Breaking Off Our Engagement With Engagement
- Duration: 60 Mins
- Credits:
- Learning Format: Webinar
- Handout: Yes
- Origin: GOLD Midwifery
Abstract:
In this session Carol Gray will make a compelling argument for an idea that is not mainstream – even among radical homebirth midwives. As a midwife she has long recognized that the baby who couldn't descend into mom's pelvis and get born presents a problem. Carol has since recognized that the baby who drops deeply into mom's pelvis and stays there long (days, weeks or months) before the onset of labor presents an even bigger problem. Babies know how to position themselves for birth. They ought to be able to bob in and out of mom's pelvis until labor begins. When they drop down and stay down it's because they are stuck. In this session Carol will show the anatomy and the biomechanics of this problem. She will describe the aftermath: things like torticollis, plagiocephaly, breastfeeding difficulties, scoliosis, cesarean birth, inductions, etc. Carol will also give some resources for how we can help.
Learning Objectives:
Objective 1: Participants will describe how tissue restrictions in mothers’ bodies contribute to less-than-ideally-positioned babies;
Objective 2: Participants will describe the maternal structures involved in fetal positioning;
Objective 3: Participants will explain why less-than-ideally positioned babies are at increased risk for technological intervention in their births;
Objective 4: Participants will discuss how nuances of prenatal positioning can compromise babies’ ability to live comfortably in their bodies after birth;
Objective 5: Participants will discuss why engagement earlier than just before or during labor is actually cause for concern;
Objective 6: Participants will spread the word that there’s just more to it than “head down” or “OA";
Objective 7: Participants will explain what can be done with manual therapy throughout pregnancy to help babies assume ideal positions for birth.
