Learn · Glossary
Labor term
Shake the apples
Shake the apples — sometimes “shake the apple tree” — is a Spinning Babies nickname for a gentle jiggle at the hips or buttocks, often with the person leaning forward or on hands and knees. It is not a vigorous shake, and it is not a product. Skip it with bleeding. Learn it from a trained person, not from this page.
The English nickname is newer than the work. Mexican parteras — traditional midwives as a class, not one invented story — have used a rebozo on hips and belly for a long time. English-speaking birth work gave some of the motions cute names. That naming is not the lineage. Spinning Babies is explicit: do not shake vigorously. So am I.
This is a glossary entry. Named techniques, the papers, and the 98-inch default live on rebozo for labor. The stop list — bleeding, anterior placenta, no vigor, learn from a person — lives on rebozo safety. Evidence that any of this changes birth outcomes is limited.
| What it is | What it is not |
|---|---|
| A gentle jiggle | A vigorous shake. Fast bouncing. “Flipping” a baby like a pancake. |
| Usually hips or buttocks | The same thing as abdominal manteada, though they live in the same family. |
| Often leaning forward, or hands and knees | A move you invent from a phone at the bedside. |
| A technique name | A SKU, a colorway, or a reason to buy a longer cloth. |
When not
- Bleeding. Do not jolt or shake the body if there is vaginal bleeding, bleeding from the placenta, or any suspicion of abruption.
- Anterior placenta. Be extra gentle, or skip work that loads the front wall.
- The person says no — or it hurts. Consent first. Round-ligament spasm is a stop, not a cue to jiggle harder.
- Vigor. The word “shake” in the nickname is the trap. The work is a small rhythmic jiggle.
- You have not learned it. Find a teacher. This page will not grow hands.
The combined checklist is rebozo safety.
Cloth, not a special product
You do not need a “shake the apples rebozo.” You need 100% cotton long enough to wrap a hip. Most doulas put 98 inches in the birth bag — about $42. A 78-inch is a helper. 196 inches is carrying cloth, not this motion. Rings stay in the drawer; they are sold separately and you do not need them here.
I will not invent a weaver, a town, or a review to sell you the nickname. Fiber and length: how to choose a rebozo. The four lengths, side by side: rebozo sizes.
In order
- Read the stop list.
- Learn the motion from a trained person — a partera, or a birth worker they have taught.
- Use cotton, 98 inches for most bodies.
- Keep it gentle. If you cannot tell gentle from shake, stop.
This glossary is not a class and not a product page. The shop shows what is for sale. We do not claim stock here.
Questions
Is shake the apples the same as manteada?
Related family, different nickname. Manteada names the sift, often on the belly or hips. Shake the apples usually names a hip or buttocks jiggle. Neither is vigorous shaking.
Will this turn an OP baby?
Do not count on it. Some families describe more comfort and, sometimes, more room. That is not a promise. Medical care for malposition is a conversation with your provider. Evidence is limited.
Do I buy a different length for this?
No. Ninety-eight inches of cotton covers this and most other labor work. See rebozo sizes if you are choosing one cloth for the bag.