“Nikki mentioned how modern life sets up babies for being in less than 
optimal positions for birth.  I don't know who originated the work 
but Pauline Scott has published two very interesting books on optimal 
fetal positioning:

Understanding and Teaching Optimal Foetal Positioning by Jean Sutton 
and Pauline Scott (this one is more for practitioners)


Sit Up and Take Notice!  Positioning Yourself for a Better Birth by 
Pauline Scott (this one is more for parents)


Both of these talk about getting moms out of the comfy slouchy chairs 
and encouraging them to crawl among other techniques that can get 
these babies in better positions for birth.

Laura Mundt, MA, ICCE

Portland, OR”

 

There is also the work of Gail Tully www.spinningbabies.com. In my 
capacity as a birth doula in training, I attended her workshop last August 
at Pascack Valley Hospital in NJ. She discussed the cultural, anatomical 
and labor management causes of posterior presentation.  We learned how to 
do belly mapping.  She discussed the effects of posterior presentation and 
techniques on how to correct the posterior lie during pregnancy, labor and 
pushing. This was truly an excellent learning opportunity for anyone 
caring for pregnant moms and their babies. There were several midwives, 
nurses, many doulas though sadly no ob’s in attendance as well as pregnant 
moms as demo models.


Truly there may be circumstances out of anyone’s control in terms of birth 
outcome, interventions and successful breastfeeding.  But I was very happy 
to add on a few more ways of helping women achieve their birthing and 
breastfeeding goals. 

 
Sadly the last birth I attended was at a truly mother/baby/doula 
unfriendly hospital (with an insanely high c-section rate). And after the 
usual cascade of interventions, the mother hooked up to every available 
monitor, unable to move to handle contractions, unable to push with the 
epidural, the baby, who had been lying OA for most of the labor turned OP 
during pushing and she ended up with a c-section, a 4 hour mother-baby 
separation, and formula supplementation all against her wishes and the 
details of her birth plan. With great effort and lots of support, she is 
now fully breastfeeding. 

 
So even when parents have gone to great lengths to inform themselves, have 
discussed their choices with their HCP, they can be scared and manipulated 
into situations they were trying to avoid.  I'm not so sure change will 
happen unless it comes from within the institutions serving these women 
and babies. 


 

Carmen Clark, LLLL, IBCLC
Teaneck, NJ
Mom to four boys 14, 11, 9, 5 year old nursling

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