Finding your Pregnancy Symmetry

In our Daisy Radio antenatal podcast Daisy Radio - 2 of 6 Episodes (Series 1) last week, we considered the importance of balance to the uterus (womb).  This is something we work on a huge amount in our weekly antenatal classes.

Think of a hammock tied to two trees and how important it is that the ropes attaching it are even, in order to allow you to lay in the hammock without falling out.

Now think of baby in the womb - a symmetrical womb will allow baby to turn more easily into their optimum position - in short OFP is all about balance!

But What is Optimum Position

Ideally we want baby to settle in what the antenatal notes describe as LOA (with their occiput (back of the head) towards your left side, between your hip and your pubic bone).  This is as opposed to ROA which would refer to a baby lying with their occiput towards your right hip or OP which is where baby's occiput sits between your hip and your tail bone.

The uterus is designed for baby to turn into a vertical position (head down) between 5 to 7 months pregnant.  Up until 26 weeks, most babies tend to lie sideways on, just like they are in a hammock, in what midwives refer to as a transverse position.

At around 26 weeks most babies will turn into a vertical position (head down or bum down) .... ideally we want those who choose bottom down to flip and turn before 34 weeks!  Ask your Daisy Birthing teacher about moves which can assist this!

Think about how easy it is for baby flip into their idea position, if the uterus is twisted or off centre in some way, perhaps because of ligaments (the anchors which hold the uterus in the pelvis) being shorted at one point or maybe because of a kink or tightness in the pelvic floor.

STAR NOTE:  Try not to sit with your legs crossed at the knees as this can cause kinks to your pelvic floor!

Emotional Balance Matters Too!

But finding balance is not just about aligning the physical.  The emotional body also has to achieve that symmetrical state too.  A quiet mind and a reduction of stress hormones will allow your key 'balance muscles' the psoas muscles, which connect from the centre of your spine around vertebrae T12 to your inner thighs, to lengthen and release and this will then help you achieve physical symmetry, as the body is more easily able to stand or sit correctly and the skeleton can perform the duty nature intended for it to perform.

So here is a taster of how we find balance in the first few minutes of our antenatal Daisy Birthing® class:

Jess centres her body and her mind....

As she ensures she is sitting evenly on both bottom bones, allowing her weight to naturally fall forward of them (not behind, which will cause the back to arch against the natural pregnancy lordosis and course encourage baby to tip back to back).

She allows her hands to settle onto her knees, palms up to feel more open emotional to new ideas (in Daisy antenatal classes the idea that birth can be a wonderful and positive thing) and to open more physically - try it, palms up allows you to open in the chest and breath more easily, palms down rounds the back and closes the chest area.

She closes her eyes to tune into her quiet mind for a while, taking nice steady breaths just like those taught to you in Daisy Radio episode 1 Daisy Radio is here!

Notice how her jaw is soft - remember, a relaxed jaw will quite literally help you achieve a relaxed pelvis and pelvic floor because of its connection via the axis of the body (or axial skeleton) the spine.  I always find it amazing that the muscles surrounding the jaw or mandible, are supposedly the strongest in the body and can certainly see first hand in myself and most women, how annoyance, frustration or worry goes straight to our jaw.  Try clenching your jaw tight to see how this influences your pelvic floor and your bottom!  Now you will understand why a relaxed jaw (sphincter law) is so important for a positive birth!

[Note from personal experience .... during my 1st labour, unresolved fear of letting go resulted in my being unable to fully relax my pelvic floor and as a consequence, baby bruised my bladder as was unable to descend!  I couldn't pee properly for a month.  Trust me, let your jaw and pelvic floor release!]

Jess Finds her Spirit Level

By bringing her palms together and allowing them to find her centre (just like aligning the bubble on a spirit level).

Subtle shifts will occur in where her balance is placed over either seat bone, as her body is finally allowed to relax and find its correct posture.  For many of us (especially those who walked early, as Liz Koch explores in her book The Psoas), we have learned to support ourselves and to walk with our inner muscles and not the skeleton.  We need to rediscover how to let these muscles go and allow our skeleton to do its work.

Notice her eyes remain closed to allow her to really feel where her centre point is.

Her elbows are soft, to ensure she stays relaxed in the upper back and through the diaphragm.

Her jaw is still soft as she breathes easily and smoothly.  In her Daisy class, her antenatal teacher or mentor as we call them, will gently guide her through riding the waves of the breath, breathing in through the nose as she climbs the wave and blowing the wave away through a soft mouth.

Notice her knees!  This is not about getting knees touching the floor!  Being open in birth, as I discovered (trust me my knees go nowhere near the floor when I sit cross legged), is about being able to release and let go of the soft tissues inside and of course to let go of worry and fear!  You do not have to be able to do the lotus position or squat for long periods, to have a good birth!

Jess Makes Space for Baby and Her Colon!

Gently taking her spirit level upwards now, following with her eyes, Jess is able to increase the space between her diaphragm (rib cage) and her pelvic floor.

Not only does this help baby find wriggle room, so good for helping OFP, but in addition it makes space for Jess's colon to work more effectively and so digestion is improved!  Good bye heartburn and pregnancy constipation (Jess talks about not having this despite the fact she has piles in her video blog) ODBBEM - One Daisy Baby Born Every Minute! Episode 2

By taking the eyes up to look at the hands, space is increased even more.  Try it and you will see what I mean!

Look at how her bump settles in such a lovely, even place - hammocking that baby!

Be a little cautious with this move if you have low blood pressure, as arms above the head can make you feel dizzy - adjust yourself accordingly!  Try not to hold this move for too long.  In Daisy classes we suggest holding for just one inhale and exhale!

STAR MOVE .... as not only does this help with space for baby, for the colon, helps our chest open .... it also gentle lengthens those important psoas muscles (creating internal space in the pelvis) and helps to drain fluid off swollen hands!

Try this simply seated segment daily and see what a difference it makes to your body and your baby's position!  We'd love to hear your thoughts ...