Maternal Positioning Isn’t the Only Thing
Gravity first? The idea of using gravity to swing baby’s back around to a pregnant mother’s abdomen is a popular hope with a misunderstanding of the cause of challenging fetal positions. It seems that people, even in birth work, think that the baby is floating randomly and settles into position only by virtue of gravity […]
Advanced Engagement
Let’s explore fetal engagement in detail. The widest part of the baby’s head is the parietal eminence. You can feel your own parietal emininence as a soft “corner” on the top and outside edge of your head. As the broad ligament, wrapping the uterus, softens at the end of pregnancy, the baby lowers in the abdomen. […]
Bottom’s Up
Last night I was with the wonderful Adrienne Caldwell as she led a small group of enthusiasts and parents through a hands-on protocol of massage techniques for Breech Balancing. Wait, pregnancy massage like relaxation? No, massage is working with muscles and ligaments that have shortened from living in gravity to return to normal length and […]
…With an Epidural
Can Spinning Babies be used with an epidural? “I put many of the techniques taught during Friday’s class into practice today. The momma I was waiting for last week was induced today. She got an epidural before I arrived. Used the peanut ball with knee in and down, SLR, hands and knees, and within minutes […]
Preventing the Epidural Labor Stall
Here’s a picture from an Austin, Texas Spinning Babies Workshop of a labor progress technique shared by Dr. Diane Peterson, OB. Purpose: Engage the Baby into the pelvis when mother is on an epidural and can’t stand up for the Abdominal Lift and Pelvic Tilt. Gail was a doula in Minneapolis, long ago before she […]
Timeline for Fetal Position
Babies follow a natural progression to settle into the final birth position. Well, not exactly final. So I call it, the starting position for labor. It almost always changes for baby to rotate through the pelvis. Oxorn and Foote, Obstetric text book authors, state that most babies are in position at 34 weeks gestation. This […]
When Should Baby Be in Position?
Babies follow a natural progression to settle into the final birth position. Well, not exactly final. So I call it, the starting position for labor. It almost always changes for baby to rotate through the pelvis. Oxorn and Foote, Obstetric textbook authors, state that most babies are in position at 34 weeks gestation. This means […]
Where OP Babies Get Stuck in Labor and What to Do
[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”] Occiput Posterior Presentation The Occiput Posterior baby is head down with the back of baby’s head, or occiput, towards mom’s posterior, or back. The posterior positions are LOP, ROP, OP, and midwife Jean Sutton includes ROT due […]
In Labor Now? Here’s What to Do.
Are the following happening? Strong labor seems to start and stop, or surge and withdraw, for some hours to days Surges come on at any time Contractions may be long and irregular, but strong for hours and then fade away Pattern occurs with or without back labor An internal exam reveals that baby is still […]
Tammy Dreams of Reducing Obstructed Labor in Kenya
Obstructed Labor is when the mother is in labor, her body is working hard (sometimes until her uterus tires and contractions slow) and yet the baby isn’t able to come through the pelvis. Obstructed labor. In this example, baby’s hands tap at the fetoscope (stethoscope). In the doula world, a powerful phrase is the […]
After the External Cepahlic Version
After a breech is turned head down by the doctor in a manual, external cephalic version some babies end up with limbs over their head or similar mix up. Here’s a suggestion, To help resolve a compound presentation or twist, it is up to the mother if she wants to do the balancing work. An […]
Birth Detective: Why Didn’t My OP Baby Come Down? Part 2 of 3
This is part 2 of 3, Read Part 1 Jessica wrote back, “Hi Gail! Thank you SO much for responding.Your time and reply mean so much to me especially as I have been feeling down and out because I felt like “I wish I would have known he was OP etc. and I wish I would […]