Easier childbirth with fetal positioning
Babies settle in the easiest position they can for birth.
In labor, they begin from that position to turn to rotate
through the pelvis... like a key unlocking the door.
Mother’s job is to dilate; Baby’s job is to rotate.
Easier rotation may mean an easier labor.
The ideal, or optimal, fetal position is head down with
baby's back to your front or left.
A good fetal position helps the cervix open more easily
and labor progress smoothly.
When babies start labor with the back of the head towards
mother's anterior (front) less rotation has to happen.
A baby facing forward (posterior) or head up (breech)
may present a challenge. Even more important is flexion.
Baby's chin tucked to baby's chest makes rotation and
natural birth easier. A "malposition" can't enter the pelvis;
lying sideways (transverse lie) or diagonally (oblique lie).
Spinning Babies helps baby get into position for birth
and helps support a normal,
even natural, childbirth.
What makes Spinning Babies different?
Natural birth enthusiasts know the benefits of gravity and movement on labor progress.
But these aren't enough for some women. Sometimes, some of us need exercises to bring
the pelvis back into balance.
Balance is needed in the pelvis, the path to birth.
It doesn't have to be perfect, but we do see that untwisting the muscles along
the path so the baby can turn more easily and drop down through the pelvis in labor.
Everyone can use a little more balance.
But some of us need more balance, before and in labor, to help baby get head down and
to rotate.
The posterior, or sunny-side up, position, often means that babies have further to rotate.
A longer way to rotate can be associated with longer, and sometimes more painful labors.
Ok, sometimes. Sometimes babies Don't have to rotate and labor isn't longer.
There are
a lot of myths about posterior babies. Back labor, for instance.
Posterior labor doesn't always mean labor is felt in the back.
On the other hand, some posterior labors will have back labor and could have more complications.
This website will show you how to reduce the time and pain associated with posterior labors.
You can help prevent a posterior labor.
You can help your
posterior baby rotate and
descend to fit your pelvis.
Breech birth is often feared in the USA. Breech birth is seen as dangerous and even deadly.
Both the bad press and the bad outcomes are more often due to a loss of training and
therefore dangerous practices in vaginal birth. When the rotation of the breech is protected
(with very specific hands-off approach little known in the US) safer outcomes are possible.
Both breech and posterior fetal positions can be born
by natural birth. Birth is more likely
when baby's chin is tucked and parents and
providers know when to
support rotation. And sometimes, accept a time to intervene.
Yet, all too many births are now managed with cesarean surgery.
Learn why some labors need to finish with a surgical
birth, but most don't.
Together, we can reduce the tide of surgical birth and return birth to the mother's own
abilities.
Read more about
· Posterior fetal position (sunny-side up),
· You can learn about the Breech position (bottom or feet first), common before 30 weeks.
· What to do to help your baby be in a good position for birth.
And, if your birth does require a cesarean finish, you will have done empowering things
to learn about your body and your baby. A year from now,
I hope you can reflect that you did everything you could to be aware, to grow, and to
become the mother you hoped to be. The most important thing is love.
Please give labor a chance.
Take the time to learn. Optimal Fetal Positioning is a rather new concept,
don't expect a doula, nurse or even your doctor or midwife to tell you "all" you need to know.
Explore this for yourself until you are content for your situation.
I think a wait-and-see approach reduces your chance to work with your body to
help your baby rotate and fit through the pelvis.
While many women can still have a straightforward, normal birth with a passive approach,
some women will find themselves irreversibly on the surgical table.
Women are designed for birth, but modern life presents challenges.
A large minority of birthing women (15-30% perhaps) may experience some type of
intervention because of their baby's position.
The spectrum of ease in giving birth ranges from the dream birth to the greatest challenge.
Most women will find that labor is good, rewarding work. Satisfaction increases with
knowledgeable support by loving, listening, and skilled birth attendants, especially with the
continuous presence of a doula.
I do believe we can trust birth. I believe we can enjoy labor. I did. I believe you can, too.
Yet if you find you need an intervention, cesarean, vacuum extraction, or medications,
I hope you feel you did all you could -without suffering- for a birth closest to nature possible.
This website seeks to reassure all birthing women, and the professionals and
paraprofessionals (doulas, childbirth educators) who help them,
regardless of how they "do birth."
That said, you will see my bias and my bias is birth.
Please continue exploring the Spinning Babies Website.