34: Birth Biomechanics with midwife, Molly O'Brien

In this episode, Gina sits down with Molly O'Brien, a midwife with over 25 years of experience. Molly is also an associate university lecturer, who created and currently teaches courses on biomechanics for birth for midwives and other births related professionals and their associates. Molly educates us on how the birth work model got to be so medicalized, why it’s outdated, and what we should know about the pelvis and birth. We are really excited for you to hear this conversation all about how the pelvis moves and opens, how you can optimize that during your pregnancy, and all about how we can improve our care as birth professionals. Find Molly on…  Her website: https://www.optimalbirth.co.uk/index.php/about Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/biomechanics_for_birth/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/optimalbirth and https://www.facebook.com/groups/319308512266449 for birth workers Twitter: https://twitter.com/MollytheMidwife In This Episode: 0:00 Introductions 02:33 Molly’s Beginnings as a Birth Worker 05:37 Playing Nancy Drew to Interpret Labor Cues 07:48 “Why Doesn’t My Doctor Know This?!” 17:50 Prenatal Preparation for Birth 22:06 Trusting The Birther’s Intuition 31:52 Simple Movement Molly Recommends 34:53 How Do We Update the Medical Model for Birth? 37:38 Why Understanding Pelvic Anatomy Can Help Understand Labor Patterns 39:47 Baby’s Position During Pregnancy 41:47 Quick Recap!  ----- This podcast is sponsored by Needed, a nutrition company focused on optimal nourishment for your perinatal journey. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Use code MAMASTEPOD for 20% off your first order or three months of subscription.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠