Gail Tully

More on Gail Tully

Born in 1959, the third child in a splitting family, Gail found peace in nature and drawing.

Gail’s mother, Jeanne Norman Tully, at first thought her third child had an extra chromosome. Later, Jeanne saw the artist in Gail. In youth, Gail foolishly misjudged art’s ability to change the world and declined an art scholarship to the Minneapolis Art Institute and went, instead, to the College of Social Work at the University of Minnesota for a BS in Family Dynamics. Her first son was three months old when she began college and was 12 when she graduated. Her second son was 6 months old and she was offering homebirth midwifery services.

In the year 2000, Gail obtained a Certified Professional Midwife certificate from North American Registry of Midwives. By that time, she’d started doula trainings (1998) and supporting nonprofits like the American Indian Center and United Way with their own doula programs. She led 8 doulas through a pilot project conducted by Allina Health and they helped the staff reduce the cesarean rates among doula supported families down to 3.9 percent. Gail led the Hennipen County Medical Center’s doula program in it’s beginning (8% cesarean rate with doulas). Gail continued supporting homebirth parents and finished her active midwifery years serving with Clare Welter, CNM, and Emme Corbeil, CPM, of Trillium Midwives during their start-up years.

Gail didn’t grow up with her father, William Tully, a NSA analyst. “Bill” became quite proud of Gail’s midwifery certificate and work with Spinning Babies before he passed in 2012.  Bill, a soldier with a poet’s heart, wrote a poem for his daughter:

A child is born into Gail’s hands;
She snips the red ribbon of God’s Gift

(While Gail is unlikely to cut a cord at all, not to mention waiting until it is quite white, this recognition by her accomplished father was very welcome.)

Gail took small but direct action in the grassroots efforts to regulate homebirth midwives. She wasn’t keen on regulation but saw the future. Her contribution was  in writing the description of normal birth for the statute in a way that made sure non-licensed midwives were not illegal in her state. The intent was so parents could pick who they wanted with them to give birth and community midwives were legal to practice. Gail was instrumental in keeping the care of breech and twins within the definition of normal midwifery. She has then sought training in 7 countries by over 12 experts in the breech to become proficient in solving breech obstruction during what would otherwise be a normal, healthy, and supported vaginal breech birth. Breech Birth; Quick Guide complements Gail’s in-person class for providers.

Gail is also interested in how head down babies occasionally may get stuck shoulders. She found the literature and suggested (mandatory) solutions for this emergency to be lacking. Her development of FlipFLOP memory tool helps midwives and doctors remember an effective solution for over 80% of stuck shoulders and has another suggested solution for the others. Speed, success, and gentleness are dependent on where in the pelvis the shoulder waits. Resolving Shoulder Dystocia is Gail’s video class.

Gail is married to Vic Froehlich, a retired supercomputer programmer who can talk to the “zeros and ones” of binary language. (No wonder he can also talk, “Gail.”) Together they enjoy 6 children in their lives (2 of whom Gail got to give birth to) and 8 grandchildren. Gail and Vic live in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Gail welcomes those that support physiological birth and the questions that will get us there.

Gail’s related published works include:

• SpinningBabies.com (2002 to the present)
• “First Twin: Breech,” Midwifery Today, Issue Number 106   (Summer 2013), Breech Birth Issue
• “Identifying and Resolving Obstructed Breech Birth: When to Touch and When to Be Hands-Free,” Midwifery Today, Issue Number 106 (Summer 2013), Breech Birth Issue
• “Arm Behind the Back: A shoulder dystocia complication,” Midwifery Today, Autumn 2012 Issue 103. P18-19, 69.  (2012)
• “FlipFLOP: Four Steps to Remember,” Midwifery Today, Autumn 2012 Issue 103. p. 9-11. (2012)
• “Opening the Pelvic Brim with the Trochanter Roll,” Midwifery Today, Issue 96 (Spring 2011)
• Belly Mapping, Midwifery Today, Issue 96. (Winter 2010/2011)
• Resolving Shoulder Dystocia DVD, Maternity House Publishing (2010);
• Belly Mapping Workbook, Maternity House Publishing (2009);
• Belly Mapping How Kicks and Wiggles Reveal Your Baby’s Position. International Doula Vol. 12. Issue 4 (Fall 2004);
• “Shoulder Dystocia; The basics” Midwifery Today (Summer 2003).
• “Daily Essentials: Activities for Pregnancy Comfort and Easier Birth” DVD, Maternity House Publishing (2014)
• “Spinning Babies Parent Class” DVD, Maternity House Publishing (2014)
• Spinning Babies; Quick Reference, booklet (2015)
• Breech Birth; Quick Guide, booklet (2016)

Her unpublished paper, Perspectives in Breech Birth (1994) helped to preserve breech options in Minnesota Traditional Midwifery law (1999).

Can I contact Gail?

Gail receives emails every day. She hopes to answer each one, but that’s not always possible. Gail suggests that before contacting her you try these things:

• Read the Blog
• Visit the Facebook page for Spinning Babies
• Check out the Techniques pages

Start with balance and the rest usually works itself out.

If you email, please note: By emailing Gail, you are agreeing that the content of your email may be used publicly on her site or social media. Names will not be posted unless you grant permission in your email. You can email info@sspinningbabies.com and our staff will help direct complex emails or birth stories to Gail.

Your stories telling how using you used Spinning Babies^® are needed to inspire thousands of expectant women and couples. Sharing your story, even while you’re pregnant and the story is in progress, is a way to have a nice conversation.

Gail does not answer questions posted  on the Spinning Babies blog or on the Facebook page.

Gail does want to celebrate your journey and shares your desire for an emotionally nurturing birth.