F. M. Alexander
In UCL Alexander quotes from Anthony Ludovici’s book, The Truth about Childbirth (1937), where Ludovici writes about the importance of Alexander’s technique for pregnancy and childbirth. For example, on the consequences of faulty coordination and wrong use of self:
Suppose that, through faulty coordination and wrong use of self – and Alexander leaves us in no doubt about this – we get a general shortening of the trunk so that cavities are distorted, organs dropped, respiratory function hampered, and the abdomen made to bulge and sag. Can a gravid uterus in such a body fail to suffer from the abnormal conditions?[1]
Books
The Alexander Technique Birth Book by Ilana Machover, Jonathan Drake, Angela Drake.[2]
The Alexander Technique for Pregnancy and Childbirth by Brita Forsstrom and Mel Hampson.[3]
Articles
‘The Alexander Technique and childbirth’ by Adelle Packer; on the author’s experiences of applying the Technique to giving birth, the experience of delivering a baby at five months, too young to save, and of working with pregnant women.[4]
‘Greater awareness in pregnancy’ by Nicola Hanefeld; how the Technique helped the author’s two pregnancies and births.[5]
‘The Alexander way to eutokia’ by Ilana Machover containing advice on integrating Alexander’s ideas with pregnancy and childbirth.[6]
‘Pregnancy and the Alexander Technique’ by Mary Sokosky; on working with pregnant pupils, including table and chair work, and what to focus on.[7]
‘Odent in the light of the Alexander Technique’ by Masumeh Atabaki and Ilana Machover; on Michel Odent (born 1930), a proponent of natural childbirth, and the Alexander Technique, similarities and differences.[8]
‘The Alexander Technique in childbirth’ by Ilana Machover argues that the Technique makes a unique contribution to the process of childbirth.[9]
‘The Alexander Technique in natural childbirth’ by Ilana Machover; on how the Technique can help during childbirth.[10]
‘The Alexander Technique for pregnancy and childbirth’ by Brita Forsstrom, Catherine Loke reports on a case history by Catherine Loke who learned the Technique during pregnancy and how it helped her during childbirth.[11]
‘The Alexander Technique in pregnancy and childbirth’ by Ilana Machover; on using the Technique for natural childbirth, i.e. childbirth without medical intervention, where possible.[12]
‘Great expectations: Choice, control and the birth narrative’ by Brita Forsstrom; on the many benefits of the Technique pregnancy and birth, especially emphasizing that the Technique opens up choice and hence a certain degree of control.[13]
‘Eutokia: Optimal position of baby for childbirth’ by Ilana Machover; on how the Alexander Technique can help to prevent the OP position (the most common malposition, the occiput posterior) through a series of movements, such as crawling.[14]
Online
Alexander Technique Birth Stories edited by Ilana Machover (2000) PDF.[15]
See also Anthony Ludovici.
