Spinning Babies

So often I've heard reference to the website Spinning Babies, and I searched it myself when I had a baby in the breech position. At our recent ICAN meeting for doulas we heard from Katie about the rates of cesarean for babies based on various positions. Obviously with a breech baby you'll have a harder time find a care provider comfortable with a vaginal birth, and thus the very high rates of cesarean deliveries for breech presentation. What many people don't know is that up or down isn't the only position that matters! Most babies come out facing down (their back is against your front) which is called anterior. If the baby is facing up (their belly facing your front) then it's posterior, or sunny side up. This isn't the ideal position for birthing and can cause back labor, longer labors, more difficulty pushing, etc.

Thus my excitement about this new workbook from Spinning Babies - The Belly Mapping Workbook. It's designed for moms to figure out their baby's position and then do exercises to encourage their baby to be in the best possible position for labor.

I remember laying in bed with each of my babies gently pushing on my stomach and talking with Kit as we guessed at which body part we were feeling! This book provides parents with clear instructions for how to better assess their baby's position. Besides being informative and beneficial for labor, it's also a fun bonding exercise to play with your baby in the womb. I remember the excitement of poking at little feet and feeling them kick in response!

The belly mapping workbook will be part of my lending library for doula clients. I coordinated a large group order for other doulas & midwives in the area and spoke with Gail about presenting a workshop in her area. She says the DFW area is on our planning sheet, so I'll keep you posted!