Down to Birth
Join Cynthia Overgard and Trisha Ludwig once per week for evidence-based straight talk on having a safe and informed birth, which starts with determining if you've hired the right provider. If we had to boil it down to a single premise, it's this: A healthy mom and baby isn't all that matters. We have more than 30 years' experience between us in midwifery, informed rights advocacy, publishing, childbirth education, postpartum support and breastfeeding, and we've personally served thousands of women and couples. Listen to the birth stories of our clients, listeners and celebrities, catch our expert-interviews, and submit your questions for our monthly Q&A episodes by calling us at 802-GET-DOWN. We're on Instagram at @downtobirthshow and also at Patreon.com/downtobirthshow, where we offer live ongoing events multiple times per month, so be sure to join our worldwide community. We are a Top .5% podcast globally with listeners in more than 80 countries every week. Become informed, empowered, and have a great time in the process. Join us and reach out any time - we love to hear from you. And as always, hear everyone, listen to yourself.
Down to Birth
#307 | When Labor Stalls: Recognizing and Resolving Dystocia with Midwife Molly O'Brien @biomechanics_for_birth
Labor dystocia, often labeled as "failure to progress," is the leading reason for cesarean birth in the United States. At its core, prolonged labor is frequently influenced by suboptimal fetal positioning, as well as the mother’s biomechanics, anatomy, and physiology. In this episode, we delve into the true causes of labor dystocia and explore how intentional movement and positioning—both during pregnancy and labor—can promote a smoother, more efficient birth.
Our discussion covers:
- The definitions of labor dystocia and why there is no universal consensus;
- How fetal positioning impacts labor progress and ways to optimize it;
- The effects of maternal posture, movement, and soft tissue balance during pregnancy and birth;
- Understanding biomechanics in making space for the baby and easing labor challenges;
- How the medical model misinterprets and over-manages normal variations in labor; and
- Practical strategies to prevent and resolve labor dystocia naturally.
When a mother and baby are doing well in labor there is no upper limit to how long her labor can go. No woman should be diagnosed with failure to progress, a term we reject. This episodes provides insights and tips to optimize your labor and your baby's position and reduced the chances of experiencing a long, difficult labor.
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Please remember we don’t provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed medical provider for all your healthcare matters.