Rebozo

I went to a Rebozo training this past Sunday at Blooma taught by my idol, Gail Tully-- whose brainchild is Spinning Babies (www.spinningbabies.com). Rebozo, for those of you who do not know, is simply a long woven shawl or scarf traditionally used by women in South America for many purposes--one of which is to assist in birth.

One way to use the Rebozo is for the doula or partner to embrace the mom's belly with it, and to lift up so that she can have someone else bear that weight for her. This can be relieving during a contraction. Another technique, called monteodo, or sifting is used to embrace the mom's belly and gently move the fabric back and forth across her belly. This can help to relax the muscles surrounding the mid-pelvis. Sometimes a partner can alternate between sifting and holding-- and use these techniques with a variety of other labor positions such as hands and knees position or kneeling with a birth ball.

The Rebozo can also be used as the mother lies on her back to sift and help her to relax her pelvic muscles.

While these methods can be helpful, the Rebozo can also add dimension to other coping techniques and be used for a double hip squeeze or wrapped around the head to relieve a headache and allow for total darkness in order to concentrate through contractions.

It can also be draped from doors to provide a place for mom to dangle with gravity, or can be something for mom to grasp onto while she is pushing.

Rebozo is another great tool to use for coping with labor and birth. It adds new coping techniques and make others more versatile. The more tools you have to cope with labor, the better! Ask your doula if she has been trained to use a Rebozo. It is another wonderful coping technique to explore for your birth.