11/05/2026
{New mini-pod episode} Why birth was never meant to happen lying down…. 👇👇👇
In this episode of The Microbiome Plan Podcast, Molly O’Brien, midwife and Biomechanics For Birth trainer, reveals the “missing piece” in preparing for birth: to move your body!
Drawing on nearly three decades of clinical experience, Molly challenges restrictive birth practices that can make physiological birth more difficult.
Instead, she suggests some simple, low-cost interventions, like encouraging movement and upright positions.
This episode reframes birth as a dynamic, instinctive process that deserves better understanding and support.
Some Take-Away Messages:
> Movement during labour can help optimise pelvic dimensions and support physiological birth
> Restrictive birth environments may interfere with instinctive movement during labour
> Physiological birth supports the transfer of beneficial maternal microbes to the baby
> Simple activities like walking, yoga, dancing, and using a birth ball may help prepare the body for labour
> The pelvis is dynamic and mobile, not a rigid structure
> Small changes in maternity care environments could have a significant impact on birth outcomes and early microbiome development
Let me know what you think!
Molly O'Brien
Listen on Spotify (and please subsribe) >>> https://open.spotify.com/episode/1uGSlsDiDTF1fK1GtosCW6?si=701oUlLKRc2-PyOEkXTRIg
Listen on Substack (and please subscribe!) >>> https://open.substack.com/pub/microbiomeplan/p/molly-obrien-the-missing-piece-in?r=6xaoov&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
