Birth – 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

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

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

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

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

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