Palpation is the act of using one’s hands to figure out something on or in a body. In maternity services, the practitioner routinely palpates the pregnant belly to assess the position and size of the foetus.

After the male midwife, which later became the obstetrician, infiltrated birth services and paternalized it into a male-centric, provider-centric practice, they’ve been “discovering” all kinds of things that were just normally known and carried out by midwives for centuries. Among them is the standard way to palpate a pregnant belly.

I tend to see palpation through a different lens. I feel it’s more about building a relationship with the baby than anything else.

Palpation is the act of using one’s hands to figure out something on or in a body. In maternity services, the practitioner routinely palpates the pregnant belly to assess the position and size of the foetus.

After the male midwife, which later became the obstetrician, infiltrated birth services and paternalized it into a male-centric, provider-centric practice, they’ve been “discovering” all kinds of things that were just normally known and carried out by midwives for centuries. Among them is the standard way to palpate a pregnant belly.

I tend to see palpation through a different lens. I feel it’s more about building a relationship with the baby than anything else.