Optimal Maternal Positioning

In May two of our team attended a one-day course in Perth, on Optimal Maternal Positioning.  What a treat!  It has been five years since the founder and teacher of this course, Ginny Phang-Davey, has been in Perth running the face to face ‘OMP for Birth Professionals’ course.  Focused on upskilling practitioners who support birthing women, OMP provides a practical and informed approach to to help women birth well with less intervention and complication.

So what is OMP? 

We know how babies develop in utero, grow and are born.  We also know what happens in a mother’s body during labour, in terms of hormonal changes, uterine contractions and cervical dilation.  Optimal maternal positioning is about looking at the pregnant mother’s body – both during pregnancy, and birth – and addressing tension, pain and postural alignment, to facilitate the ideal conditions and space, for birth to go well… for both mothers and babies.

“Optimal Maternal Positioning exists to help birth professionals and parents with revolutionary techniques to create space within the pelvis for a safer, easier and more comfortable birth. Better birth outcomes are not just important, they are possible with OMP.”

The OMP course educates care providers in normal labour physiology, and how the mother’s position influences the functioning of her body during birth.  This allows both care providers AND birthing women to understand and support her body to prepare for birth physically.  The OMP course teaches practical techniques including stretches and exercises, to address soft tissue tension and posture, creating more ease in the pregnant mother’s body.   The practical focus is easy to understand and implement once taught and practised.. so the focus is really on educating and empowering birthing mothers and their partners, to better understand how the body is working during labour.

OMP aligns so well with our work as pelvic health physios.  Our in-depth knowledge of pelvic anatomy and physiology, and pain science, combined with our understanding of labour and birth, give us unique insight and skill in applying OMP with pregnant women.

Reflections from our pelvic health physiotherapist Zoe, who attended this course:

“I attended the OMP course with the goal of deepening my understanding of the physiological experience of labor. As a pelvic health physiotherapist, I believe we are uniquely positioned to support expecting parents by providing education and practical techniques to help them prepare for birth.

I found the theoretical component of the course particularly engaging, especially the exploration of labor from the baby’s perspective. The practical portion was equally valuable, offering hands-on experience with techniques that I’ve since integrated into my work.

I’ve already applied what I learned with several pregnant patients, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Many patients are eager to understand how they can prepare both mentally and physically for birth, and the positions taught in the course offer an excellent starting point. They help reduce pelvic pain and tension, promote mobility, and support relaxation.”

If you are interested to learn more about OMP and think this could help you (we believe it can!), as proud OMP Ambassadors our team at Consano are ready to support you.  We LOVE to assist women to approach birth with more confidence. Contact us to arrange a session with Zoe, Nicola, Malina or Alison – partners are welcome to attend.