2.1 OMP Pelvic Tilts

2.1 OMP PelvIc Tilts

Pelvic Tilts are large movements where they modify the opening of the pelvis, and don’t actually change the orientation of the pelvis. What does that mean?

Once again using the analogy of basketball, imagine you are attempting to throw the ball into the basket and even though you were going to miss the shot, this time someone magically expands the ring/basket increasing the diameter to catch the ball instead. In the same way, when the contraction is pushing the baby’s head into the pelvis and the baby’s head misses the angle into the pelvic opening, someone opens up the space available (in this case the mother with support) for the baby’s head to enter.

When a laboring mother uses pelvic tilts during contractions, what she does is that she modifies the pelvic opening to optimise the chances of the baby’s head entering into the pelvis. Modification of the pelvic opening is achieved when there is contranutation/nutation of the iliac and sacrum. These movements modify the pelvic opening which can be very helpful during the various stages of labor.

Pelvic tilts can be done in these OMP Active Birth Positions:

• Standing supported with a birth rope or squat bar

• Sitting on a gym ball

• Kneeling or on ‘all-fours’

When in the above OMP Active Birth Positions & utilizing pelvic titls, the mother is moving her pelvis in these directions using large movements clockwise or anti-clockwise where the pelvis goes into contranutation and/or nutation as she moves during contractions - modifying the pelvic opening:

• Front-to-back

• Side-to-side

• Circular

• Figure-8

As pelvic tilts can be challenging to do during a contraction, it is not realistic to attempt a set of pelvic tilts through 5 to 10 contractions consecutively. It is more realistic to attempt one round of pelvic tilts of the mother’s choice - whether she prefers front-to-back, side-to-side, circular and/or figure-8 - during a contraction, followed by either pelvic transitions or stationery positions which modifies her pelvic opening such as asymmetrical or internal/external position.

For OMP Active Birth Positions , OMP Pelvic Mobility Protocols and OMP Comfort Measures to be effective, it has to be done during contractions and used for 5-10 consecutive contractions to see if it is effective in enabling labor to progress.