Preparing for a Gentle Birth: The Pelvis in Pregnancy

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(as of Sep 16, 2025 11:14:56 UTC – Details)


An illustrated hands-on guide to the dynamics of the female pelvis for expectant mothers, midwives, and birth professionals
• Provides fully illustrated exercises to help the expectant mother prepare her pelvis for birth and gain confidence in her body’s innate ability to birth her child
• Details the anatomical intricacies of the female pelvis and its capabilities for expansion and return to its original form
• Presents movements and positions to ease discomfort, enhance the productivity of contractions, aid the internal expansion of the pelvis, and prevent and treat issues that may arise such as “failure to progress”
The dynamic power of the female pelvis is the key to a gentle birth. Throughout pregnancy, hormones soften the ligaments and joints of the pelvis in preparation for labor, a time when the four bones of the pelvis–the two ilia (hip bones), the coccyx (tailbone), and the sacrum–do their intimate dance of release, rotation, and counter-rotation around the soon-to-be newborn.
In this hands-on guide based on 15 years of research and workshops in maternity wards, movement teachers and health professionals Blandine Calais-Germain and Núria Vives Parés detail the anatomical intricacies of the female pelvis and its capabilities for expansion and return to its original form. Providing fully illustrated exercises to help the expectant mother prepare for this pelvic transformation and gain confidence in her body’s innate ability to birth her child, they also present a variety of movements and positions for use during the different stages of labor to ease discomfort, enhance the productivity of contractions, aid the internal expansion of the pelvis, and prevent and treat issues that may arise such as “failure to progress.” Ideal for the expectant mother and her birthing partner, this book will be a welcome addition to the library of every midwife, obstetrician, doula, and movement professional who teaches pregnant women.
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Healing Arts Press
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 27, 2012
Edition ‏ : ‎ Original ed.
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1594773882
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1594773884
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.3 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8 x 0.4 x 10 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #159,158 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #17 in Exercise & Fitness for Pregnancy #297 in Pregnancy & Childbirth (Books) #475 in Motherhood (Books)
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