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Flexion Matters

Spinning Babies The Anterior Positions and LOP At Spinning Babies, fetal position matters. Babies positioned on mother’s left side more often curl and tuck their chins more easily (flexion, flek’-shun). This makes baby’s head measurement smaller and lines up baby with the pelvis to be able to help in the birth process. Flexion is more important than position. Muscles and ligament “balance” is more important than size. Discovering how to tell your baby's position is in the Belly Mapping book and our Belly Mapping page. A flexed head can measure up to 2 cm smaller than the same baby's head extended, or having the chin up. Not only that, but a flexed head molds even smaller. An extended head takes hours longer to mold, if it needs to. And first babies almost always need to reshape the top of their heads to fit the bones of the pelvis. A flexed baby can use their spine, back and shoulder muscles to help themselves be born. Flexed babies bodies are lined up to make their kicks at the top of the womb (fundus) be more effective in moving them down through the pelvis. Most babies on the left are anterior and flexed. The Left Occiput Posterior baby may be flexed and rotate readily with the help of strong labor contractions. Gail and her sister, Kathleen, will be exhibiting Spinning Babies at the great Lamaze DONA 2014 conference. Come to our booth and see the book. If you're pregnant, come for a free belly painting! Enjoy this post? You also might like: Flexion, Looking “Down” Left Occiput Anterior (LOA) Fetal Engagement from the Right Jiggle and Stretch Protocols Upcoming Workshops

The Anterior Positions and LOP At Spinning Babies, fetal position matters. Babies positioned on mother’s left side more often curl and tuck their chins more easily (flexion, flek’-shun). This makes baby’s head measurement smaller and lines up baby with the pelvis to be able to help in the birth process. Flexion is more important than […]

A New Start for Active Labor, a New Question for Progress

The new guidelines from ACOG Recent changes in defining active phase of labor from 4 cm to 6 cm. This change is intended to help first time mothers avoid being given a cesarean when labor is simply slower than what was considered normal. Longer labors can certainly be normal. So when the question is asked, […]

Encouragement to a New Baby Spinner

There is much for a birth worker (doula, nurse, midwife, family medicine or obstetrician) to learn at Spinning Babies. There is often a transitionary phase between workshop and confidence. Observe the mother with your new paradigm and listen to intuitive guidance. From this gentle approach you begin introducing comfort measures and balancing activities appropriate to […]

What I’ll Talk About at Lamaze Dona Conference 2014

 September 18, 2014 from 8-noon, I’ll be talking how educator’s can gracefully talk about malposition in labor. Come on down to Kansas City! https://www.lamazedona2014.org/p/cm/ld/fid=473 Resolving Fetal Malposition in Labor; An Educator’s Opportunity Presented by Gail Tully, CPM, CD (DONA) Given the increased complication and intervention rates of posterior and asynclitic babies childbirth educators and doulas […]

His Flipping Was the Talk of OB

 Edited Emails, (Consultation call missing) KC Teasley writes,   Dear Gail, I wish to have a natural birth with no medical intervention. My baby is incomplete breech with his left foot by his face. He is also turned to my left. My amniotic fluid levels fluctuate between 14 and 10 percent. I’ve never given birth. […]

Oblique Lie at 35 Weeks

Hi Gail, I’m 35 weeks pregnant (actually 34.5), second baby…  First baby was born at home, this one will be in a hospital for practical reasons.  Baby girl #2 is still changing positions and moving a ton, but she seems to be in an oblique position quite a bit.  At my last midwife appt, she […]

Spinning Babies® Perspective

Spinning Babies is not a method. Spinning Babies is a way of looking at childbirth. Here, I see the mother and baby moving together as partners in birth. That makes sense, they each have a role, a choreograph or dance step to do in the birth process. When baby is lined up with the pelvis, […]

Follow the Love

My Other Mother died Friday. Helen was enjoying a wonderful week in sunny Mexico with our friends, Mari, Frank and sons, Ari and Marco. A small sore on her leg, where the doctor had removed a mole three years before, had never healed and was vulnerable to a virulent and opportunist bacteria that took her […]

Baby Not Engaged at End of Pregnancy

“I just came out of my doctor’s appointment for 39 weeks. He says no cervical change (cervix is posterior) and baby is still floating.” The cervix can change in hours so dilation is no indication. The posterior aim of the cervix is expected and can be helped with improved sacral mobility, one way of achieving […]

Daily Essentials Is Gestating Nicely!

Working with Melissa Koch to bring about two videos and watch, from a distance, her produce a video for Sarah Longacre has been a growing experience. How can one small body hold such amazing talent!? She tells the story on film of the vision I had in my head. Sarah’s video is out and gorgeous. […]

Course of Fetal Position Changes

What can you expect for your baby’s position at any given week in pregnancy? Before 24 weeks and sometimes to 28 weeks, the baby is often in the transverse lie. The baby floats in the womb and until the head grows heavy with all those baby thoughts, the baby may not be in a vertical […]

Arm First- What Is Baby’s Position?

A woman’s labor is progressing. The water sac releases amniotic fluid. The midwife/doctor examines the woman’s cervix. Suddenly, the plan changes from the “routine miracle” of a second birth to an emergency cesarean. Why? The midwife/doctor finds an elbow coming first. Here’s the mother’s story with slight edits, including those to conceal her identity:  My […]

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