Help for an asynclitic birth wins doula's praise- a reference letter

Minneapolis Doula, Liz Hochman, shares this delightful story of her immediate use of what she learned that same night! I'd asked Liz to share the story with the DONA Speaker Selection Committee hoping they'll pick me for the 2012 conference line up. Its such a sweet letter, and educational, that I am sharing it with you here. Follow up, DONA selected Sarah Longacre and I to present on The Doula in the New Frontier, Chidlbirth Education on the Yoga Mat. However, Midwives Aliance of North America selected Gail to give her topic at their 2012 Asilomar Conference. 

 

 

I desperately wanted to know more! Why did this work? How could this work? When to do these techniques and when to proceed normally? Fast forward a few months and my local Childbirth Collective, that I am an active member of, decided to host Gail Tully for one of our free Parent Topic Nights, dedicating the whole evening to Intro to Spinning Babies. [Gail’s note: I’m the founder and local so I do present without charge for short Collective events!] I encouraged all of my clients to attend and two of them did come with their partners.

 

Gail's presentation style is engaging and informative to say the least.  This was the first time I was fortunate enough to watch Gail speak on the issues of asyncliticism and fetal positioning.  Her visual aids alone are so helpful for the visual learners in the group. My client afterwards said, “it was so much easier to understand when she used all of the props.”

 

What I especially enjoy about Gail is that she is approachable in her steady and easy way.  Each mother she talks to seems to walk away beaming. My client said, “I felt like she gave me permission to trust my instincts on where my baby is.” As a newer doula I was intimidated at the prospect of asking questions or talking with Gail until I actually reached out to her and was so pleasantly surprised. She gives you the distinct feeling that you have something to bring to the table. That this is a collaboration of learning instead of an 'expert' instructing you on their findings. 

 

Only mere hours after both my client and I watched Gail's presentation I got the call at 3:30AM from my client saying her water had just broke. She spent the morning easily laboring at home until she asked me to join her. When I saw her I observed that she was working hard with her contractions now 3 minutes apart.  She complained of pain in both her back and sometimes her hip. When she decided to go to the hospital she was checked and was 9 ½ cm. The midwife did say though that the baby was asynclitic and posterior, but also very low (+1/+2). 

 

Since my client had the information so newly with her she looked at me and we knew exactly what to do.  I proceeded to use the Rebozo as Gail had showed us the night before where the mom is lying on her back propped with pillows under her sacrum in the hopes of giving us enough room to re-engage the baby in a way that would be more aligned.  Then we followed with lunges and thepelvic floor release during 3 contractions on each side.  A small gush happened during one of the lunges and the midwife checked again telling us that the asyncliticism was gone and baby was now LOP [left occiput posterior]! This Mama had a vaginal birth with no tearing only a short time after this check.

 

I can not sing Gail's praises enough! I urge you to grant Gail the platform to educate on fetal positioning and asyncliticism at the DONA conference. I know more than a few doulas that would be happily anticipating her session.

 

Regards,

Liz Hochman CD(DONA)

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www.minneapolisdoula.com

 

 

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Spinning Babies is facing an immediate "migration," new software installation for the behind the scenes portion of the website at cost of $680. This massive update is crucial for security and functionality. Alternatively, I could take the 100+ pages down and restart the site with new software at a lower cost, but much less content. Would you be ok with a 10 page site carrying only an outline of information? That's about how many other websites treat their content.

 Are you a woman or a loved one of a woman helped to avoid a cesarean by Spinning Babies Website? Has Spinning Babies helped you serve birthing families with techniques for labor progress? Do you have a little time to help Spinning Babies in return? If the migration costs $680 and 100 of my loyal users gave $68 dollars each, we'd get it covered. 

Did you know that Spinning Babies was hacked a few summers ago and had to go off line while I found hosting with security? Security is a real issue on the internet. 

Several years ago a grandmother donated $150 after a visit to Spinning Babies Website helped her daughter avoid a cesarean. Once a woman sent $50 because exercises on Spinning Babies stopped her hip pain and she was able to sleep well for the first time during the end of her pregnancy. Today, just a few dollars a year come through donations. Ever since the booklet went on sale donations dropped off. Could it be that people think sales income is significant to carry the website? I wish it were so, and do hope to boost the store soon.

Right now Spinning Babies is in need and so I'm asking those of you among my 4000 daily visitors to give something back. "Wait, Seriously?" you ask, "4000 people a day and only a few small donations a year!?" Yep, that's true.  If 400 of you, 1/10th of one day's visitors, gave $20,  or 15 Pounds,  we could get this job done and secure the website. 

 

Could it be that Spinning Babies has become such a part of the childbirth education scene that its taken for granted? Spinning Babies doesn't get grants. Spinning Babies isn't a nonprofit (But my husband will be surprised to hear that.)  I love giving this information as a gift to the birthing world, I'm rather delighted to help a woman understand she doesn't have to accept a cesarean before labor just because her baby is posterior! Or, help a woman flip her breechling head down. But with the cost of web maintainance increasing, I have to rethink how I might support my work.  

If you aren't able to give such a chunk of change, can you send your sympathy for $5? Or, are you a loyal Spinning Babies user who gives their undying support for $100? 

 

What ever you can send now will be seen as a huge message of support to keep Spinning Babies safe and online. Protecting one woman's birth just takes 4 minutes.

 

 


 

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