Get this baby out!
- Ma'at
- Feb 19, 2017
- 2 min read
Is a phrase we often here mothers say in labour. Let's go back a bit before the modern world as we now know it was "introduced" and how it affects us women today.
We women used to spent a lot of time on hands and knees cleaning, actively doing the laundry, squatting and working on the land. Oh we walked we walked loads. So did this "evolutonary" change change our pelvis? In due time yes
We've got cars, washing machines and all kinds of tools that make our lives easier with less standing, walking and being on hands and knees and instead we sit for long periods of time (think office work) often in a not so ideal position such a slouching, walking on high heels, accidents etc.
This all contributes to pelvic imbalances combined with too tight or too loose ligaments which can cause pain, imblance etc. With this a scene is set for "problems". Overdue, long and painful labours, made worse because mothers were put to bed on their backs. The era of intervention became the norm. Twilight sleep where laboring women were strapped on their backs on the bed and sedated where they felt everything but couldn't remember a thing. READ MORE on the history of induction of labour https://www.glowm.com/section_view/heading/Induction%20of%20Labor/item/130
Luckily we know now that birth isn't supposed to be strapped down flat on your back on a bed just to please a doctor with a better view.
Active birth aligned with gravity what nature intended in the first place. We find many old ancient images where this is displayed.
If you are interested in more ancient birthing positions click on the video it might be very inspiring.
Instinctively we women we know or feel which position we want to take in more often than not we are hooked up to an IV or we experience continiously fetal monitoring where we are restricted in our ability to freely move.
The video below (from Business of being Born) will explain in more detail why we are we are positioned into a "lithotomy" or fully reclined position, with legs positioned strongly apart in stirrups to give the doctor as much access as possible, while at the same time narrowing your pelvic outlet.
A "dorsal recumbent" position is basically the same, except that the patient's legs are not in stirrups but are flexed and on the bed. Not only do main bloodvessels get compressed but the placenta also gets lack of blood flow and oxygen which has an immediate affect on your baby combined with the contracting uterus and more likely to end up with interventions. More on interventions in another post.
So when a baby is not in an ideal position for birth and or your pelvis and uterus are not aligned the baby has a hard time getting into the right position even before labour starts or during labour when several turns need to be made in order to manouvre around in the pelvis to come out. In all stages you want to maximize the pelvis space.
How can we maximize this space in pregnancy? Read on
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