Positions?

[Harlequin]

This is probably going to be a stupid question, but here we go.

When you give birth, do you do it lying down on the bed like you see in tv, or do they let you give birth in whatever position feels comfortable nowadays?

[OceBel]

i was lying down. but im sure whatever way you feel comforable theyd let you feel comfortable.

[becca74]

Insist on getting off the bed and get into the positions that come instinctually!

The best possible position is squatting - your pelvis will open it's widest in this position.....

do you know how women started lying down to give birth? Some pervy French aristocrat in the 17th Century wanted to view the birth of his mistress's baby from behind a curtain for his own pervy pleasure, and had the dr lie her down so he could get a full view!

The 'stranded beetle' position is only beneficial to the people trying to gain access, and keep control over your birth. All it does is allow a better 'view' - we dont poo (sorry if tmi) lying down, so why are women made to push a baby with bones up hill? For too long now they have been torturing women by forcing them on their backs to give birth.....this position goes against gravity, and the pressure from lying down makes the outlet smaller, and also your insides are being crushed under the weight of the baby etc.....

Here are some good ideas for birthing/labour positions:
http://www.empoweredchildbirth.co.uk/cgi-bin/hib.cgi?page=freenatpos

[Taylors_mum]

They actually encourage you to move around as much as possible these days.

In my delivery suite they had those Pilates balls, gym mats ect.

I found standing up, rocking my hips and leaning on the bed helped.

[Harlequin]

Thanks guys, ive been wondering about that for ages!!

So what positions did you find made the birth a little easier?

Oh another really stupid question, if you squat, do you just do it on the hospital floor? Do they put something down? Wouldn't you make the floor REALLY messy??
Hahah I feel like such a noob.

[Taylors_mum]

I dont think the midwifes are really concerned about "mess". Cause yeah it is messy. But once you leave the delivery suite they clean it from top to bottom anyway.

[becca74]

Harlequin, they have sterile mats they can put under you as you squat :)

[Littletreasures]

well they made me lie down as the baby was stressed so they needed to monitor its heart beat but all i wanted to do was walk around...

[Lunar]

ANy way you want!
As long as you don't have to have monitors strapped to you like I did my first, then you have to be lying on your back.
Second time round I was on my knees with the bed head sitting up so I could lean on that and I tell you it was much easier than on my back!
I recommend ANYTHING but your laying on your back!

[cheezelkat]

They draped a lot of towels around me to catch the mess.

I birthed leaning over a beanbag. The midwives wouldn't let me birth on the bed at all.

[uptheduff]

I had Logan lying down...just because that was the position that i happened to be in when i had to start pushing lol, and i found it pretty hard to move with a baby's head between my legs lol. It took 2 hours to push him out, which i think had a lot to do with my position....but i didn't tear, which i also think may have had something to do with it!

I had Angus standing up, leaning on the bed. When i started pushing, they came and put a big mat underneath me to catch all the yuckies!

[Valosgirls]

I had my first bub on a birthing stool and my second on my knees on the bed holding the bedhead. I like the knee position best as I found the birthing stool gave me nothing to hold on to to push if you know what I mean?

I actually sank my teeth into the bedhead:o

[Harlequin]

Haha lucky you didnt chip a tooth!!

Its good to know they are pretty flexible about positions nowadays. The lying down thing didn't seem like it would be comfortable to me, I think the kneeling and holding onto the bedhead would be much better. Hopefully I dont need any monitors attached to me when the time comes.

I feel so silly asking about the mess, I mean ill probably do a poo and wont even care at the time because ill be in so much pain, so as if Ill care about the mess haha.
Must suck having to clean it up though :D

[Valosgirls]

I just remember DH pulling my head of it going 'noo nooo you cant bite that!!':laughing:

Dont feel silly asking about the mess though - its only natural. I have given birth twice and I still worry about the mess and about who is looking at my privates! Im not one of those people who 'having a baby has cured all that' so much so that when it came time to push - my midwife - ( ooh this is so embarrasing) politely told me that I was going to have to 'take off my knickers now' :o

I always found that just before going into labour my body did a bit of a clean out in the bowel dept so the pooing was not really an issue and If I did feel a bit 'full' going into labour then I will be the first to ask for an enema!!

[twins+another]

I have given birth twice and I still worry about the mess and about who is looking at my privates! Im not one of those people who 'having a baby has cured all that' so much so that when it came time to push - my midwife - ( ooh this is so embarrasing) politely told me that I was going to have to 'take off my knickers now' :o



OMG that is just too funny! Thanks for a great laugh...now I think I need to go and change my knickers:laughing:

[Harlequin]

Hehe at least im not the only one thinking about it. :laughing:

[WeThree]

I was lying on the bed with my 3rd as the midwife wanted to check its heartbeat etc when I felt the urge to push, my instinct was to get up and kneel, leaning over the bedhead, so thats what I did! and I highly recommend it, that final stage was so much easier and over heaps quicker than when I did it on my back. :yes:

[~Danni~]

hey:wave:

With DD the hospital I was at encoraged me to walk around do what ever felt the best, they were happy to help me find good possies and they got DF really involved to, the showers all had rails so you could get comfy under the warm water too. Once the pain got to the most owwy I found I couldn't move any morse and just lay on the bed it was the only way I felt good!! The midwifes are their to help, make use of their knowledge and get them to help is my advice, they also bought me one of those gym ball things which was really good!:)

[Bessie]

Don't pay any attention to media births, they are so stereotyped and give you a weird impression about birth.
Becca was right about the 17C geyser, I think it was Louis 16th or something. Prior to this women had always birthed in different positions, even in Exodus there are mentions of birthing stools.
I found kneeling and leaning over a beanbag was great, I was so tired I could have just laid down but that would have pushed bubs into the bed and not out... so leaning over the bean bag I didn't need to support myself and could just focus on the labour. It's a good position if you are really tired at the end.

[EskimoMumma]

yup asnway you want

but ive preferred on my back pushing(but i was at an angle)

[SuperWoman]

I was laying on my back, the only way I could handle it!!!

[TwoBlue]

I had my first bub on a birthing stool and my second on my knees on the bed holding the bedhead. I like the knee position best as I found the birthing stool gave me nothing to hold on to to push if you know what I mean?


Exactly the same as me!!

First DS was the stool and second was kneeling on the bed holding the bedhead with half the bed upright (if that makes sense?)

I preffered the kneeling on the bed possie also

[dannii]

i was a little upset that my midwife never really gave me the chace to use a different position... just sorta ordered me to lie down and get in "birthing position". i was hoping i would get the guts to squat, but thought i would feel weird about doing it that way.. but i heard its the easiest!

i guess it didnt take too long to give birth last time, so i wasnt too upset about it.

[Blessed Mum]

'normal' birthing position with DS
knees & bedhead thing with DD - wouldn't do it any other way now.