Induction of Labour - The importance of setting up your pelvic space when you're missing out on spontaneous labour.

By Gabrielle Brennan from G.LORRI LABOUR BODYWORK

NURSE/MIDWIFE & PERSONAL TRAINER | MALVERN EAST, VIC

If your medical team has recommended that you have an induction for labour, it's important to understand what can happen with this intervention. Inductions don't always work, and there are risks involved that your team has likely discussed with you. However, what they may have neglected to talk about is the importance of preparing your body leading up to the induction.

In fact, in all my years working as a midwife, I've never heard anyone discuss the importance of preparation work before an induction. But recently, I've been instructing clients on this type of preparation, and I've seen firsthand how it can lead to better labour progress and even spontaneous labour before the induction date.

It's important to understand that there are cultural beliefs surrounding labour, especially within the medical system, that hyperfocus on strong regular contractions to cause dilation and allow the baby to descend through the pelvis until they're born. While this is true, it completely neglects to acknowledge HOW the baby moves through the pelvis.

That's where preparation work comes in. By focusing on preparing your body for labour, you can improve your chances of unassisted vaginal births and better birth experiences. And with such a high number of birthing people experiencing inductions, it's more important than ever to consider preparation as a necessary component of the process.

So, if you're facing an induction, take the time to talk to your medical team about preparation work and how it can help improve your labour progress and overall birth experience.

In spontaneous labour, the body often spends more time in early labour than in active labour. This is because the body is working hard to achieve optimal fetal alignment before progressing into active labour. When the baby is not aligned properly, the body withholds active labour until the issue is fixed. This could take days or even weeks, but the body is beyond intelligent and knows the importance of proper alignment.

As a midwife, I've worked with clients who have been in early labour for a long period of time, and I've found that correcting malposition can lead to active labour starting that night or the next day. This tells me that the body was waiting for proper alignment before allowing progress.

So, how does this relate to inductions? Well, inductions essentially skip the delicate early labour work that the body does and push it into active labour faster than it would normally. This means that if your body wasn't already close to spontaneous labour, then your baby is more likely to be poorly positioned because it hasn't spent enough time in early labour. This insufficient time in early labour can result in babies with high heads, poor engagement, oblique positions, or failure to rotate out of a posterior position.

In summary, by understanding the importance of early labour and optimal fetal alignment, we can see why preparation work is so crucial before an induction. Skipping this delicate phase can lead to poor positioning of the baby, and potentially more complications during the birth process. It's important to work with your medical team and midwife to ensure the best possible outcome for you and your baby.

The use of inductions during labour has become increasingly common, with 35% of labours in Australia being induced in 2020 alone. However, inductions can often lead to a higher risk of malposition issues, resulting in slow or no progress, and ultimately, cesareans. This is because inductions push the body into active labour faster than it intends to, without allowing enough time for the delicate early labour work to occur.

In early labour, the body works to get better fetal alignment before progressing to active labour. Skipping this stage can result in a higher chance of a less than optimal fetal position, making contractions ineffective if the baby is not positioned well. This issue is something that is seen too often in hospital midwifery.

However, by preparing the body leading up to an induction, progress issues in labour can be greatly reduced. Body work, such as releases around the sacrum and round ligaments, can help to correct malpositioning and optimise the baby’s position for a smoother delivery. This method has yielded incredible results, with clients reporting far fewer progress issues in labour and even spontaneously going into labour before their induction date or after their waters were broken.

Treating clients with body work can help them to avoid potential complications during an induction. In one instance, a client booked for an induction for gestational diabetes saw a midwife a day before her scheduled induction to see if she could avoid it. Her baby was very oblique, but after an hour of body work and stretches, her baby changed position to central, and she was able to avoid a potentially risky induction.

By prioritising early labour preparation, pregnant individuals can increase their chances of having an optimal labour and delivery experience, with a reduced risk of complications such as cesareans.

If you're facing the possibility of induction, it's crucial to consider the impact it may have on your baby's position during birth. Skipping early labor can lead to malposition issues, making it difficult for your baby to descend through the pelvis and cause progress in labor. This can result in slow progress, no descent, or even cesarean delivery. But the good news is that by preparing your body leading up to your induction, you can help optimize your baby's position and improve the chances of a successful induction.

At our clinic, we offer bodywork sessions to help you prepare for your induction and ensure your baby is well-positioned for birth. Our bodywork techniques can help release tension and create space in your pelvis, encouraging optimal fetal alignment. We've seen incredible results from our clients who've received bodywork before their inductions, including less progress issues during labor and even spontaneous labor before the scheduled induction date.

If you're interested in optimizing your baby's position before your induction, don't hesitate to contact us as soon as possible. By giving your body enough time to benefit from bodywork, you can increase the chances of a smooth and successful induction experience.

References:

Australian Government (2022, November 14). Australia's Mother and Babies. Australian Institue of Health and Welfare. Retrieved March 8, 2023, from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mothers-babies/australias-mothersbabies/contents/labour-and-birth/onset-of-labour

If you're interested in experiencing the benefits of labour bodywork, we invite you to reach out to us.