Born at Twin Cities Birth Center in St. Paul, Minnesota | A Preview of a Birth Center Birth Story in Photographs
Birth Doula Support: Gather Birth Cooperative
Birth Photography: Gather Birth Cooperative
Most of us have seen the sweet, still-molded cone head of a newborn baby. Fresh from their journey through labor and delivery, a baby’s head holds the shape their noggin had to make to fit through the birth canal. Now, have you ever seen a baby whose cute cone head made them look like a unicorn? As doulas and birth photographers here in the Twin Cities we sure have, and you will too if you keep scrolling to check out the sweet and stubborn baby in this gallery!
We talk a lot about optimal positioning as birth doulas. Really what we mean is, during labor, the back of a baby’s head is best made to fit underneath the pubic bone. Those moldable bones help them more easily slide through the outlet of the pelvis during birth. So, when your doulas, midwives, nurses, OBGYN or childbirth educators talk about optimal position, they mean your baby is facing your back.
Let’s be real, babies have their own plans. Some babies like to spin from being in an optimal position to facing “sunny-side-up” or toward your belly button. Often times, this “OP” position can make labor and delivery more challenging. As doulas, we often get a heads-up your baby may be OP if you’re feeling your contractions in your back, called back labor. We’re super lucky in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area because the Twin Cities is the home to Spinning Babies! Spinning Babies is an approach that changes the positioning of the laboring person to help guide a baby into the optimal position. The Gather Birth doulas are trained to use Spinning Babies, and we use it frequently with families during labor.
The baby at this birth had been successfully navigating their parent’s pelvis while facing sunny-side-up. While we believe that baby would have been able to navigate the pelvis eventually, our Gather Birth doula worked to guide this parent into a lunge. By doing this, their baby was given a new opening to navigate their way out, and this baby was born just a few contractions later.
We especially love the look of relief our Gather Birth photographer captured on this family’s faces when their baby was born. Truthfully, we love the cute and cranky face on that sweet unicorn baby even more!
Welcome to the world, little one!
We’re so glad you’re here.
