering in
Haiti, rwanda and Laos for threeyears and and have since done
um, a public health certificateas well.
Um, I graduated in 2015, whichseems to go faster than uh, than
(04:49):
you think.
You realize, oh, I've been doingthis for a little while now,
yeah, yeah, and I realizedmostly when um say I go home to
visit Bundaberg and I run intowomen I've birthed with and they
no longer have a baby, but theyhave a child in school, and I'm
like, has it been that long?
Um, very quickly, but it doesgo so quickly, um, so I can't
(05:10):
imagine for the mothersthemselves.
It would go even faster it does.
Carey Donohoe (05:14):
um, do you have lots of experience there, you
know, and, and, and, also withyour uh volunteering overseas as
well, so you obviously havelearned a lot, yeah, and all the
different scopes I've liked todo.
Yeah, fantastic Kimberley.
What drew you to become amidwife and what is your
(05:36):
favourite area of midwifery?
Kimberly Lear (05:37):
Yeah, um, what drew me to be a midwife?
Uh, initially it was to do themore humanitarian work, just
supporting babies in lowresource settings, um, but since
working within the healthcentre, I've drawn more of a
passion to that kind ofcommunity-based and really
(05:58):
empowering women, um, as I thinksometimes it's such an unknown
adventure that we're going on inpregnancy, um, that it's really
good to empower her to knowwhat are her both options, to
ask for those options, um, andto have a positive birth
experience which sets her on theright foot to really enjoy
(06:19):
motherhood.
Oh, absolutely.
So I like educating about theother resources they might have
available to them, the differentbirth options, whether that's
finding a place to have a waterbirth or using a rebozo to get
an alignment.
Yeah, just looking at eachbirth individually for families
(06:39):
even though birth is natural foreveryone, it's also very
individual to each family,exactly totally.
Carey Donohoe (06:47):
And so what led you to become a prenatal yoga
teacher?
Kimberly Lear (06:53):
so through supporting women.
I do see in birth or inpregnancies there are those
common ailments that women mightfind that got that backache
with that growing womb, or a bitof sciatica with the pressure,
um, even up to nausea, or just areflux from that growing baby
up in their womb.
I've just seen how yoga well,I've been practicing myself for
(07:17):
15 years and I do notice it inmy body if I go a few days
without yeah uh.
So I think, even more for a bodythat is changing with pregnancy
, with the growing weight of thewomb baby, that it's very
important to get that alignmentto try and prevent these
ailments of some aches and painsthat can come, as well as
(07:38):
really learning the breath work,uh, which is very important, I
think, for labour, because weoften tense up when we
experience pain, whereas tobirth your baby you really need
to create an opening and letthat go.
So learning how to control yourpelvic floor through breath
work, I think, is a very usefultool to have, as well as that
(08:01):
sense of calm when everything'schanging in your body during
labor, that you can still havethat, um, that intuition with
your body on what it needs inthat moment.
Carey Donohoe (08:13):
That's right, and I mean we all talk about you
know the pain in labor as apositive pain and it is really
important to try and breathe andrelax through that pain so you
can open up.
So yeah, I can see how thatprenatal yoga would help prepare
, you know, especially firsttime moms, you know for labor.
Kimberly Lear (08:33):
Yes.
Carey Donohoe (08:35):
What benefits have you seen in women you know
that are doing yoga duringpregnancy?
What kind of benefits are there?
Kimberly Lear (08:46):
during pregnancy.
What kind of benefits are there?
Um, the benefits being that Ido see that it does help if
women are having that sciaticapain, that it can really assist
with that.
Um, I also find it's a timethat mums can have a bit of like
that restorative moment wherethey're so busy they're maybe
looking after others still atwork, not sure what's happening
with their body, just to comeand be in tune with what's
(09:08):
happening, in tune with theirbaby.
That can help them be moremindful of their baby's
movements, as that's somethingthat we really recommend are in
touch with their baby'smovements for monitoring their
well-being.
Um, and I see that it helpswomen feel more confident in
their labor, able to relax whenthey need to rest in between
contractions and able to breatheand use their body well to get
(09:32):
in that good position and movearound more mobile.
Um, because, yeah, in labor wedon't want to just be laying on
a bed, we want to be up andchanging positions to help that
baby get through the birth canal.
Carey Donohoe (09:43):
Oh, yes, sure.
So how have you combinedmidwifery and prenatal yoga?
Kimberly Lear (09:51):
So working as a midwife, I first started just
doing it with the women.
So I have worked as a midwifein the hospital setting, so
sometimes it's with women I'venot met before in the hospital
setting, so sometimes it's withwomen I've not met before.
But I find that it's a way thatyou can just really relate with
women, maybe first relaxingmuscles on her forehead telling
(10:12):
her to drop her time and thentalking through some breathwork
techniques with her and I findthat it can help women to go
from the kind of estate toletting it go, relaxing all the
muscles that need to relax andallowing that baby to descend
better.
And that's how I started, and Ithink, going into the community
(10:35):
and working with women to thenjust start their labour knowing
what to come in with, havingthose tools, having those
positions, being able to feeltheir body better.
It's just helped them to have alittle bit more calm and
control in their birth and a bitmore ease to it.
Carey Donohoe (10:54):
Wow, yeah, that's totally amazing.
So, like I said earlier, we'rereally excited to have you join.
Parenting Genie.
What excites you about joiningour community?
Kimberly Lear (11:06):
Yeah, well, I'm excited, uh, because I think
it's so valuable to help reachout to women in the community as
they're coming to the hospitalsetting maybe going between
doctors and midwives and all theinformation you can get from
books it can be so overwhelmingand you don't always have time
to ask questions, but I find umtherapy genie is just giving
(11:29):
those like precious nuggets ofinformation on their pages that
mums can just easily access, aswell as making the availability
of consultations for mums toaccess from home, because no one
really wants to drive to thehospital, wait for your
appointment, find parking, thatcan be quite hard.
(11:50):
So I think making thateducation and that support
accessible for mums at home isso important and very valuable.
So I'm excited to be part ofthat team.
Carey Donohoe (11:59):
Oh, wonderful.
Yeah, it is important.
You know like, not everyone canjust get to a clinic or a
hospital easily, you know.
So it's great to have thatoption to jump on and, yeah,
book a consultation or aprenatal yoga class or anything
like that.
So that's good.
Um, what can parents expectfrom your facebook live sessions
(12:21):
, um, and your yoga classes?
Kimberly Lear (12:26):
so I want to change it up each week with the
facebook lives, jumping betweensome breath work, getting ready
for labour, or just relaxing inyour pregnancy when things feel
a little bit overwhelming, orchanging, as well as maybe some
partner poses getting a bit offun.
Whether that's with yourpartner or a good friend, those
(12:50):
partner poses can be a lot offun as well.
As I think that physical touchis so important, um, as a really
useful and tools, reallysupportive for women.
Um, I'll be going through someways to overcome those ailments
that we talked about, thoseaches and pains or, um, yeah,
just feeling a lot more alignedin your body and getting in tune
(13:12):
with your baby wow, that'sexciting.
Carey Donohoe (13:16):
So, yeah, I can't wait for those lives.
Kimberly, what do you feelreally passionate about when
teaching prenatal yoga?
Kimberly Lear (13:26):
um, like I said with midwifery, and why I got
into it.
I really love empowering women.
So with um, with the yoga,because it can feel like there
is so much information and dothis, don't do that, um so much,
and I find that it's a realtime that women can center in,
(13:46):
listen to their own bodies, feelwhat feels good for them and
also do it in a safe space, onewhere they're not being to go,
go go in our busy societies aswell, and so they have to also
restore, uh, restore theirenergy, and some poses to really
relax, as well as ones to, um,really strengthen their body, uh
(14:11):
, to better support the weightof the growing womb, and also
just more empowered, through allof that, to go into birth and
know that they, as women, canbirth, that's what their bodies
are created to do, and that itcan be a really positive
experience for them.
Carey Donohoe (14:26):
I know they're strong and powerful amazing.
Kimberly Lear (14:30):
I'm always amazed .
I know I also love meeting thebabies after palpating.
I'm always like what is thisguy going to look?
Carey Donohoe (14:38):
like.
I know how does that all fit in?
Plus the placenta, plus theamniotic fluid, everything.
It's just amazing, isn't it?
The whole process?
Kimberly Lear (14:47):
it is incredible, but I think the biggest joy
comes when you see the strengthof a woman and the love that she
has, that she birthed her babyand then being witnessing their
first time that they get togreet their baby that they've
been waiting to meet for so long.
I think that would have to bethe highlight of my job oh, it's
(15:08):
such an honor, isn't it?
Carey Donohoe (15:09):
it really Definitely, yeah.
Well, kimberley, what advicewould you give to our mums out
there who are pregnant, who area little bit unsure whether they
should join a prenatal yogaclass?
What advice would you give tothem?
Kimberly Lear (15:27):
I would say try it out.
So pregnancy is new, everypregnancy is new, so why not try
another new experience asyou're going, as you go into
your prenatal class, go anddon't try the biggest or the
best expression of a pose thatyou can do.
Listen to your body as you gointo it and listen to the
(15:48):
modifications that the teachermay be offering.
Know that you are often in aroom of uh women who are doing
yoga for the first time, so youdon't have to have had you have
done yoga before the pregnancyyoga.
It is tailored by the teacherto see um pregnant bodies um,
(16:09):
and there will be offeringsbetween which trimester you're
in first, second or third,depending on the size of your
uterus, on which props youshould do or how deep into a
pose you should go.
So I think, always justlistening to your teacher, maybe
coming a bit early to ask somequestions, as well as listening
to your body and have some fun.
Carey Donohoe (16:31):
Yeah, exactly, so you don't have to have done
yoga before to come along toprenatal yoga.
You can just come along for thefirst time.
No, definitely not.
You can.
Wonderful Well, kimberley, aswe wrap up today's podcast, is
there anything else you'd liketo share with our community
today?
Kimberly Lear (16:55):
No, I think, just enjoy your pregnancy, enjoy
your baby and all that is coming.
And, yeah, just know that thereare those resources that are
out for you, like ParentingGenie, that you can reach to to
help you feel more encouraged,more independent and empowered
through your pregnancy and birth.
Carey Donohoe (17:15):
Yeah, that's amazing.
Well, we've really enjoyedhaving you on the podcast today
and for all our audience outthere.
Now, if you want to book aprenatal yoga class with
Kimberley, just go toparentinggeniecomau.
Or if you want a consultation,because Kimberley's a midwife as
well, you can also just book aconsultation with her, again at
parentinggeniecomau.
(17:36):
But you will be seeing Kimberlylive on our Facebook page very
soon, so keep your eye out thereand she'll go through all
things prenatal yoga.
So thank you again, kimberly,for coming on, and we look
forward to seeing you soon.
Take care you have a good day.
Bye.
Thank you, carrie, here signingoff.
(17:59):
Thanks for tuning in to today'sepisode.
We're looking forward tohearing from you, so please
don't hesitate to send us yourquestions and the topics you're
eager for us to explore.
Join us next time for more tipsand stories that make parenting
a joy.
Until then, happy parenting andsee you in the next episode.
Hello and welcome .
Every Tuesday, we dive deepinto pregnancy and then on
Thursday, we switch gears tocover everything about parenting
.
Rest assured, we're committedto providing you with Hello,
amazing parents; it's Carey fromParenting Genie.
(00:20):
loads of insights and expertadvice every week.
I hope you're all having afabulous day Now.
We have a very special guest onour podcast today, a very
talented woman who is a prenatalyoga teacher and a midwife, and
I've been particularly excitedabout this combination.
(00:42):
So let's all give a warmwelcome to Kimberly Lear.
Hello, kimberly.
Kimberly Lear (00:46):
Hello.
Thank you so much for your warmwelcome.
Carey Donohoe (00:48):
How are you?
I'm good.
Thank you for joining us, andwe really are excited that you
are joining the Parenting Genieteam.
So thank you.
Kimberly Lear (00:55):
Thank you, great to be here.
Carey Donohoe (00:59):
Now, kimberley, can you tell us a little bit
about yourself, or somethingunexpected, or something a fun
fact about yourself?
Kimberly Lear (01:10):
A fun fact.
People are often surprised thatI love Latin dancing, so I'm
often dancing bachata and salsa.
Carey Donohoe (01:18):
Wow, exciting, I would say.
Kimberly Lear (01:19):
I'd recommend bachata for pregnant women.
Actually it's really good forthe hips.
So what is bachata for pregnantwomen?
Actually it's really good forthe hips.
So what is bachata?
Bachata is a form of Latindancing, like salsa, but it's to
a four-beat count, but itreally incorporates a lot of hip
movement.
So I think it's quite fun.
My parents have actuallystarted learning salsa since
(01:41):
watching me the last few years.
Carey Donohoe (01:44):
So how long have you been dancing?
Doing uh since 2018.
Kimberly Lear (01:49):
Actually, I started learning when I was
volunteering in haiti.
Uh, there's a big latin dancingscene over there yes, wow.
Carey Donohoe (01:57):
So tell us briefly about your experience in
haiti.
What were you doing over there?
Kimberly Lear (02:03):
uh, in haiti, I went to volunteer in a small
midwifery clinic, so on theoutskirts, not in the big city.
I was drawn to go and volunteerthere following Hurricane
Matthew, and I also had asponsor child over there.
So that's what drew me to Haitiin the first place over there,
(02:27):
so that's what drew me to Haitiin the first place.
Uh, I did a lot of aneducational role.
Uh, because they don't so muchhave education in Creole, their
native language so I wastranslating um in French and
Creole in English just to help,uh, the midwives, to educate the
mothers and, of course, somehands-on delivery and things as
well, which was really beautifulover there it must have been a
(02:50):
very exciting time for you and Ibet yeah really loved it and I
bet you learned very enrichingwell definitely now, I know you
love surfing, so tell us alittle bit about how you got
into that uh, I got into surfingfrom my father, so I grew up in
(03:12):
Bundaberg, which, if you'veever been up there, it's flat
the surf.
But we took the long course out.
We weren't jumping out whenthere was cyclones and such just
to try and get a bit of abigger wave.
Um, and you know, we watchedkelly slater since I was little.
I fell in love with the man it'samazing and um yeah, since I
(03:35):
started studying nursing on thesunshine coast when I was 17,
that's when I started reallygetting into surfing.
Surfing some bigger, more funways uh and where I live now in
Lenny's head, has a really greatsurf break, so I'm often out in
the surf every morning, um andalso a surf coach.
Carey Donohoe (03:51):
Oh, a surf coach as well.
Kimberly Lear (03:52):
Wow, and so is that something you teach each
week uh, yeah, I've been umworking a bit of a blend between
working the midwifery, the surf, coaching and some lifeguarding
uh, getting all of my passionthis week yeah, how interesting.
Carey Donohoe (04:09):
Well so, from latin dancing to surfing, that's
amazing.
So can you do any things?
Kimberly Lear (04:17):
to enjoy.
Carey Donohoe (04:18):
Yes, oh, it's great to have an outlet, really,
isn't it?
It's amazing.
So can you tell us a little bitabout your professional
background?
Kimberly Lear (04:26):
uh.
So professionally, I am aregistered nurse and midwife.
I've also studied tropicalmedicine before volunteering in
Haiti, rwanda and Laos for threeyears and and have since done
um, a public health certificateas well.
Um, I graduated in 2015, whichseems to go faster than uh, than
(04:49):
you think.
You realize, oh, I've been doingthis for a little while now,
yeah, yeah, and I realizedmostly when um say I go home to
visit Bundaberg and I run intowomen I've birthed with and they
no longer have a baby, but theyhave a child in school, and I'm
like, has it been that long?
Um, very quickly, but it doesgo so quickly, um, so I can't
(05:10):
imagine for the mothersthemselves.
It would go even faster it does.
Carey Donohoe (05:14):
um, do you have lots of experience there, you
know, and, and, and, also withyour uh volunteering overseas as
well, so you obviously havelearned a lot, yeah, and all the
different scopes I've liked todo.
Yeah, fantastic Kimberley.
What drew you to become amidwife and what is your
(05:36):
favourite area of midwifery?
Kimberly Lear (05:37):
Yeah, um, what drew me to be a midwife?
Uh, initially it was to do themore humanitarian work, just
supporting babies in lowresource settings, um, but since
working within the healthcentre, I've drawn more of a
passion to that kind ofcommunity-based and really
(05:58):
empowering women, um, as I thinksometimes it's such an unknown
adventure that we're going on inpregnancy, um, that it's really
good to empower her to knowwhat are her both options, to
ask for those options, um, andto have a positive birth
experience which sets her on theright foot to really enjoy
(06:19):
motherhood.
Oh, absolutely.
So I like educating about theother resources they might have
available to them, the differentbirth options, whether that's
finding a place to have a waterbirth or using a rebozo to get
an alignment.
Yeah, just looking at eachbirth individually for families
(06:39):
even though birth is natural foreveryone, it's also very
individual to each family,exactly totally.
Carey Donohoe (06:47):
And so what led you to become a prenatal yoga
teacher?
Kimberly Lear (06:53):
so through supporting women.
I do see in birth or inpregnancies there are those
common ailments that women mightfind that got that backache
with that growing womb, or a bitof sciatica with the pressure,
um, even up to nausea, or just areflux from that growing baby
up in their womb.
I've just seen how yoga well,I've been practicing myself for
(07:17):
15 years and I do notice it inmy body if I go a few days
without yeah uh.
So I think, even more for a bodythat is changing with pregnancy
, with the growing weight of thewomb baby, that it's very
important to get that alignmentto try and prevent these
ailments of some aches and painsthat can come, as well as
(07:38):
really learning the breath work,uh, which is very important, I
think, for labour, because weoften tense up when we
experience pain, whereas tobirth your baby you really need
to create an opening and letthat go.
So learning how to control yourpelvic floor through breath
work, I think, is a very usefultool to have, as well as that
(08:01):
sense of calm when everything'schanging in your body during
labor, that you can still havethat, um, that intuition with
your body on what it needs inthat moment.
Carey Donohoe (08:13):
That's right, and I mean we all talk about you
know the pain in labor as apositive pain and it is really
important to try and breathe andrelax through that pain so you
can open up.
So yeah, I can see how thatprenatal yoga would help prepare
, you know, especially firsttime moms, you know for labor.
Kimberly Lear (08:33):
Yes.
Carey Donohoe (08:35):
What benefits have you seen in women you know
that are doing yoga duringpregnancy?
What kind of benefits are there?
Kimberly Lear (08:46):
during pregnancy.
What kind of benefits are there?
Um, the benefits being that Ido see that it does help if
women are having that sciaticapain, that it can really assist
with that.
Um, I also find it's a timethat mums can have a bit of like
that restorative moment wherethey're so busy they're maybe
looking after others still atwork, not sure what's happening
with their body, just to comeand be in tune with what's
(09:08):
happening, in tune with theirbaby.
That can help them be moremindful of their baby's
movements, as that's somethingthat we really recommend are in
touch with their baby'smovements for monitoring their
well-being.
Um, and I see that it helpswomen feel more confident in
their labor, able to relax whenthey need to rest in between
contractions and able to breatheand use their body well to get
(09:32):
in that good position and movearound more mobile.
Um, because, yeah, in labor wedon't want to just be laying on
a bed, we want to be up andchanging positions to help that
baby get through the birth canal.
Carey Donohoe (09:43):
Oh, yes, sure.
So how have you combinedmidwifery and prenatal yoga?
Kimberly Lear (09:51):
So working as a midwife, I first started just
doing it with the women.
So I have worked as a midwifein the hospital setting, so
sometimes it's with women I'venot met before in the hospital
setting, so sometimes it's withwomen I've not met before.
But I find that it's a way thatyou can just really relate with
women, maybe first relaxingmuscles on her forehead telling
(10:12):
her to drop her time and thentalking through some breathwork
techniques with her and I findthat it can help women to go
from the kind of estate toletting it go, relaxing all the
muscles that need to relax andallowing that baby to descend
better.
And that's how I started, and Ithink, going into the community
(10:35):
and working with women to thenjust start their labour knowing
what to come in with, havingthose tools, having those
positions, being able to feeltheir body better.
It's just helped them to have alittle bit more calm and
control in their birth and a bitmore ease to it.
Carey Donohoe (10:54):
Wow, yeah, that's totally amazing.
So, like I said earlier, we'rereally excited to have you join.
Parenting Genie.
What excites you about joiningour community?
Kimberly Lear (11:06):
Yeah, well, I'm excited, uh, because I think
it's so valuable to help reachout to women in the community as
they're coming to the hospitalsetting maybe going between
doctors and midwives and all theinformation you can get from
books it can be so overwhelmingand you don't always have time
to ask questions, but I find umtherapy genie is just giving
(11:29):
those like precious nuggets ofinformation on their pages that
mums can just easily access, aswell as making the availability
of consultations for mums toaccess from home, because no one
really wants to drive to thehospital, wait for your
appointment, find parking, thatcan be quite hard.
(11:50):
So I think making thateducation and that support
accessible for mums at home isso important and very valuable.
So I'm excited to be part ofthat team.
Carey Donohoe (11:59):
Oh, wonderful.
Yeah, it is important.
You know like, not everyone canjust get to a clinic or a
hospital easily, you know.
So it's great to have thatoption to jump on and, yeah,
book a consultation or aprenatal yoga class or anything
like that.
So that's good.
Um, what can parents expectfrom your facebook live sessions
(12:21):
, um, and your yoga classes?
Kimberly Lear (12:26):
so I want to change it up each week with the
facebook lives, jumping betweensome breath work, getting ready
for labour, or just relaxing inyour pregnancy when things feel
a little bit overwhelming, orchanging, as well as maybe some
partner poses getting a bit offun.
Whether that's with yourpartner or a good friend, those
(12:50):
partner poses can be a lot offun as well.
As I think that physical touchis so important, um, as a really
useful and tools, reallysupportive for women.
Um, I'll be going through someways to overcome those ailments
that we talked about, thoseaches and pains or, um, yeah,
just feeling a lot more alignedin your body and getting in tune
(13:12):
with your baby wow, that'sexciting.
Carey Donohoe (13:16):
So, yeah, I can't wait for those lives.
Kimberly, what do you feelreally passionate about when
teaching prenatal yoga?
Kimberly Lear (13:26):
um, like I said with midwifery, and why I got
into it.
I really love empowering women.
So with um, with the yoga,because it can feel like there
is so much information and dothis, don't do that, um so much,
and I find that it's a realtime that women can center in,
(13:46):
listen to their own bodies, feelwhat feels good for them and
also do it in a safe space, onewhere they're not being to go,
go go in our busy societies aswell, and so they have to also
restore, uh, restore theirenergy, and some poses to really
relax, as well as ones to, um,really strengthen their body, uh
(14:11):
, to better support the weightof the growing womb, and also
just more empowered, through allof that, to go into birth and
know that they, as women, canbirth, that's what their bodies
are created to do, and that itcan be a really positive
experience for them.
Carey Donohoe (14:26):
I know they're strong and powerful amazing.
Kimberly Lear (14:30):
I'm always amazed .
I know I also love meeting thebabies after palpating.
I'm always like what is thisguy going to look?
Carey Donohoe (14:38):
like.
I know how does that all fit in?
Plus the placenta, plus theamniotic fluid, everything.
It's just amazing, isn't it?
The whole process?
Kimberly Lear (14:47):
it is incredible, but I think the biggest joy
comes when you see the strengthof a woman and the love that she
has, that she birthed her babyand then being witnessing their
first time that they get togreet their baby that they've
been waiting to meet for so long.
I think that would have to bethe highlight of my job oh, it's
(15:08):
such an honor, isn't it?
Carey Donohoe (15:09):
it really Definitely, yeah.
Well, kimberley, what advicewould you give to our mums out
there who are pregnant, who area little bit unsure whether they
should join a prenatal yogaclass?
What advice would you give tothem?
Kimberly Lear (15:27):
I would say try it out.
So pregnancy is new, everypregnancy is new, so why not try
another new experience asyou're going, as you go into
your prenatal class, go anddon't try the biggest or the
best expression of a pose thatyou can do.
Listen to your body as you gointo it and listen to the
(15:48):
modifications that the teachermay be offering.
Know that you are often in aroom of uh women who are doing
yoga for the first time, so youdon't have to have had you have
done yoga before the pregnancyyoga.
It is tailored by the teacherto see um pregnant bodies um,
(16:09):
and there will be offeringsbetween which trimester you're
in first, second or third,depending on the size of your
uterus, on which props youshould do or how deep into a
pose you should go.
So I think, always justlistening to your teacher, maybe
coming a bit early to ask somequestions, as well as listening
to your body and have some fun.
Carey Donohoe (16:31):
Yeah, exactly, so you don't have to have done
yoga before to come along toprenatal yoga.
You can just come along for thefirst time.
No, definitely not.
You can.
Wonderful Well, kimberley, aswe wrap up today's podcast, is
there anything else you'd liketo share with our community
today?
Kimberly Lear (16:55):
No, I think, just enjoy your pregnancy, enjoy
your baby and all that is coming.
And, yeah, just know that thereare those resources that are
out for you, like ParentingGenie, that you can reach to to
help you feel more encouraged,more independent and empowered
through your pregnancy and birth.
Carey Donohoe (17:15):
Yeah, that's amazing.
Well, we've really enjoyedhaving you on the podcast today
and for all our audience outthere.
Now, if you want to book aprenatal yoga class with
Kimberley, just go toparentinggeniecomau.
Or if you want a consultation,because Kimberley's a midwife as
well, you can also just book aconsultation with her, again at
parentinggeniecomau.
(17:36):
But you will be seeing Kimberlylive on our Facebook page very
soon, so keep your eye out thereand she'll go through all
things prenatal yoga.
So thank you again, kimberly,for coming on, and we look
forward to seeing you soon.
Take care you have a good day.
Bye.
Thank you, carrie, here signingoff.
(17:59):
Thanks for tuning in to today'sepisode.
We're looking forward tohearing from you, so please
don't hesitate to send us yourquestions and the topics you're
eager for us to explore.
Join us next time for more tipsand stories that make parenting
a joy.
Until then, happy parenting andsee you in the next episode.
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