.jpg)
There has been articles appearing in the press in recent days claiming that the increase in the number of Caesarean Births in the past 50 years is having an impact on human evolution! This is due, it is claimed, to the fact that women and babies who would previously died in birth due to the pelvis being too narrow, not being removed from the gene pool.
Undoubtedly there are a few women who have an abnormally small pelvic capacity. However the vast majority of women have the right size pelvis to fit their baby. In fact, when you look at it’s structure, the female pelvis is perfectly shaped and designed for birthing a baby.
One of the main reasons women have less space in the pelvis is not hereditary, but is because they are lying down for birth. When in an upright birthing position such as kneeling forward, the front to back diameter of the pelvis is almost a third more open than in the recumbent position, because the sacrum or back wall of the pelvis is free to lift up and accommodate the baby’s head as it moves down.
If a woman lies back or semi-reclines, as is usual in most hospitals, her weight rests directly on her sacrum which cannot move and one third of the available space is lost!
She also has no help from gravity and the whole birth process is likely to be slower, more painful and less efficient.
Since the 1980’s I have been teaching and promoting Active Birth. This is the way to empower more women to give birth successfully through the pelvis and reduce the need for Caesarean sections.
There is lots more to understand about natural birth physiology and it’s benefits.
Look at our amazing programme for parents and professionals, come to one of our Complete Active Birth Weekend Courses or read the book New Active Birth to find out more!
