Sifting, or jiggling, the entire abdomen between contractions can relax tight ligaments and help a woman relax into her labor. The hospital has muscle relaxants and narcotics to relax a woman who is either tense emotionally, or simply tense in her abdominal fascia, prolonging labor. But this simple and fun technique from the Yucatan Peninsula helps relax mothers with no drugs at all. It can be done daily or weekly in pregnancy and done between contractions during early and early active labor

Watch this video of a couple using the Rebozo in a labor induced with Pitocin. This is a couple for whom I was their doula.

She was induced at 42 weeks and 2 days. Her baby was born healthy and bright - her mom chose no pain reducing drugs. She was content with only the rebozo, freedom of movement and the use of light massage on her arms, soft talk and dim lighting for comfort. 

How to get jiggled.

While on knees, belly down, lean onto a chair. Use pillows for knees and chest for comfort as needed.

Use a wide, woven shawl or folded thin t-shirt style sheet or such. It has to be about 3-5 feet long.

Drape it over your belly like a hammock.

Have a trusted friend stand behind you and hold the ends of the material like reigns of a horse. Sorry, just helping you picture this. They lift the weight of your belly off your back, snug but not uncomfortable. Mothers sigh in relief at this point.

They lift the belly enough so that when they begin to sift, like a teeth flossing motion with the material, except that the material won’t slide along the belly. Short movements are made slowly, at first, and then with increasing speed. But not larger, or wilder movements, just faster.

In several seconds, your belly is jiggling like you are being vibrated. Breathe freely, slowly and let your belly hang into it. It’s enjoyable. If not, adjust the technique.

After about 2 minutes your friend’s arms will be tired and they should slow down gradually for several seconds before stopping.

Try this twice a day if you are in a time crunch. This can also be done at each prenatal visit with your midwife, or whenever you get together with your doula.

Done gently and firmly there is no danger.

Give your friend feedback so that they are not too broad with their movements or too mild, don’t lift too high or too little.

Just for fun, here is a short clip of women practicing the sifting technique with rebozo scarves at a birth doula workshop. They each have a different rhythm. Due to the workshop nature, the doulas are distracted. But this clip is shown for fun. If I had reminded them to "tune-in" to the "mothers" they would have been more attentive!