How Does the Miles Circuit Help With Pregnancy and Labor?

For the first 37 weeks of each of my three pregnancies, I was happy to let baby incubate for as long as they wanted to, telling people they’ll “come when they’re ready” and I was “trusting my body.” But by week 38—when I couldn’t sleep, my belly felt like a bowling ball and Braxton Hicks contractions were driving me crazy, I would start scouring the internet for natural ways to induce labor and—get. baby. out. already.

Unfortunately, nothing worked—because babies come when they’re ready, unless you’re induced, of course. Still, expectant moms try all kinds of tactics to move things along. One of these is the Miles Circuit, a series of movements that can help baby into a more labor-friendly position. While the Miles Circuit won’t actually help induce labor, it can still be helpful as the big day approaches. Ahead, learn about the method’s safety and benefits, and see the positions involved.

Key Takeaways

• The Miles Circuit is a series of three positions and movements designed to get baby into a good position before labor and help active labor progress smoothly.
• The Miles Circuit can’t actually induce labor, but moving baby into the right position may speed up the process and make labor less painful, reducing the need for interventions.
• The Miles Circuit is safe for most birthing parents to start doing at 37 weeks.

What is the Miles Circuit for Labor?

The Miles Circuit was developed by a certified doula and birth educator named Sharon Muza, and her colleague, Megan Miles, as a series of movements designed to get baby into an optimal position for labor and delivery. This became known as the Miles Circuit.

Similar to Spinning Babies, the Miles Circuit is based around the idea that specific kinds of body work can nudge baby into a good birthing position. Ultimately, the goal of the Miles Circuit is to move baby into the Left Occiput Anterior (LOA) position, which is often considered the best and safest fetal position (baby is head down and facing Mom’s spine, with the back of their head tilted more to Mom’s left side).

Getting into this position may encourage baby to “give the signal” that they’re ready to be born and for labor to start, says Julia Dickinson, RN, CNM, director of midwifery at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

This position can also make labor less painful, make your contractions more efficient and reduce your risk for C-section, notes Tania Lopez, CNM, certified nurse-midwife at Pediatrix Medical Group in Fort Worth, Texas.

On the other hand, when baby’s head is turned in a face-up position or is flexed to the side instead of straight down, labor can be prolonged, more painful or stop progressing altogether, explains Lopez.

How Does the Miles Circuit Help With Labor?

While your body can start laboring regardless of baby’s position, the Miles Circuit can help baby engage, or move down, into your pelvis, which is ideal as labor begins, explains Suzzie Vehrs, a certified doula, childbirth educator and founder of She Births Bravely.

The Miles Circuit is also helpful during active labor, Vehrs says, especially if baby’s in a posterior position and you’re experiencing back labor. The movements can help remove asymmetrical strain on pelvic ligaments, which helps make contractions stronger and more regular—not to mention less painful. Plus, changing positions during labor can also relieve pain.

Can the Miles Circuit induce labor?

The Miles Circuit can’t actually induce labor if your body isn’t ready yet. That’s not the goal, and the idea that it can trigger labor is a myth, says Vehrs.

“Labor officially starts when baby releases a protein from their lungs signaling that they’re ready to breathe outside your womb, which then triggers a dance of many other hormones and changes within your body that create labor,” Vehrs explains.

That said, anecdotal evidence says it could make labor move faster.

Can the Miles Circuit help rotate a breech baby?

The Miles Circuit isn’t officially recommended for flipping or rotating a baby that’s in a transverse (side-lying) or breech (upside-down) position.

But, unofficially, it’s possible. Both Lopez and Dickinson say the first Miles Circuit movement (the open knee chest position) is an inversion technique that can encourage baby to get into or stay in a head-down position for labor.

A few moms credit the Miles Circuit with helping them get stubborn babies into the LOA position at the end of their pregnancies. Instagram user Courtney Lopez Gervais says a combination of the Miles Circuit and other techniques helped her transverse baby get into position at 37 weeks, while Alexandra MacKillop says she believes the Circuit played a part in getting her breech baby to flip head-down before delivery.

When to Start Doing the Miles Circuit in Pregnancy

Although many expectant moms start the Miles Circuit when they’re over 40 weeks pregnant and desperately trying to go into labor, it’s actually helpful to begin doing the movements and positions around 37 weeks, says Lori Antinozzi, MSN, CNM, certified nurse-midwife at Susquehanna Ob-Gyn & Nurse Midwifery of Advantia in Maryland.

Birthing professionals usually want baby to be in the LOA position by 36 weeks, so if they’re still out of position at 37 weeks, it’s a good time to start making moves to nudge them along. If baby’s already in the LOA, you can still start using the Circuit at 37 weeks to encourage them to move down further into your pelvis.

Miles Circuit Positions

To do the Miles Circuit, there are three steps that need to be performed in a specific order, according to Sharon Muza:

1. Get on your hands and knees and lie with your chest on the floor, your knees wide open and your hips up in the air.
2. Lie on one side with your upper leg raised as comfortably high as possible with the support of pillows.
3. Be active by either lunging or curb walking (walking with one foot on the curb and the other on the street or sidewalk).

Each step is meant to be performed for 30 minutes each, totaling 90 minutes for the whole circuit. Some women can’t jump right into doing all three movements for 30 minutes; you may need to start slowly, trying each for 5 to 10 minutes, and work your way up to 30.

Miles Circuit PDF

Want a handy reminder for how to do the Miles Circuit? Click the image below to download the birth plan PDF:

How Long Does It Take for Labor to Start After Using the Miles Circuit?

Because the Miles Circuit won’t actually induce labor, there’s no timeline here. You could go into labor six hours or six days after doing the circuit. It could also have no effect at all on your labor; it’s not a guarantee that baby will get into position or start sending your body labor signals.

Who Should Not Try the Miles Circuit?

Nurse-midwife Antinozzi says the Miles Circuit is generally safe for any pregnant woman to do after 37 weeks, but that all pregnancy exercises should be discussed with a healthcare provider first, especially if you have a high-risk pregnancy or a medical condition like gestational diabetes. “I had a hard time with some of the moves,” shares The Bump community member nken20. “It’s important to listen to your body and not push yourself too hard during these exercises.”

More Tips to Encourage Labor

Here are a few more ways to nudge yourself in a labor-friendly direction that are generally considered safe—although we always recommend checking with your healthcare provider first.

• Eating dates. Some evidence suggests eating dates in pregnancy can help ripen your cervix, which may make delivery go more smoothly.
• Curb walking. The third step in the Miles Circuit, curb walking (or using a step stool or flight of stairs, if you can’t go outside) may help move labor along on its own when you’re getting close to your due date.
• Gentle exercise. There are some labor-activating exercises and yoga poses that can help you relax your muscles, encourage baby to get into position, open up your hips and make some extra room in your pelvis—all of which might help you get to the labor and delivery unit a little faster.
• Having sex. The theory is that when you have an orgasm, you release oxytocin, which can lead to contractions. But experts say contractions will only happen when your body’s ready. While there’s not enough research to say sex can induce labor, it can definitely help you feel less stressed—which is a win.
• Acupuncture. Specific acupuncture points can be stimulated to help bring on contractions. Make sure to only try this with a licensed professional.
• Nipple stimulation. Like having sex, nipple stimulation triggers the release of oxytocin, which stimulates the uterus and causes contractions. But again, your body has to be ready for labor for this to work.

To Sum It Up

The Miles Circuit can potentially help shorten labor and reduce pain. While it won’t induce labor on its own, it can get baby into a good position for labor—making everything go that much smoother in preparation for baby’s arrival.

How We Developed This Article

Many moms-to-be are eager to get baby out once they reach the end of pregnancy. While the Miles Circuit (and similar methods) won’t evict baby, they can help position baby for birth and lessen the pain of labor contractions. To learn more about the benefits of the Miles Circuit—and how to do it—we spoke with three certified nurse-midwives and a certified doula. We also scoured The Bump forums for Miles Circuit experiences from real moms.

After editing, this article was vetted through fact-check and reviewed by our ob-gyn medical adviser. Learn more about how we ensure the accuracy of our content through our editorial and medical review process.

About the author: Sarah Bradley is a freelance writer who combines her love of writing with her parenting experience, writing product reviews and reported features for a number of online parenting and health publications. She tried various natural methods of getting labor going during each of her three pregnancies—but in the end, her babies came out on their own time.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.