Ashley Brichter

Originally posted: January 22, 2019 

Hollywood misrepresents a great deal about the childbirth process, but the fact that they show everyone delivering babies while lying on their backs in a hospital bed is accurate. As Ross clearly demonstrates above, lying down with knees apart is the most common way for someone in the United States to deliver. Here’s why you may want to question this:

A baby’s job in labor is to rotate and descend through the pelvis. If we can maximize the amount of space a baby has within the pelvis, we can not only speed this process along but minimize the stress on muscles and tissues within the pelvic bowl (and therefore minimize the risk injury).

How do you maximize the space in your pelvis to encourage the baby’s rotation and descent? The pelvis has four boney landmarks that determine the maximum circumference a baby has to fit through: the pubic bone at the front, tail bone or coccyx at the back, and two sitz bones at the bottom. Let me walk you through two very simple movements to see how you can create the most space between the pubic bone and tail bone and two sitz bones.

If you’re in a location where feeling around on your pelvis would be immodest, make a commitment to try it the next time you’re in the bathroom or back at home.

First, find the space between your pubic bone and tail bone: 

Place one hand on your pubic bone (it’s very low down under the belly, right between your legs. Isn’t it wide!?). Place your other hand on your tail bone. To find your tail bone, invite your hand to feel between the crease of your behind. It is often higher up than most people realize.  You can walk your fingers all the way down the bottom of your spine until you reach the end – and/or lean back on your fingers in order to feel it more.

Once you have fingers on the pubic bone and fingers on the tail bone, lean forward and feel the space between your fingers. Then lean back. In which direction to you have the most space between your fingers, between your pubic bone and tail bone?  When you are leaning forward or leaning back? Try this a few time before you move on.

 Then, find the space between your sitz bones: 

This is best done sitting down on the edge of a chair. Place your hands underneath your bum and your should feel your sitz bones protruding down. If you don’t feel them right away wiggle side to side a bit. You should feel boney points digging into your hands. 

Now, spread your knees out wide (like you’re having a baby!). Feel the space between your fingers. Then, bring your knees in close together (keeping your feet fairly separated). In which position do you have more space between your sitz bones? With your knees together, feet apart, or your knees and feet wide?   

Hopefully when you tried it you were able to feel that there is more space in your pelvis when you are leaning forward and that there is more space in the pelvis when your knees are closer together than your feet. 

WAIT. What? That’s right. I said it. 

Most people deliver their babies on their backs with their knees spread wide because this is the most convenient position for hospital staff. If you’re thinking about a physiological birth, looking for ways to possibly shorten your labor, or looking for ways to reduce the risk of tearing, give some serious through to positions that lend themselves to forward leaning and keeping feet wider than knees!

Let’s take one more look at the tail bone specifically: leaning backwards makes the tailbone stick in. It limits the amount of space a baby has to rotate and it asks your body to push a baby uphill!  Upright and forward leaning positions will allow the tailbone to get out of the way.   Granted, you have to deliver with a provider and in a location that is supportive of this. But that’s for another post!

You can learn more about Ashley on her website: http://overwhelmingmoments.com/

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