It’s been a crazy week here at Midwifery Traditions with more breech inquiries in one week than in almost 40 years of practice!
According to baby-center.ca “Where there are experienced doctors available and strict guidelines are applied, vaginal birth can be as safe as caesarean birth”.
As of 2009 The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecology in Canada has switched to supporting most vaginal breech births.
When will the United States catch up? Currently, there is a trend in the United States to perform caesarean delivery for breech births. The ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) states that the mode of delivery should consider patient wishes and experience of the healthcare provider, unfortunately, there are very few experienced healthcare providers because of the trend to default to caesarean births when breech.
Thankfully, locally, there are a few physicians who are providing breech births!
During our research we found that Maternal Fetal Medicine at Jefferson hospital and one physician at Reading Hospital are offering breech vaginal births (for mothers who have had previous deliveries).
***Attention fellow Pennsylvanians and all who support paid family leave in the United States – There is currently a bill pending in the PA State Senate 
The psoas, or ‘hip flexor,’ is a posterior abdominal muscle that helps to stabilize the pelvis. It attaches at the thoracic vertebrae and wraps around, over the pelvis, and attaches at the top of the thighs, creating support for our abdominal organs. During pregnancy, the psoas helps support the growing uterus and assist with core stability. The psoas should be stretchy and mobile, and when tight can encourage pelvic misalignments and prevent fetal descent in labor. Prolonged sitting, postural imbalances, cycling, and running may all contribute to the tightening of this muscle.
has contributed greatly to loosing the full range of motion in our hips and legs. One way to combat this is to walk as much as possible during the day. If you work at a desk, take frequent brakes to walk and stretch (we will go over the stretching in a minute). Standing workstations are great options for people with more workplace flexibility. 
pelvic organs. Unfortunately, ligaments are not pliable like muscles tissue, and once stretched, they don’t recoil well. By rocking our pelvis back in a neutral spine position, our bones and muscles do the work like they are supposed to, keeping our organs well supported.
instinctual squat, watch a toddler squat to pick up a toy. It is a movement that we intuitively do as children, only to be lost to modern conveniences.
e doing. Abdominal exercises like crunches, sit-ups and planks are counterproductive when dealing with diastasis recti and can, in fact, make the condition worse. Any exercises that cause the abdominal muscle to bulge away from the body (put your hand on your stomach while doing a crunch to feel it for yourself) put additional pressure on those already weak abdominal muscles. Planks force the abdominal muscles to support the internal organs, also increasing abdominal pressure and outward force. Once your diastasis is healed, these exercises can be added back into your routine, but it is important to avoid them while rebuilding your foundational core.
f which we already discussed above).
Many of our clients are interested in water birth and ask us to recommend products. Giving birth in the water can be an excellent pain management option for women birthing at home and a gentle transition to extrauterine life for your baby. The following list includes the necessities, as well as some of products that I have seen work best over the years.
encountered is insufficient height. In order to achieve the buoyancy and weightlessness needed for the best pain management in labor, you will ideally have at least 21″ of water (The water should cover your belly while you are in a kneeling/squatting position). Look for three rings and at least 24 inches high. (Hint: You’ll know you’ve hit the jackpot if all of the top Amazon.com reviews are from home birthers!)
ine have vertical inflatable pockets which create a sturdier feel. The bottom of the pool inflates to a nice cushion, which you will appreciate after several hours of kneeling, and plastic handles are fixed on the inside walls. La Bassine makes fitted liners for easier clean-up between users and covers to keep the water warm when you are not inside.
adjustable height rings, an inflatable seat, and a built in cup holder. The “My Anchor” accessory birth pool strap is available for purchase. Some sites include liners, covers, and accessories in one water birth package, or they can be purchased a la carte. This sturdy pool will hold up for many uses. (Personal note: I like this pool and so do my clients, but I feel compelled to mention that I have never once seen anyone use the seat, the handles are used far less frequently than a support person’s hands, and the cup holder is awkward and the drink gets stuck in it. I wouldn’t use these factors alone in the choice of this pool over the less expensive options.) 
at the perfect temperature. The sidewalls are made of rigid and study foam covered plastic, which some users complain is less comfy to drape themselves over. Additionally, the height is only 24″, just high enough to meet the minimum amount of water needed. At over $1,000.00 to purchase, most people interested in this tub choose to rent from someone local. Ask your midwife if she knows of anyone offering this service. Bonus: rental services typically offer liners, hoses, adapters, and pumps. Some offer set up and clean up as well.
with an inflatable tub. These allow you to remove cool water from the tub and replace with warmer water from the faucet throughout labor. No more messy bailing with buckets and boiling pots of water on the stove. When you want to remove water from the pool, you simply flip the switch near the faucet connection and turn on the water, creating a siphon and sending water down the drain.
