The evidence will be in the success of the technique, not in the the explanation of how it works, necessarily. The head may move from this dipping divin’ hip opener. I will have to try it myself after palpating the baby’s position. Deb asks the mother for her report on the baby’s position and that is good enough. Let’s give this technique some attention and see if we find as much success as Deb does!
I’m calling this Dip the Hip Circles so the title reflects the action. Deb didn’t tell me the name of this technique so I made one up unless she offers a name.
Deb grabs the woman’s pants or sides to do this for her. Deb is the guide. Being the guide and being this vigorous is her way to get a myofascial release. Though getting intuitive with one another will help.
Sometimes attempting to get into the right brain isn’t working for people in a very left brain setting. This technique will work to release the muscles and fascia for two people approaching the issue of the occiput posterior baby from the left brain perspective. I see the value in this technique and am thrilled to bring it home with me from the 2013 Midwifery Today Conference in Eugene where I met Deb Lawrence.
I think a similar response can be achieved with the sidelying release (done one both sides). It will be fun to find out what birth helpers find out in comparing these two techniques. Try it with your birthie friends and get the hang of the rhythm and depth of the dip.
Do it with someone. Follow it up with forward leaning inversion and side lying and if you have more questions email me. Its hard to answer questions on your comments here. Thanks!
Deb is rather brilliant to add this technique to our “Optimal Fetal Positioning birth bag.” I’m so glad she shared it with us!
Added in December 2013:
Deb Lawrence brings us Dip the Hip, figure-8 movements to make room in the pelvis for baby to rotate from the right to the left, from posterior to anterior. She noticed a tight spot in the mother’s back was associated with a lack of rotation to the anterior and she developed this technique to loosen that spasm. It works. This can be done in pregnancy every day and in labor as needed, the earlier the better.
Adrienne Caldwell, theraputic massage therapist and Spinning Babies advisor, recommends doing this gently with the same excellent results and less risk of achey S. I. joints afterwards.
Send in your story, your photo or link to your online video clip of doing the Hip Dip, and Spinning Babies will select those concisely written (even if not the most dramatically successful) and, or those clear images for teaching others how and when to do this. Meanwhile, visit my blog to see Deb herself Dip the Hip.
After a tremendously releasing session at Lake Pointe in St. Louis Park, MN (Minneapolis) with Dr. Carrie Getzmier, DC, I hurried to make another appointment with her. At that moment, Dr Jessica Peterson, DC, also came up to their reception desk. Dr. Jessica and I were suddenly talking about Deb’s Dip the Hip. I was wondering if it released the pelvic floor like the Sidelying Release as both seem to help babies rotate with similar effectiveness (according to initial reports on Dip the Hip).
Dr. Jessica suggests Dip the Hip releases the Quadratus Lumborum. The quadratus lumborum connects the lumbar spine (and 12th rib) to the iliac crest.. With unilateral contraction it will pull the pelvis into lateral flexion (one hip pulled towards body center), bilateral contraction will pull it into extension (hips out but also too much lordosis).
I think the name Dip the Hip Circles is just fine! I have called it figure 8 but there are too many other ways figure 8 is already used for birthy movement.
Deb Lawrence is our wonderful leader for Informed Beginnings. This is what she can do in a few minutes, but she also leads our wonderful trainings for new and experienced educators! I am going to see you in a week Gail and I have a GREAT new story about how I used Waltchers on a vbac mama with an epidural. Made a believer out of the shocked OB.
Standing figure 8s with guiding hands? Hows that? Extreme figure 8s while standing and leaning over? Gently but firmly guided, with an extreme angle.
I would LOVE to see it get dubbed the Lawrence Maneuver. 🙂
I would LOVE to see this technique get dubbed the Lawrence Maneuver! 🙂
This looks like a great way to release those tight ligaments and allow the baby to position correctly. Thanks Deb!
Deb Lawrence is our wonderful leader for Informed Beginnings. This is what she can do in a few minutes, but she also leads our wonderful trainings for new and experienced educators! I am going to see you in a week Gail and I have a GREAT new story about how I used Waltchers on a vbac mama with an epidural. Made a believer out of the shocked OB.
I think the name Dip the Hip Circles is just fine! I have called it figure 8 but there are too many other ways figure 8 is already used for birthy movement.
I'm trying to do this myself to turn a very stubborn ROP baby. No luck so far. It does cause contractions.. How often and for how long do I need to keep this up?
Danielle,
Please ask that question to Deb Lawrence
https://informedbeginnings.org/index.php/get-to-know-us/meet-our-president
It seems the contractions may be due to how vigorous this is for you. I would say, stop doing them at this moment and consider finding a Chiropractor certified in Webster and ask for the Webster Maneuver on both sides to release a tight round ligament or a pair of them. See more on helping a baby rotate at SpinningBabies.com
WOW! You ladies are amazing! Thank you so much for making this information available to everyone! I would like to share my experience…
I am a third time mom, im 34 weeks now. My previous two births I had horrible back labor so this pregnancy I am determined to get this little boy in the best position for birth. Id love to give birth without an epidural this time. Anyway, I stumbled upon the spinning babies website and started trying the things that are suggested for turning a posterior baby. Mostly just the inversion. Then I read yesterday about the dip the hip and tried it a couple times during the day, it feels great, really stretches my legs. But that didnt seem to turn baby. (He is lying on my right side)
Then! That night before i went to bed I did the inversion, and then just a few – but extreme – dip the hip circles. Thinking nothing of it I hopped in bed and settled down for sleep. Thats when baby started with the hiccups…. and he was on my left side!!!! I was so amazed and excited I could hardly fall asleep!
I cant wait to try the abdominal lift and tuck when labor starts. Especially since my last two pregnancies my contractions started off very random and didnt do anything, but were still painful and almost impossible to sleep through. I get those for about two days, mostly at night, before real labor begins.
so thank you thank you thank you for this info! I will be telling every pregnant mama I know about this spinning babies website now!
Ellen