Dr Rachel Reed
midwife • author • presenter • researcher
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An OP position is not wrong or a problem. It is not caused by anything the woman does or does not do. Instead, it is a common variation that occurs when a baby gets into the ‘optimal position’ for their journey through their mother’s unique body. After all, the baby has more knowledge about the interior of their mother’s pelvis than we do.Our resident Snoot (or one of a few - I can’t tell)In the 1930's Caldwell-Moloy classified the female pelvis into four types – gynaecoid, anthropoid, platypelloid and android. This nonsense is still taught to care providers and parents. More recently a study by Kuliukas et al. (2015) analysed 64 women's pelvises. They concluded that '…there was no obvious clustering into the four distinct types of pelvis (gynaecoid, anthropoid, android and platypelloid) in the Caldwell-Moloy classification, but rather an amorphous, cloudy continuum of shape variation.'An understanding of physiology should underpin any 'practice' or childbirth education. We need to reclaim birth knowledge rather than reinforce and sustain misconceptions created during the medicalisation of women's bodies. It doesn't matter if the information is transmitted via a diagram or a model (plastic or wooden) - it is incorrect.This happened on Amazon Australia 😁 I don't understand the algorithyms and it doesn't stay there long so I thought I'd better capture it. If you still haven't got your copy see the link in my bio. Also - lovely reviews are always welcome. They do something to the algorithyms apparently and help people find the book.Research, guidelines, policies and law will not change practice until the underlying birth culture and beliefs change.
Archived by the National Library of Australia and Partners
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Recent Posts
Top Posts
- In Celebration of the OP Baby
- The Anterior Cervical Lip: how to ruin a perfectly good birth
- Amniotic Fluid Volume: too much, too little, or who knows?
- Gestational Diabetes: beyond the label
- The Curse of Meconium Stained Liquor
- Big Babies: the risk of care provider fear
- Post-Dates Induction of Labour: balancing risks
- VBAC: making a mountain out of a molehill
- Induction: a step by step guide
- Shoulder Dystocia: the real story
Category Archives: intervention
Big Babies: the risk of care provider fear
Big babies are normal in well resourced countries. Over 10% of babies born in the UK and Australia weigh 4kg (8lb 13oz) or more. Healthy well nourished women grow healthy well nourished babies. Genetic factors also influence the size of … Continue reading
Posted in birth, intervention, midwifery practice, pregnancy, uncategorized
Tagged baby, caesarean, fear, induction, shoulder dystocia, ultrasound
19 Comments
Why Induction Matters: book release
Updated: July 2019 My book Why Induction Matters is now available from all the usual retailers: Amazon; Book Depository; Booktopia; Capers Bookstore; Wordery Around 1 in 4 women have their labour induced (1 in 3 in the UK and Australia). This book is … Continue reading
Perineal ‘Bundles’ and Midwifery
Updated: August 2020 I’ve tried to avoid tackling this issue for months now but it won’t go away. It seems that the ‘bundle’ is one of the main topics of concern amongst midwives and students at the moment. So here … Continue reading
Posted in birth, intervention, law, midwifery practice
Tagged Australia, law, midwifery, midwifery practices, perineum
39 Comments
Gestational Diabetes: beyond the label
Updated: December 2020 I have written this blog post in response to readers’ requests. Trying to make sense of the research and guidelines hurt my brain, and I almost gave up a few times. So, for those who asked – I … Continue reading
Posted in baby, birth, intervention, pregnancy
47 Comments
Pre-labour Rupture of Membranes: impatience and risk
Updated: July 2019 Amniotic sac and fluid play an important role in the labour process and usually remain intact until the end of labour. However, around 10% of women will experience their waters breaking before labour begins. The standard approach to this situation is to induce labour … Continue reading
Posted in baby, birth, intervention, midwifery practice, pregnancy
Tagged amniotic fluid, amniotic sac, augmentation, baby, birth, contractions, induction, nuchal cord, oxytocin, prelabour rupture of membrances, risk, syntocinon, waterbirth
229 Comments
The Anterior Cervical Lip: how to ruin a perfectly good birth
Updated: June 2021 Here is a scenario I keep hearing over and over: A woman is labouring away and all is good. She begins to push with contractions, and her midwife encourages her to follow her body. After a little … Continue reading
Posted in birth, intervention, midwifery practice
Tagged birth, cervical lip, cervix, occipito-posterior, OP, pushing
440 Comments
VBAC: making a mountain out of a molehill
VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean) is big. A google search for ‘vbac’ results in ‘about 795,000’ results. Reviews, guidelines, policies and statements are being produced by every organisation with an interest in birth. Support groups and networks are growing. I am … Continue reading
Posted in birth, intervention, midwifery practice
Tagged birth, caesarean, uterine rupture, vbac
347 Comments
The Placenta: essential resuscitation equipment
Updated: September 2019 The common practice of premature cord clamping has been challenged in recent years due to a greater understanding of how this intervention disrupts the physiology of placental transfusion (Mercer & Skovgaard 2002). Premature cord clamping results in … Continue reading
Posted in baby, birth, intervention, midwifery practice
Tagged ARM, baby, birth, heart rate, intervention, nuchal cord, placenta, resuscitation, syntocinon, umbilical cord
115 Comments
In Defence of the Amniotic Sac
Artificial rupture of membranes (ARM) aka ‘breaking the waters’ is a common intervention during birth. However, an ARM should not be carried out without a good understanding of how the amniotic sac and fluid function in labour. Women need to … Continue reading
Posted in birth, intervention, midwifery practice
Tagged amniotic fluid, amniotic sac, ARM, birth, caul, contractions, heart rate, induction, intervention, syntocinon, waterbirth
224 Comments
