Preparing for a Gentle Birth

An illustrated hands-on guide to the dynamics of the female pelvis for expectant mothers, midwives, and birth professionals • Provides fully illustrated exercises to help the expectant mother prepare her pelvis for birth and gain confidence in her body’s innate ability to birth her child • Details the anatomical intricacies of the female pelvis and its capabilities for expansion and return to its original form • Presents movements and positions to ease discomfort, enhance the productivity of contractions, aid the internal expansion of the pelvis, and prevent and treat issues that may arise such as “failure to progress” The dynamic power of the female pelvis is the key to a gentle birth. Throughout pregnancy, hormones soften the ligaments and joints of the pelvis in preparation for labor, a time when the four bones of the pelvis--the two ilia (hip bones), the coccyx (tailbone), and the sacrum--do their intimate dance of release, rotation, and counter-rotation around the soon-to-be newborn. In this hands-on guide based on 15 years of research and workshops in maternity wards, movement teachers and health professionals Blandine Calais-Germain and Núria Vives Parés detail the anatomical intricacies of the female pelvis and its capabilities for expansion and return to its original form. Providing fully illustrated exercises to help the expectant mother prepare for this pelvic transformation and gain confidence in her body’s innate ability to birth her child, they also present a variety of movements and positions for use during the different stages of labor to ease discomfort, enhance the productivity of contractions, aid the internal expansion of the pelvis, and prevent and treat issues that may arise such as “failure to progress.” Ideal for the expectant mother and her birthing partner, this book will be a welcome addition to the library of every midwife, obstetrician, doula, and movement professional who teaches pregnant women.

Blandine Calais-Germain is a dancer, dance instructor, and physical therapist. Renowned for her movement-based classes on anatomy, she is the author of several books, including No-Risk Abs, No-Risk Pilates, and the bestselling Anatomy of Movement. She lives in Limoux, France. Núria Vives Parés is a psychomotor therapist who teaches anatomy and movement to hospital and maternity ward staff throughout Europe. She lives in Palafrugell, Spain.

Foreword by Carmen Barona Vilar A Note to Doctors, Midwives, and Mothers How to Use This Book Introduction: The Pelvis in Motion 1 What Is the Pelvis and What Does It Do? 2 The Parts of the Pelvis 3 How Does the Pelvis Move? 4 How Does the Area around the Pelvis Move? 5 The Pelvis Changes Shape during Childbirth 6 The Principal Positions of Childbirth 7 The Movements and Transformations of the Pelvis 8 The Three Star Positions: Standing, Sitting, Kneeling Anatomy of Movement Certification Programs Bibliography Index