Dr. Kevin Ross, DC has been our chiropractor since I went to see him
for help with Bryan’s breech presentation. He is trained in the Webster Protocol, which as he explained
to our class last night, it’s NOT a turning technique. It’s an adjustment that addresses the
imbalance in the pelvis. Once the
pelvis is aligned, then the baby can safely turn head down. They may be unborn, yet they are smart
enough to avoid tension!! We were
very blessed that his “magic hands” worked to align my pelvis and Bryan turned
head-down 11 days before he was born. We invite him to come speak to our classes for a couple of
reasons. Being a Bradley Dad
himself, he is a champion of natural birth. He and his wife took Bradley Method® classes in preparation for the
births of their two older children, and they had three homebirths. He is also passionate about
chiropractic care during pregnancy and childhood. He is a favorite of La Leche League leaders and lactation
consultants. They consider him a great
resource and he is recommended to moms who are having breastfeeding
challenges. One of the fringe
benefits of infant chiropractic care with Bryan was having our nursing
relationship stabilize within two weeks after his birth, instead of the 4-6
weeks it took with our older two children who didn't receive chiropractic care as infants. Since last night was our postpartum care class, we asked Dr. Ross to
come speak to our class about what they should expect as “normal” for their
infants and we also asked him to participate in our labor rehearsal. He started his presentation by using his spine model and his
baby doll to show our students about how a baby progresses through the birth
canal. He re-iterated what we
strive to teach in our classes:
given a normal, uncomplicated birth, a mom’s body and the baby know how
the baby needs to get out, and they can do it without any outside manipulation
or maneuvering as the baby exists the birth canal. He really emphasized to the families that they could trust
mom’s body to do what it is designed to do. He also used the spine and baby to demonstrate why it is
that some babies seem to have a “favorite side” when they nurse. As he likes to say, mom’s breasts are a
matched set: they look the same, feel the same, and for all intents and
purposes are the same size. There
is no reason other than a misalignment from the birth experience that would
cause a baby to choose one side over another. He explained that if a baby has tension in their spine, it
is uncomfortable for them to turn to one side, therefore it lends to the
appearance that baby favors one breast over the other one. Dr. Ross made use of the spine model to demonstrate why lying in a
supine position on the bed (on your back) is so painful during labor. He reminded the students that
studies have shown it’s the best way to slow down a labor, which then leads to
a host of interventions. He
suggested that if our students want their labor to progress as it was designed
to do, mom should stay off her back.
Thanks, Dr. Ross! The first thing he showed us for labor rehearsal was how to
deal with “back labor”. Back labor
is generally caused by a baby who has the bony part of the head against mom’s
spine, called “sunny-side up” in the vernacular and “occiput posterior” in
medical terms. In two of the
graduate birth stories we heard, babies in a posterior position had slowed their
labors down. Dr Ross has a very
specific way to address posterior presentation without physically manipulating
the baby. He also shared a way to help open the inlet of pelvis during
early and active labor, and then open the outlet of the pelvis during late
first stage labor. We practiced
this in side-lying position, as well as in a labor scenario where couples would
be walking between contractions and then either squatting or standing against
the wall during a contraction. Having Dr. Ross visit was informative on so many
levels. Unfortunately, although I
had my video camera and my still camera ready, I was so caught up listening
that I didn’t take pictures or video to share today! Next time…the picture at the top is thanks to Bruss' quick shot with his phone camera. For more about the Webster Protocol, please visit Dr. Ross’
webpage: http://rechargeyourlife.com/drross_chiropage/webster_turning.html Disclaimer: The
material included on this site is for informational purposes only.
It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical
advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to
determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. This blog contains information about our classes available in
Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy
of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. |