Sophie Messager

Sophie Messager, Doula

Location: Cambridge, UK

Challenge: Uneven contractions and back pain

Solution: Rebozo sifting and shaking the apple tree

Place of birth: Hospital

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When I arrived at this VBAC birth, contractions were uneven, one long one short, mum on all 4s in strong labour with lots of back pain. I suggested some rebozo on her belly and shaking the apples to help with the back pain. I did each technique through 3 contractions. When we finished doing that, the contractions were even and the back pain gone. She birthed 2h later.

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Challenge: 6cm dilation with early urge to push

Solution: Open knee chest and rebozo – shaking the apple tree

Place of birth: Hospital

“A primip got stuck at 6cm with an early urge to push. The midwife suggested giving her diamorphine to stop the urge to push. I suggested we do some rebozo before the opiate was administered. We tried open knee chest, followed by shaking the apples, both through three contractions. An hour later the woman was fully dilated and had her baby soon after without the need for diamorphine.”

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Challenge: Four day labour, stuck at 6cm dilation

Solution: Forward leaning inversion while using rebozo to shake the apple tree

Place of birth: Home

“My most amazing story of the effectiveness of biomechanics for birth techniques was at the longest birth I have supported, which was a home VBAC birth. After four days of labour, the mother got stuck at 6cm and the baby’s head was asynclitic. We supported the mother to get into a forward leadning inversion and I used my rebozo to shake the apple tree (on her buttocks) during three contractions whilst she stayed in the inversion. She got up from the inversion and said she had felt her baby turn. When she birthed about four hours later I cried and laughed at the same time! The client gave me permission to share the whole story which you can read here.”