Counter Nutation and Nutation The baby enters the pelvis in the transverse diameter. During this time, the base of the sacrum moves backwards, and the coccyx moves forward. The top part of the pelvis known as the iliac crest widens, and the sides of the pelvis move towards each other. Therefore the top opens and the bottom is reduced. This is achievable with the figure of eight bellydancing The ischial spines are raised when you lift your hips up or half moon movements, especially when pigeon toed. Think about another B and B Baboon Bum!! When the head is engaged, the head rotates mid cavity, on the pelvic floor. If this is toned it will rotate 1/8th just when it hits these muscles. Movements to open mid cavity are the lunges and lateral hip release. Any of our circular movements would spiral that head down Now the opening of the outlet must get bigger this is called Nutation The base of the sacrum now moves forward, and the coccyx moves backwards. The iliac crest moves towards each other like in the bi-lateral hip press, and the sides of the pelvis get wider. By doing the bi lateral press the ischial spines open this happens with all your open poses, and semi- squats, when the knees are lower than the hips. If we have a shoulder dystocia the emergency procedure is to get the woman’s legs flexed backwards, and the hips are hyper flexed. This opens up the pubis where the shoulders are stuck whilst someone tries manually to dislodge the shoulders by hand pressure over the pubic bone. The seminar the week before one of the Midwives said that she was concerned about the possibility of the shoulders getting stuck so she had the woman marching on the spot when the head was coming out which would mean the whole of the pelvis would open up.