This birth story explains beautifully how a few tricks of the trade can make a big difference to a labour. This story owes a big shout out to Spinning Babies and Gail Tully for all she has taught us about working with women's bodies.

"I was in labour with my first child, during which time contractions would increase in intensity and frequency (getting as close as 2 minutes apart) for extended periods then intermittently slow down. After two days of this I was exhausted and facing induction due to ruptured membranes.

I was sent home from the Emergency Department twice which was disheartening and prompted my first call to Lael. From the stop-start nature of the labour and the back pain I was experiencing, she felt the baby was likely poorly positioned in the pelvis.

Come the afternoon of the second day, the frequency and intensity of my contractions had once again slowed right down. I started to concede that I was likely going to be induced the following morning. After another phone consult with Lael, she suggested we try some of the repositioning exercises from the Spinning Babies website, emailing me pages from the website and links of YouTube clips to follow.

It was suggested we try three exercises for 2-3 contractions each before repeating them following a break. Within five minutes of completing the first sequence with only 1-2 contractions per exercise, labour finally rapidly sped up! Contractions came on fast and intensely and within 40 minutes we were on our way back to hospital.

My cervix was 6.5cm dilated at assessment upon arrival so we were finally moved into a birthing suite. During the birth, my husband and I drew on the birthing strategies we'd learnt during the pregnancy. I am certain these were pivotal in managing the contractions over such an extended period of time, coping with the many changes that were occurring, and offering an alternate view of birth to the many stories I'd been told by people while I was pregnant.

Both during and just after Second Stage Labour I reflected that I wasn't in a great amount of pain, rather that I felt "pressure" and afterwards I felt elated with what my body could achieve. I cannot speak highly enough of the support I relieved from Lael before, during and after the birth and I am thrilled she was able to draw on her knowledge of the Spinning Babies exercises to help us achieve a good birth with minimal intervention."