Carol Gray – Carol Gray

The Safe to Sleep Program, SIDS and SUID

Carol Gray Babies, Birth, Infants, Postpartum, Pregnancy, Wellness August 3, 2024August 18, 2024accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed, ASSB, babies, back to sleep, breastfeeding, carol gray, cot death, crib death, death certificates, infant care, infant sleep, parenting, safe to sleep, science, sids, sleep apnea, sudden infant death syndrome, sudden unexpected infant death, suid, unexpected infant death

Why are We Putting Babies to Sleep on Their Backs?

The Hong Kong Studies

In 1985 after retrospectively investigating only 15 deaths, researchers concluded that that Hong Kong had a much lower rate of unexplained infant deaths than that of Western countries. They cited a low incidence of preterm birth in Hong Kong (a known risk factor for unexplained infant death) and two significant differences in infant sleep environments — crowded living conditions and the traditional Chinese practice of putting babies to sleep on their backs. Given the absurdity of recommending crowded living conditions and the unlikelihood of reducing preterm birth, they went with the supine sleep recommendation in their conclusions. Read more

Eat

Carol Gray Babies, Infants, Wellness September 14, 2021August 5, 2024babies, baby food purees, baby led weaning, bodywork, breastfeeding, carol gray, infant care, infant sleep, parenting, science, self-feeding, sleep apnea, spoon feeding, squeeze tubes, umbilical cord clamping

Parents ask me about solid food introduction all the time. Here’s my take on it.

Babies Need Iron

Babies store iron in their bodies while they gestate. Milk has next to no iron in it. At some point after birth, babies’ iron stores begin to diminish. This is often when they show signs of interest in iron-rich solid food. Hopefully, this occurs around the time they are developmentally ready in other ways. Unfortunately, some babies have their cords clamped and cut too soon after birth and don’t get all of their own iron-rich blood – some of which remains in the placenta or umbilical cord. This can lead to anemia down the road or a premature necessity for solids or supplements before the baby is otherwise ready. Read more

Cry Baby

Carol Gray Babies, Bodywork, Infants, Postpartum, Wellness August 31, 2021August 5, 2024babies, bodywork, carol gray, colic, colicky baby, craniosacral therapy, cry baby, crying baby, infant sleep, making room for babies, pacifiers, pain coping practice, parenting, tantrum, unmet needs, white noise

I recently had a conversation with parents about crying babies and toddlers. They were apartment dwellers who were concerned about disturbing the neighbors.

CRYING! It is, after all, a distress call. It’s disturbing — like having a shrieking smoke alarm in your living room. It’s supposed to attract parental attention. Crying is one of the baby’s main survival skills. It helps a baby tell parents/caregivers that they have an unmet need. Sometimes crying is a pain-coping practice. Other times it is a form of release. Read more

More About Epidurals

Carol Gray Birth, Pregnancy August 24, 2021August 5, 2024birth plans, birth preparation, bradley method, breathe, carol gray, conscious birth, craniosacral therapy, doulas, epidurals, intrapartum care, pain coping practice, pregnant

I have been thinking a lot about epidural anesthesia for childbirth. Among those who have experienced it, birth is almost universally described as painful. Who wouldn’t want a drug or procedure that takes away the pain? Clearly, most pregnant people in America want this. It is by far the mainstream way to give birth. Read more

The Developmental Derby

Carol Gray Babies, Bodywork, Infants, Wellness August 18, 2021August 5, 2024attachment parenting, babies, babies rolling over, bodywork, breastfeeding, carol gray, climbing, crawling, emmi pikler, evolutionary parenting, gratitude, infant seat, infant seats, johnny jump up, loczy, magda gerber, making room for babies, natural motor skill acquisition, our own school, parenting, resources for infant educarers, respectful caregiving, RIE, sitting babies, standing babies, the developmental derby, tom forrest, tummy time, tummy time controversy, walkers, walking babies

In 1975 I moved back to LA. My first husband and I had spent three years away while he fulfilled his military obligation. Army life was hard on me. We lived in officer’s housing on an Air Force base in an isolated desert location. My husband was a research engineer assigned to NASA. He never wore a uniform. I was a misfit among the officer’s wives in my neighborhood. I was glad to be done with it and so happy to be home. The first person I met in my new LA neighborhood was a woman named Susan. She had a two year old daughter. I had a two year old son. Read more

Things We Do (After Birth) to Prevent Babies From Moving

Carol Gray Babies, Bodywork, Infants, Wellness August 10, 2021August 5, 2024babies, baby swings, bodywork, bottle nursing, brachycephaly, breastfeeding, bumbo seats, carol gray, cradleboards, craniosacral therapy, developmental delay, fetal constraint, hip dysplagia, infant car seats, infant care, infant constraint, infant furniture, infant seats, infant sleep, johnny jump up, jolly jumper, jumperoo, making room for babies, mamaspace yoga, motor skill acquisition, parenting, plagiocephaly, play mats, primitive, primitive reflexes, science, sleep, strollers, stuck babies, swaddling, walkers

I can’t leave The Stuck Baby Series without describing baby immobilization and container lifestyle. In this article I outline the most significant ways in which we prevent our babies from moving after they are born. It seems like the perfect preparation for a sedentary life in a recliner in front of a screen. Read more

How Fetal Constraint Affects Babies: Things We Notice After Birth

Carol Gray Babies, Birth, Bodywork, Infants, Pregnancy, Wellness August 3, 2021August 5, 2024autonomic nervous system, babies, birth outcomes, birth preparation, bodywork, breastfeeding, carol gray, club foot, colic, cranial nerves, craniosacral therapy, fetal constraint, hip dysplasia, infant sleep, making room for babies, mamaspace yoga, optimal fetal positioning, parenting, prenatal care, primitive reflexes, reflex integration, rooting reflex, science, scoliosis, stuck babies, torticollis

This is part six of the six-part Stuck Baby Series. In part one, My Baby Dropped!, I explain why engagement is pathology. In part two, Why Did My Baby Get Stuck?, I describe the maternal factors that cause babies to get stuck. Part three is Fetal Factors: How Babies Get Themselves Stuck. Part four explores Fetal Constraint: How Culture Immobilizes Babies. Last week, in part five, I looked at How Fetal Constraint Affects Labor and Birth. Today I’m going to describe how fetal constraint or lack of Optimal Fetal Positioning adversely affects the babies themselves — the things we notice at birth and beyond. Read more

How Fetal Constraint Affects Labor and Birth

Carol Gray Babies, Birth, Bodywork, Infants, Postpartum, Pregnancy, Wellness July 27, 2021August 5, 2024asynclitic, babies, birth outcomes, birth plans, birth preparation, bodywork, breastfeeding, carol gray, cervix, craniosacral therapy, epidurals, fetal constraint, fetus ejection reflex, intrapartum care, labor, late babies, making room for babies, mamaspace yoga, military presentation, occiput posterior, OP, optimal fetal positioning, overdue, overdue babies, oxytocin, pitocin, post dates, prenatal care, science, self care, stuck babies, uterus, yoga

This is part five of a six-part series. In part one, My Baby Dropped!, I explain why engagement is pathology. In part two, Why Did My Baby Get Stuck?, I explore the maternal factors that cause babies to get stuck. Part three is called Fetal Factors: How Babies Get Themselves Stuck. Last week I wrote Fetal Constraint: How Culture Immobilizes Babies. Today’s post is about the fetal constraint downsides for labor and birth. Next week I’ll write about how fetal constraint adversely affects the babies themselves — the things we notice after birth. Read more

Fetal Constraint: How Culture Immobilizes Babies

Carol Gray Babies, Birth, Bodywork, Pregnancy, Wellness July 20, 2021August 5, 2024babies, baby lifters, birth outcomes, birth plans, birth preparation, bodywork, breech babies, breech birth, car seats, carol gray, cesarean preparation, COVID-19 in pregnancy, craniosacral therapy, cultural factors, engagement, epidurals, fetal constraint, home birth, intrapartum care, labor, making room for babies, mamaspace yoga, maternal factors, midwives, optimal fetal positioning, palpation, pandemic, postpartum preparation, pregnancy fitness, pregnant, pregnant exercise, prenatal yoga, science, seated lifestyle, seated occupations, self care, sobada, stuck babies

This is the fourth installment of the stuck baby series. Last week I described the fetal factors (ways babies get themselves stuck). The week before I discussed maternal factors. Three weeks ago I covered engagement and explained why it’s pathology. Next week I’ll go over how fetal constraint affects labor and birth. Stay tuned!

Today I’m going to discuss cultural factors that reduce babies’ opportunities to move in utero and cause them to get stuck. This is the category we can actually do something about because the factors are under our conscious control — if we know enough and if we care care enough. Read more

Fetal Factors: How Babies Get Themselves Stuck

Carol Gray Babies, Birth, Bodywork, Pregnancy, Wellness July 13, 2021August 5, 2024amniotic fluid, babies, birth outcomes, birth preparation, breastfeeding, breathe, cardinal movements, carol gray, cesarean birth, cord around the neck, craniosacral therapy, fertility drugs, fetal constraint, identical twins, intrapartum care, IVF, making room for babies, non-identical twins, nuchal cord, optimal fetal positioning, pregnant, prenatal care, primitive reflexes, science, stuck babies, twins, umbilical cords, VBAC

There are many things that contribute to fetal constraint (stuck babies). Any one of them can operate independently, but usually there are multiple causes for less than optimal fetal positioning that have synergistic or additive effects. As I continue to explore the multiple causes, I will provide examples of how these things can work in concert to prevent babies from moving into more ideal positions for their continued gestation, birth and a comfortable, functional life in their bodies outside the womb. Read more

Why Did My Baby Get Stuck?

Carol Gray Babies, Birth, Bodywork, Infants, Postpartum, Pregnancy, Wellness July 6, 2021August 5, 2024abdominal organ mobility, asynclitic, babies, birth outcomes, birth plans, birth preparation, carol gray, cesarean scar, craniosacral therapy, epidurals, fetal constraint, fibroids, iliacus, making room for babies, mamaspace yoga, optimal fetal positioning, pelvic floor, pregnancy fitness, pregnancy yoga, pregnant, pregnant exercise, prenatal care, prenatal yoga, psoas, science, self care, SI Joints, stuck babies, uterine mobility, uterus, yoga

When I consider how babies fit into — and through — a maternal pelvis I view it from three perspectives: midwifery, bodywork and yoga. As a midwife I generally know more about birth than many bodyworkers. As a bodyworker I know more about how, anatomically and bio-mechanically, a baby fits into and ultimately through a maternal pelvis – more than than some midwives. This is about optimal fetal positioning – or lack thereof. Read more

My Baby Dropped!

Carol Gray Babies, Birth, Bodywork, Infants, Postpartum, Pregnancy, Wellness June 29, 2021August 5, 2024asynclitic, babies, birth outcomes, birth preparation, breastfeeding, carol gray, craniosacral therapy, engagement, fetal constraint, fixation, intrapartum care, making room for babies, mamaspace yoga, my baby dropped, optimal fetal positioning, pathology, pregnancy yoga, pregnant, pregnant exercise, prenatal yoga, self care, stuck babies, yoga

“My baby dropped!!” People usually say this with great enthusiasm when it happens. I’ve never really understood why people rejoice about their babies dropping. Read more

Flat Spots

Carol Gray Babies, Bodywork, Infants, Wellness June 22, 2021August 5, 2024babies, back to sleep, birth outcomes, birth preparation, bodywork, brachycephaly, breastfeeding, carol gray, container culture, craniosacral therapy, fetal constraint, flat heads, infant care, infant sleep, making room for babies, mamaspace yoga, optimal fetal positioning, parenting, pinhead, plagiocephaly, pregnancy yoga, pregnant, self care, sids, suid, synostosis, torticollis, yoga

I see lots of babies who have flat spots on their heads (plagiocephaly) in my Craniosacral Therapy practice.

Container-Baby Culture and Flat Heads

The most common variety is the broad flat spot on the back of the head – an artifact of the Back to Sleep Program, swaddling for sleep and time spent in car seats, baby seats and swings that have a flat, firm surface. My mantra is: Back to sleep, tummy for play, car seats only for car rides and in arms or slings the rest of the time. Of course, this doesn’t mesh well with what most Americans actually do with their babies – especially the car seat and “infant furniture:”part. Read more

Craniosacral Therapy for the Perinatal Period

Carol Gray Babies, Birth, Bodywork, Fertility, Infants, Postpartum, Pregnancy, Wellness June 15, 2021August 5, 2024asynclitic, babies, birth preparation, bodywork, carol gray, cesarean preparation, cesarean recovery, craniosacral therapy, CST, fetal constraint, intrapartum care, making room for babies, optimal fetal positioning, postpartum care, postpartum preparation, pregnant, prenatal care, self care

In my other life I’m a bodyworker and bodywork teacher. When I taught in-person prenatal yoga classes, my students often asked me about the benefits of bodywork during pregnancy. They wanted to know more about Craniosacral Therapy (CST) and how it can help. Today I’ll explain it. Read more

Insomnia — The Movie

Carol Gray Pregnancy, Wellness, Yoga May 4, 2021August 5, 2024asana, birth preparation, bodywork, breathe, carol gray, conscious birth, craniosacral therapy, gratitude, insomnia, mamaspace yoga, meditation, namaste, online prenatal yoga, pain coping practice, Pranayama, pregnancy yoga, pregnant, prenatal yoga, self care, sleep, yoga

Last week’s post, Pregnancy Insomnia Help, included a five-step yoga sequence for sleep. This week’s post is a 14-minute video of that sequence. It was fun making it. I hope you enjoy it. Read more

Pregnancy Insomnia Help

Carol Gray Bodywork, Pregnancy, Wellness, Yoga April 27, 2021August 5, 2024asana, birth preparation, bodywork, breathe, carol gray, craniosacral therapy, gratitude, help for sleep, insomnia, making room for babies, mamaspace yoga, meditation, namaste, online prenatal yoga, pain coping practice, Pranayama, pregnancy yoga, pregnant, prenatal yoga, prenatal yoga safety, self care, sleep, sleep hygiene, yoga

Insomnia is common during pregnancy. It ‘s no joke. Some people say it’s just practice for after your baby is born and they wake you at night. Not funny. There are two main categories of pregnancy-related insomnia: trouble falling asleep and trouble getting back to sleep after awakening during the night. Read more

All About Posterior Pelvic Pain in Pregnancy

Carol Gray Birth, Bodywork, Postpartum, Pregnancy, Wellness, Yoga April 20, 2021August 5, 2024asana, birth preparation, bodywork, carol gray, craniosacral therapy, making room for babies, mamaspace yoga, namaste, online prenatal yoga, pain coping practice, pelvic instability, pelvic ligaments, postpartum preparation, pregnancy fitness, pregnancy yoga, pregnant, pregnant exercise, prenatal yoga safety, science, self care, SI Joints, yoga

How it All Starts

Pain in the posterior pelvis is common during pregnancy. It typically begins in mid pregnancy. Although, it can start at any time. Sometimes it goes away during pregnancy. If it does, that usually happens in the third trimester. Other times it persists long after the birth. Your mileage may vary. Read more

Finding Your Question

Carol Gray Babies, Birth, Fertility, Infants, Postpartum, Pregnancy, Wellness, Yoga January 26, 2021August 5, 2024birth outcomes, birth plans, birth preparation, birthing from within, bodywork, carol gray, cesarean preparation, conscious birth, craniosacral therapy, finding your question, pain coping practice, postpartum preparation, pregnant, self care

Finding Your Question is a process I have been introducing to groups for over 20 years. I have lead this activity with more than a thousand people – usually in small groups. I never tire of it. I guide ALL of my Craniosacral Therapy students to find their deepest questions at the beginning of any class series. It has been a daily practice in my own life since I learned it from Pam England, author of Birthing From Within. I began working in this way with groups of expectant parents in 1999. Read more

New Start

Carol Gray meditation, Wellness, Yoga November 24, 2020August 5, 2024breathe, carol gray, gratitude, self care

In yoga practice we often say that each breath is a new beginning, a do-over. As 2020 gets closer to the finish line, I know we all feel like we could use a good do-over, something really different, not anything like this year, especially the things we didn’t like. Enough already. We want something truly different. Yet the temptation is great to keep doing whatever we have been doing exactly the way we have been doing it – even when we get crappy results. We do love predictable routine – even when we claim to crave spontaneity. Sometimes we do the same thing over and over again and, amazingly, expect things to change on their own. I’m here to tell you that if you want things to change, you have to do something different. Read more

The Truth About Epidurals

Carol Gray Babies, Birth, Infants, Pregnancy October 13, 2020August 5, 2024birth outcomes, birth physiology, birth plans, birth power, birth preparation, bodywork, breathe, carol gray, conscious birth, craniosacral therapy, epidurals, intrapartum care, making room for babies, optimal fetal positioning, pain coping practice, physiology, pregnancy yoga, pregnant, prenatal care, prenatal yoga, science, self care, yoga

The Truth About Birth

First a word or two about birth physiology: Labor is almost universally painful for birthing parents and sometimes painful for babies. One of the ways we cope with pain is to produce beta-endorphin. Beta-endorphin is an opiate-like brain chemical – the same one responsible for the so-called runner’s high. It reduces pain. Read more

Cesareans! Emergencies! and Strategies!

Carol Gray Babies, Birth, Infants, Pregnancy, Wellness October 6, 2020August 5, 2024birth outcomes, birth plans, birth power, birth preparation, bodywork, carol gray, cesarean preparation, cesarean recovery, conscious birth, craniosacral therapy, doulas, emergency cesarean, intrapartum care, making room for babies, meditation, pain coping practice, postpartum preparation, pregnant, prenatal care, science, unplanned cesarean

The word “emergency” used to ONLY apply to childbirth. The baby emerges, get it?

Two (Three) Kinds of Cesareans

Lately, I have been hearing an emergent theme in the stories people have been sharing with me about their cesarean births. They divide them into two categories – planned and emergency.Often a parent will say to me that their cesarean birth was not planned. It was an emergency. Yet, when I hear the details of the story it almost always falls into the third and largest category – the unplanned cesarean. It is really a story about a failed induction, a less-then-ideally positioned baby who fails to descend (and emerge), a baby who wasn’t coping well with labor contractions, but didn’t need to come out RIGHT NOW, etc. Read more

I Hate Podcasts

Carol Gray Babies, Infants, Postpartum, Pregnancy, Wellness September 22, 2020August 5, 2024back to sleep, birth outcomes, bodywork, breastfeeding, carol gray, co-sleeping, craniosacral therapy, infant sleep, parenting, physiology, postpartum care, postpartum preparation, pregnant, science, self care, sleep

I guess I’m not an auditory type. However, I LOVED this podcast – every minute of it. I listened to ALL of it! I love James McKenna! I really do! I LOVED his books – especially his most recent one: Safe Infant Sleep: Expert Answers to Your Cosleeping Questions by James J. McKenna. Ph.D. Dr. McKenna hit another home run with this book. It’s geared toward a general audience – including families and health professionals working with families. Read more