Moving for an Easier Birth for Midwives, Doulas and other Birth Professionals
"Failure to Progress" in labour inevitably leads to intervention. All birth workers know that once interventions start it can be slippery slope that, at worst, can end up trundling through the doors of the obstetrics theatre and caesarean section with an exhausted and disheartened mother.
Many of us find the section rate in our unit is touching or even crossing the 30% of all births. With a WHO target of 10-15% alarm bells should be ringing but many midwives see the rise of intervention as something beyond their control.
It's not. The most common reason for "failure to progress" is malpostion. Underlying most cases of malposition are a number of simple biomechanical issues that can be influenced by position and movements. I have been using these techniques in my own practice for many years and have to stop colleagues from saying "Oh there you are Molly, working your magic again".
The techniques I teach in this class are not magic. They are based on sound biomechanical principles. They are not a miracle solution, they don't work every time, and demand commitment and energy from midwives, but they are highly effective. In my own hospital many colleagues are using them in their own practice on a daily basis.
The course teaches uses of:
- Rebozo (shawl)
- Movement
- Postures and positions that release muscle tension, tight ligaments and help align the baby
- Upright positions
- Birth balls
- Peanut ball
- Massage
- Strategies to support neuro hormonal balance
These techniques help baby navigate the journey through the pelvis and birth canal in an optimal position.
They can help with:
- problems in pregnancy, like backache and pelvic girdle pain.
- Troubleshoot problems during labour including a slow birthing stage.
- Reduce the length of labour,
- Reduce the need for pain relief
- Increase positive birth experiences by supporting physiological birth.
