I want to share a secret with you. The secret of Spinning Babies! I know, it sounds weird, but my goal is that by the end of this post it will be your new best friend.
If you have been thinking about or googling how to prepare your body for labor, I truly believe Spinning Babies needs to be in your plan.
I started my nursing career as a labor and delivery nurse and wow did I learn a lot! There are endless amounts of different thoughts and techniques when it comes to pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. Everyone has their personal values and beliefs and that is a beautiful thing!
However, as the nurse, my number one priority was ensuring a safe labor for mom and baby. A key part in reaching this goal was Spinning Babies. The best part is you don’t need a nurse to do this. Do it right at home and start now!
Let’s talk more about how Spinning Babies can truly change your labor experience.
My Pregnancy Journal
Treasure all the moments throughout your pregnancy with this Pregnancy Journal. From weekly updates, hospital checklist, kick counts, birth plan, and so much more!
When Should I Start Preparing My Body for Labor?
I love this question because I wish more expecting mommas would ask it. The best time to start preparing is now!
When you find out your pregnant you instantly began thinking about the dos and don’ts. Food and drink are often the main focus but what if we thought more about our body as a whole.
I don’t want to get too medical here but your body does amazing and extraordinary things to be able to grow a baby. It is important to take into consideration the changes to your anatomy and how small changes in your life can make big changes in your outcome.
You can start stretching from day one. Start walking more. Be more aware of your body mechanics. Do you always cross your legs the same way? How is your posture? Do you always hold your purse on one side? Believe it or not, these things make a difference and you can read more about how here.
What is Spinning Babies
Spinning Babies was created by Gail Tully, a certified midwife who wanted to join nature and medicine. She views the labor experience more as a team effort between mom and baby instead of a mother-driven process.
Within Spinning Babies you will find numerous different thoughts, exercises, techniques, and more that allow you to have a more wholesome delivery experience.
I want to share with you my experience with Spinning Babies and the stretches and positions I used with my patients that made me a believer.
Spinning Babies Stretches
Full disclaimer, this is my personal experience. I am sharing this because I truly believe it can be helpful. I recommend going to Spinningbabies.com and educating yourself on all the techniques. Read the how-to’s, watch the videos, and understand the contraindications.
Here are some of my favorite Spinning Babies stretches that I have used countless times with many different patients.
This technique, although uncomfortable at first, can be great to get baby into a comfortable position. This allows for more room to be opened in the lower uterus. This can also be helpful for breech or posterior babies. Please read all the details here.
This is the one I definitely used most. Probably because it is the easiest for a laboring mom and effective. It reduces pain and in my experience was great at achieving an even effacement (that is a topic for another day). In short, it is easy and greatly effective when done right. This stretch can oftentimes be done incorrectly leading to no benefits. Read how to do this the right way here.
I found that this technique was best for mommas who preferred walking through labor and found standing more comfortable. This is also great to do before an epidural is placed or membranes are ruptured (water breaks). This technique can improve fetal positioning and limit pain.
If you are experiencing back pain then you need to read up on this one! This one was designed for back pain which is often related to baby’s position. I loved to incorporate this technique to also bring mom and dad together. This technique requires a team effort and can be modified in many ways. You can read more about this lifesaver here.
Start Spinning Babies Now
I have listed only a few of the techniques here, but there are so many others. I empower you to start educating yourself on Spinning Babies and start the process now. It is never too early. You can even find a list of daily activities to prepare your body for labor.
Leave a comment sharing how you plan to start preparing and what stage of pregnancy you are at now. I am so excited for you and your journey!
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