The labor and delivery nurses at UAB St. Vincent’s go through extra training to help moms and their babies prepare for the best possible birthing experience.
The Spinning Babies® program is a different way to look at pregnancy, labor, and birth preparation, according to Madonna Nichols, director of Women and Children’s Services at UAB St. Vincent’s. “The focus begins prenatally, when moms begin to prepare their bodies for birth through caring for themselves and focusing on body balancing while making room for their baby to be born,” she said.
Positioning is key
Spinning Babies® is a training program that teaches nurses and expecting parents about techniques that can help with a baby’s delivery, with a focus on body movements and fetal rotation. Over the decades, studies have shown that the position of the baby in the pelvis – along with the mother’s physical birthing position – can result in less medical help during labor.
UAB St. Vincent’s labor and delivery nurse Kenna Praytor has seen firsthand how the program has been a success in her department. She serves as a resource nurse, helping coordinate care for laboring moms on the unit and providing an extra set of hands during delivery.
“All of the resource nurses on our unit have been trained in many courses concerning care of laboring and birthing moms and their babies, including the Spinning Babies® Workshop,” Praytor said. “By using our years of experience and the knowledge and techniques learned from Spinning Babies®, we are able to assist in encouraging the progression of labor while also decreasing the need for unnecessary interventions.”
Praytor says that simple movements – such as having a laboring mom move to her hands and knees – can be effective in helping a baby turn to face the correct direction for a smoother delivery.
“By using these positions regularly, we have been able to significantly decrease pushing times and also help decrease C-section rates for moms who choose elective inductions,” Praytor said. “The UAB St. Vincent’s birthing suites are always striving to give our patients a safe, comfortable environment, and we help them achieve the birthing experience they desire whenever possible.”
Each labor is unique
Labor and delivery nurse Sarah Phillips, BSN, RN, has been a nurse for over five years. Her first career was outside of the health care field, but her own traumatic birthing experience ignited her passion for helping other moms.
“I understand the fear and uncertainty that expectant parents can sometimes face, and I recognize the profound impact this day holds for them,” Phillips said. “Every labor is its own unique experience, which I believe makes it a necessity to have a deep understanding of patients and their anatomy as well as how their baby tolerates labor.”
Phillips started in the birthing suites before Spinning Babies® was introduced to the nursing team. She remembers traditional birthing methods, like she experienced, and she recalls the sense of defeat she’d feel if one of her patients did not deliver by the end of her shift.
“I would replay it all over and over in my mind on what I could have done better for her,” Phillips said. “Attending the Spinning Babies® Workshop was a pivotal moment in my career. It equipped me with the knowledge and confidence to educate mothers and their partners on effectively managing labor and understanding what to expect.”
A unique aspect of Spinning Babies® is that movements are not reserved only for those who choose an unmedicated birth. Patients who’ve had an epidural also receive help with positioning and movement.
“We actively help these ladies who have received an epidural with many positions throughout the labor experience, to assist them in using their bodies to help them give birth to their baby,” Phillips said. “I love to open the world of position possibility to our patients and comfort them as they make that decision.”
Not unlike yoga
Similar to yoga in some ways, Spinning Babies® is all about helping the body achieve great things through slow and simple movements. Another thing they have in common are some unique and silly position names.
“I get tickled explaining to my patient that we would like to put them in ‘flying cow girl,’” Phillips said with a laugh. “Our doctors are also educated in Spinning Babies® and support the staff as we help care for their patients. I love when a doctor comes in and asks if we have done ‘shake the apple tree’. The many reactions we get make for fun times when anxiety can be elevated.”
Spinning Babies® is used by the labor and delivery team during the birth experience, but pregnant mothers also can take the course through the UAB St. Vincent’s Monogram Maternity program.
To learn more about Spinning Babies® or register for a class, call 205-212-MOMS (6667).