Dads /Partners often come into my childbirth classes or doula consultations with a feeling of unease when I ask them, “What do you want your role to be during birth?”. Beyond “support her”, they often don’t have a clear picture of what options they have, what she might need (or not need), how to express […]
No Dirty Shoelaces for the Umbilical Cord, Ever!
Yet again, I read about it. A baby born in the car, on the way to the hospital, and the 911 operator coached the father to tie off the umbilical cord with his dirty shoelace. We should NEVER be tying off an umbilical cord with non-sterile items. Why not? In a word, bacteria. There are […]
Pushing side lying OR, how to turn a squat on its side!
Amy might look slightly awkward here, but this pushing position in bed is one of the best I’ve found. Let’s break it down. If you look at this image sideways, you can see that Amy is actually squatting. Brilliant, I say! As we know, squats can open the pelvis 1 – 2 cm to make […]
Pushing while Seated, Using the Squat Bar
This is one of my go to pushing positions for mothers in a hospital setting. It’s a position that can be used both with or without an epidural and that’s what makes it so wonderful. Josh is sitting in the chair so that when Amy pulls on the scarf, she doesn’t tip the chair over […]
One Squat for Everyone During Labor
Can I just tell you how much I love this squat! It’s the only squat you can do for an extended period of time in comfort. The brilliant thing about this squat is that it’s available to the vast majority of women during labor, no matter what your level of fitness or your fatigue level. […]