Message from our Founder
Gail here. Finding out that January is International Creativity Month just makes me smile. The creativity of the birth giver in labor is something to study. Here is where Spinning Babies® emerged. I observed women giving birth, felt their power, and noticed their sense of stuckness during births. From that, I connected the dots of what was said about their labor and what they communicated from within. We must combine perspectives. This helps us be more aware, which in turn helps us communicate.
Learn about labor patterns and the signals birth sends when we must open further. Either the workshop (provider level) or the new in-person Spinning Babies® Parent Class (for parents) reveals which signals indicate which technique to try. If you can’t get to either we have the Spinning Babies Parent Class video.
What’s creative in your life right now? Nicole Morales, Midwife and Spinning Babies® Approved Trainer and I just spent 10 days writing together about the feelings, decision-making and activities surrounding the news that baby is breech. Do you have a story or a tip that worked for you? How did you decide whether or not to do activities, or to have a vaginal birth or cesarean? If you would like to share, please send your writings to info@SpinningBabies.com. Approved Trainer, Tammy Ryan and I meet later today to refine our basic workshop and the Integration Workshop that Approved Trainer Jennifer Walker created and taught me last year (I provide the paradigm, they provide the creativity to match).
So much more to emerge this powerful year of 2019. Please help others. The world needs kindness and open perspectives.
Much love,
Gail Tully
Birth Tip: Dip The Hip
Dip The Hip is a technique great for helping baby out of the right side for rotation to the anterior. Be gentle. It’s not a forced move. But move those hips to a 45-degree angle when in the most curvy part of the figure-8 move.
In the video below, Deb Lawrence explains her technique. The story of why the technique works may be accurate or it may not be, however, this technique is said to help baby move from the right to the left side for better engagement.
Suggestion for use:
Use this technique after Sidelying Release and Forward-Leaning Inversion so that you’ve made the space where you are now going to encourage baby to explore.
Dip the Hip in Action
Below is a birth story from a doula who has integrated Spinning Babies into her work. Using Dip the Hip, Hip circles, and Abdominal Lift and Tuck, the doula was able to help her client have an easier and shorter than expected induction birth.
“I attended the birth of my client who was unsure as to how to have a homebirth since her husband felt more comfortable in hospital. They were able to discuss things and decided on the hospital option with labouring at home. She made it to 41 weeks 3 days. And then the hospital scared her with stillbirth tactics and MAS. We were able to talk through decision making and she felt confident in her decision to go with [The doctor’s recommendation to use] a balloon foley induction on Wednesday night, then Pitocin on Thursday morning if things didn’t pick up.
Wednesday
She went in the hospital at 10 and was hooked up to pit. I arrived at 11, she was lying in bed. I was a tad worried this was going to be an epidural birth (she wanted to avoid that like the plague). So I talked to the nurse to see what she found upon the vaginal exam. She said they didn’t record station because baby was too high for them to record it. [There’s a sign that baby is high!]
…upon asking where she felt kicks, I assumed baby was still OP, or on the right. I felt the back of her sacrum and her right side was more stiff. …So we put the yoga mat to the side of the bed on the floor for her to stand on, raised the bed, she got up and we did Dip the Hip moves for 10 contractions. I kept feeling her sacrum and pop, the right side loosened up and the left side stiffened. So we dipped deeper on the left side through 5 more contractions … contractions were now 2 minutes apart or less, and we couldn’t get her on the bed to feel. So I asked where she felt baby and she said it was heavy on her left side. So we assumed baby rotated.
Now we needed to tuck baby’s chin in so I suggested we do Abdominal Lift and Tucks after only through 2 contractions, and She looked up at me very surprised and confused.
She said, “I can’t do this anymore!!” This seemed to early for transition. It was now only about 12:30. I had only been there an hour and a half. Husband suggested epidural because she said she couldn’t do it anymore. … The nurse offered gas. She took gas after asking about risks.
We did hip circles on the ball that the nurse brought in (bless her soul). And this helped her legs to rest a bit. She wanted to rest on the bed, but couldn’t get on it because she realized that moving helped her cope better. Finally we got her on the bed so the nurse could check her. 9 cm, 0 station, 100% effaced!!! It’s now 1 pm. Her baby turned, and tucked, and then was able to descend! YAY!
She got back up and wanted to Dip her Hips again. So we did that. Then she started bearing down…
We talked about pushing positions and directed vs/ non-directed pushing. She was still able to talk between contractions! Crazy. I basically squatted with her, behind her as I squeezed her hips. The head was showing. The nurse said the doctor wanted her on the bed for pushing, but could be in whatever position she liked.
So we used the squatting bar and I was straddling the bed behind her and squeezing her hips. She was pushing wearing her moccasins!! Baby’s head was closer.
Amen to a peaceful and spiritual birth with a pitocin induction, and a baby high in the pelvis, above -3 to start. 20 minutes of pushing. Hardly a tear. WOW. The nurses said they had never seen a birth like this before and they liked working with me (as I liked working with them). Here’s to repairing our doula-nurse relationship in this hospital.
[So that’s her birth story] about how Dip the Hip, Hip circles, and Abdominal Lift and Tuck helped her (among other moves) to have a short easier-than-anticipated labour even with baby not engaged upon Pitocin induction at 41 and 3 weeks. 3 hours of labour, and no epidural, and Pitocin was not needed. We surpassed what all doctors thought was going to be a 2-day birth.”
Integrating Spinning Babies in Your Birth Work
Do you have a passion to bring Spinning Babies® forward? Read the blog posts, get the provider email, and find a basic workshop near you. If you’ve been to one, take another or join the Integration Workshop. We’re having an Integration Workshop in Pacifica, California on January 15th. Less than a half-hour drive from San Francisco airport! Share the concepts and techniques, but to teach or use as a service for your business clients, you’ll need advanced training to name our brand or use our logo. So much is in development now. Childbirth Educators are preparing for a 2019 Parent Educator Training.
Testimonials
“This is just what I needed!! I have taken two Spinning Babies® Workshops and believe strongly in the Spinning Babies philosophy of birth and techniques. My #1 challenge as a doula has always been how to ‘convince’ women in labor that the exercise/position I am suggesting is to their benefit. The ideas in this post free doulas from the pressure of being responsible to implement techniques with their birthing mothers, and instead can follow her cues to suggest techniques when appropriate and when mom is responsive to trying something that she feels will help her. I love it! Thank you!” – Shulamis Kamenetzky CD(DONA)
“I have attended a Spinning Babies® Workshop and hosted one with Tammy Ryan. I really enjoy the course and I believe in its importance. I have a passion and mission to bring this to each and every one of my midwifery students as I am also a clinical instructor at Shenandoah University’s Midwifery program. I also want to help reach as many people that want to learn about Spinning Babies®. I use it every day in practice with my patients in the office and hospital. I am very dedicated to promoting vaginal childbirth and really believe that this course is an essential toolbox item for all providers, nurses, birth workers and support.” – Rhea Williams CNM, Nutritionist
Birthing From Within
Pam England, CNM’s combination of the Hero’s Journey (how power emerges within us) and journaling through art is the most creative childbirth preparation book I’ve seen published. The storytelling and painting element transforms the person practicing her techniques from fear to confidence. Check it out. And a shout out to her website designer, Sarah The Website Doula – We’ve got a meeting with her next month!
Upcoming Spinning Babies® Workshops
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