Baby’s Cardinal Movements in Birth
We often talk about the birthing person and what they're doing in labor. BUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH YOUR BABY?
Babies are smart and will try to accommodate the space that they are given. In labor, your baby must make four* CARDINAL MOVEMENTS in order to be born. We’re talking tiny but important movements.
Dream team = You + baby + your uterus. Video credit: @artofbirth.
FIRST: Baby TUCKS THEIR CHIN to their chest when they meet the resistance of the pelvic floor. This allows for a smaller surface area to pass through, and also applies more even pressure to the cervix to aid in more even dilation (called FLEXION).
SECOND: Baby INTERNALLY ROTATES their head to accommodate the diameter of the pelvis. With contractions (and pushing), baby moves down until they meet the pubic bone.
THIRD: With the force of contractions and the resistance of the pelvic floor, baby's head moves down under the pubic bone and EXTENDS upward to be born.
LASTLY, Baby turns their head to the side after being born in order to make room for their shoulders to be born (aka EXTERNAL ROTATION).
FINAL THOUGHTS:
✅ Everyone has a differently shaped pelvis, so this journey for your baby looks different and may take different amounts of time. For example, if one side of the pelvic floor is tighter than another, you may find that the baby’s head is asynclitic (tilted at a side angle).
✅ You can't completely control what this journey will look like, but you can "stack the cards in your favor" by creating a lot of dynamic space in the pelvis during birth, and ideally, with movements practiced in pregnancy.
*Side note for for all you #BirthNerds out there, a Nov 2021 journal from the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology states that there are only FOUR cardinal movements, rather than SEVEN. (Engagement, Descend and Expulsion are no longer counted because they don’t require navigation on the part of the baby)
Disclaimer: Doulas are not medical personnel and do not diagnose, perform any medical exams or clinical tasks. Information presented above is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of a properly licensed health care professional.
For more help navigating the seismic shift into parenthood, reach out to the Boston Area Doulas team.
www.bostonareadoulas.com
