Baby’s position is a huge factor in labor progress, and sometimes can influence when labor can finally begin if you are having a prodromal or start-stop labor pattern. Luckily, we tend to move in a way that supports baby’s rotation and descent. But what if we need some more help with fixing baby’s position so they can finally enter the pelvis and labor progress can resume? Let’s explore three movements you can try during pregnancy and labor to potentially fix baby’s position and labor can resume!
Miles Circuit & Variations: Support Baby's Position
The Miles Circuit is a series of movements designed to help your baby reengage and rotate and tends to be our recommendation if you are experiencing prodromal labor.
Sometimes prodromal labor is related to baby’s position; their position is a little off, so labor is having a hard time continuing. But once we adjust their position, we tend to see labor begin and progress to you meeting your baby.
The Miles circuit includes:
- Inversion: Open Knee Chest Position
- Exaggerated Side Lying
- Elevated Side Lunge
These positions in theory help your baby readjust their position. The inversion helps your baby back out of the pelvis to readjust with more space.
Then the side-lying and side lunge positions emphasize the opening of the upper midpelvis to support your baby beginning their rotation!
1. Inversion: Open Knee Chest Position
The open knee chest position is an inversion that utilizes gravity to bring baby to a higher pelvic level so they may have more space to wiggle around and rotate.
In the open-knee-chest position, in addition to utilizing gravity, we are opening the pelvic inlet by allowing the pelvis to tilt more anteriorly. This shifts the pubic bone downwards and can sometimes help your baby enter the pelvis.
If that confused you because we normally state that a posterior pelvic tilt opens the inlet, remember that a posterior pelvic tilt shifts the sacral promontory out of the way to open the pelvis front to back, while an anterior pelvic tilt angles the pubic bone so baby can enter the pelvis.
When doing the open knee chest position, it is important to remember that we are looking for an open hip position NOT wide knees. The name sometimes is confusing where we think open equals wide knees, but we are looking for a hip angle greater than 90 degrees.
Look at the image, and you will see that the knee is further from the chest than the hip.
But, maintaining this position is challenging! This is where partner support can help a ton!
Use a long fabric and place it on your upper thigh. Then ensure it is spread over the thigh as opposed to bunched up because this will cover more surface area and be much more comfortable.
Then your partner can place their feet against yours to keep you from sliding back.
Hold this position for about 20-30 minutes.
Epidural Inversion
If you are in labor and are trying to adjust your baby’s position, but you have an epidural, getting into an inversion can be more challenging.
Here is an epidural inversion you can try with your team: Trendelenburg!
The bed tilts so your head is lower than your hips. You can stay here for 20-30 minutes but monitor how you’re feeling as epidurals are gravity fed, so the lowest part of your body will feel more numb.
2. Exaggerated Side Lying Position
The exaggerated side-lying position can be done with a pillow or bolster, and it can also be done with a peanut ball!
The goal of this movement is to open the upper midpelvis by finding more of an external rotation of the top femur. We can achieve this by focusing on finding an open hip position or think drive the knee away from the hip.
If you look at the image, you can see that you see more of the back of my glutes and my belly is towards the ground. This is another clue that you are in an open hip position.
If you are using a peanut ball, you have the option to rock the leg back and forth to add some movement and create space for baby to rock into the pelvis.
Stay in this position 20-30 minutes per side, but start with left leg on top.
3. Elevated Side Lunge
The elevated side lunge takes the exaggerated side lying opening and makes it upright so we can now use gravity to help your baby drop into the pelvis.
The elevated side lunge is another upper midpelvis opener, where it focuses more on that asymmetrical external rotation.
You can either do the elevated side lunge solo or your partner can provide support in the movement.
Stay in this position, rocking into the knee and hip for about 20-30 minutes per side. Start with the left leg elevated.
Movement Can Support Baby's Position
We can do movement to create more space in the pelvis to facilitate labor progress and baby’s positioning!
If you are having prodromal labor or experiencing a labor stall, focus on these movements to help adjust your baby’s position so that labor can finally progress!
We break down labor biomechanics and labor positions to create space in your pelvis in our childbirth education courses!
Our prenatal fitness programs focus on preparing you for birth, by ensuring you have the movement capability to find different positions to facilitate your labor progress.