What position were you in? I was told to lay on my back for delivery, but I know there are other ways. Did you like/dislike your position?
I've been on my back, semi-reclined, hands and knees, and side-lying for my deliveries. Personally, I found side-lying to be the most comfortable.
Man, I want Theresa N.'s birthing experience. I'm so jealous!
I was on my back with my husband and MIL holding my legs. Both times the baby was doing something funky with his positioning that made my hamstrings cramp up and be in an almost constant state of flexion so any other position was completely out of the question. I would not have been able to stand, squat, or kneel because my hamstrings were in such bad shape.
On my back.
The only thing I wish I could have changed was not being completely flat. I felt like it was a little hard to push. I wish I was sort of reclined.
Well I had a very effective epidural with all three, so life was sweet! And yes, on my back, no pain, just enjoyed the whole process.
:)
With my first, I was in a squatting position, and pushed for 5 hours after trying several different positions. With my second, my OB told me that he observed how my pelvis was tilted a certain way and recommended that I lay on my back. I pushed for less than 20 minutes with absolutely no interventions! What a relief!
Every body is different, so different positions work for different people.
@momof3girls - How do you explain my birthing story then? If lying on your back is not "natural" why did it work so much better for me than squatting, side lying, all fours, etc? Don't put the entire human race in a box. And as far as your response to Theresa, your births were not more sweet than hers. She got a sweet baby as a prize just as much as you did. The method isn't the victory, the CHILD is.
Birthing naturally is wonderful, but if it's so beautiful, why do people have to be so ugly about it?
Flat on my back with both - no pain meds with either one - yeah, good times !
Traditional Western Medicine does the "lie on your back" thing, but if you deliver at a birthing center, you can deliver in practically any position that's comfortable, as far as I know. I was on my left side - delivered at the hospital, so the "medical" way, but I had been on my side for better blood flow to the baby, and I was able to brace myself to push from that position, so I stayed. The doc was like "why are you on your side?", and I told him I was comfortable. He could do his thing with no problems, so we were all good. :)
I was semi-sitting in a warm bath for my last three, it was awesome! Definitely liked it, that is why I chose it again and again. Wouldn't change it for the world.
Depending on your use of anesthesia and your care provider I would recommend trying out various positions to find one that feels "right" to you and is effective. You may think you know what you want but may change your mind completely when it comes to the actual birth. Positions that use gravity (sitting on toilet (just for early pushing) or birthing stool, squatting, hands and knees, etc) are usually pretty effective and often feel more "natural" for the kind of work that you are doing. On your back is the most common because it is most convenient for the birthing bed and the doctor, and one of the few positions that works with an epidural. But have you ever had to use a bedpan, laying mostly on your back? especially for a bowel movement? I think it would be quite awkward, and you are doing very similar work when you deliver a baby.
Laying on your back is the worst position to give birth. No other mammal lies on their back with their feet up in stirrups. Women should demand the right to birth in the position THEY choose. Women need to take their births, their bodies and their babies back. How dare some doctor tell a woman how to birth her child!
That being said I gave birth to my children in either the squat position or on my hands and knees. I have attended many homebirths and I have not once seen a woman lie down on her back to birth in. It's just not natural.
In response to Theresa- I very much enjoyed my all natural, med free home births. I caught my own baby and I was in complete control of my body. It doesn't get any sweeter than that!
i was on my back during birth but while waiting for me to be 100% i was moving around the bed trying to get comfy because i couldnt walk bc i was being induced. I got comfortable twisted around like my upper half on my back lower half on my side and the nurses didnt want me laying like that bc it could of hurt the baby but it was so comfortable and they didnt see how
With my first basically immobile b/c of epidural on my back with others supporting my legs. With my second on my knees leaning forward on the side of the (really low) bed. I much prefered my second experince with pushing b/c it felt better and more "right" in my body.
I was kind of sitting up, reclining and what made it really great was that I had these grippy handle bar things to hang on to at waist level. It made pushing SO much easier! That was with my DS...no meds, walking to L&D at 9cm, so not much time in bed. With DD, I had an epidural, so I was on my back, but they let me "sit up" somewhat because it made pushing a lot easier...but not as easy as with my "handlebars". Those things were awesome!
On my back with my feet at my head like I was in a crazy yoga position!! After 21 hours I got my 2nd wind and was determined to get my little girl out of there. I was on a mission!!! :-)
On my side with my top leg pushing against my OB, at her suggestion. I was laying on my back with the bed raised, but that wasn't working, so they asked me to get on all fours, but when my OB finally got there she was like, no way, and asked me to turn on my side. 1, 2, 3 and my son was born!
With my first son, I was on my knees, holding the bed with the bed propped up. It helped me SO much with the help of the gravity. I turned over at the last minute, and delivered on my back. :)
Semi-upright with legs pulled back like I was squatting -- worked great for me. Pushed for only 35 minutes with baby #1. I am hoping things go as smoothly with #3 (my VBAC) --due date is next week! I just don't think I would personally be comfortable doing full squatting or all 4s for delivery -- too much exposed in the latter (and you can't see a thing) and in the former, I fear my legs would cramp up.
Well for both my babies I was on my back and had one person on each side holding my legs up to my head, lol. I was not flat on my back though, more like sitting up a little. I liked the position, baby number 1 came out in 20 mins and baby number two came out in 3 pushes.
Yes, I had to lay on my back for delivery both times. I wanted to be sitting up more to let gravity do some of the work but the doctor would have none of it. I didn't particularly like lying on my back. I still don't know exactly why I wasn't able to sit "up" more. If anyone knows, please tell me! Thanks!
I had an epidural so there were not too many positions I could do. If thats your case Have them raise the back of your bed so your in more or a sitting, squatting position. Much better in my mind. I think you are also able to lye on your side and lift one leg.
first 2, on my back with my feet pulled up, together, and almost touching my nose... I had no patience, no meds & lots of pain! 3rd, csection, looking back, I would MUCH rather of had the natural birth experience :)
Once on my back (horrible- hated it- I don't like crunches now, I HATED feeling like I was doing a 3 HOUR crunch!).
Twice on my hands and knees. I absolutely loved it! It made me feel more in control, less pain (I know it sounds stupid, but the pain was easier for me to manage because I felt like I was curled down and around instead of up in a crunch position) , easier delivery's (gotta love gravity) and I could put my head in the pillow and drown everyone out to focus (and briefly scream as necessary without taking out everyone's ear drums!).
My 1st birth was very traumatic at an OB Hospital with an OB. I was 'tied' to the bed thru an IV, fetal monitoring device and internal fetal monitoring device and uterine internal monitor. I couldn't move even if my life depended on it. I also was given a foley catheter so I would not ask to get up to the bathroom... this was for a normal starting birth. Pitocin was started, eventually an epidural came next, etc... It snowballed into a cesarean.
#2 is due in July and I'm having a home birth VBAC with a Midwife and I am so more relieved, excited and happy about this!! Many of my family, friends and Nursing classmates/co-workers are very curious and interested how an educated Nurse would choose a home birth over the 'safety' of a hospital... I will be documenting my birth via video camera and FB updates. It will be a relief to be able to have to empowerment and allowance to move my body as I feel it should be rather than be forced to go against my body's design in order to convenience the medical staff and OB by lying on my back.
I was on my back (in more of a sitting position, with legs bent and held by a nurse) because I had epidurals with both, and they were such pleasant birthing experiences! I got to enjoy every moment of my labor and delivery. If you are planning on having an epidural (or if you end up having one), your options will be limited. Best of luck to you and your little one!
Good to think about your options now so you can try different things when the time comes and see what works. My doula says she's had moms that swore they would not deliver on their backs but when the time came that's where they eanted to be. For me, first baby, epidural after 3 days of labor...epi stopped working & had to be topped off so i had no sensation in legs at all. For all of my three hours of pushing, arguing with the doctor that I didn't want to be flat on my back and holding my breath to push. Felt like I was pushing with my face. Didn't think that baby would ever come out. Doc didn't want to let me try other positions because of the epidural, but I just wanted bed inclined a bit. There are sqwat bars that attach to the bed that help suppprt you in that position, which is supposed to be the "best". Talk to your doc...they may insist you're on your back and if so you might want to find someone else. For my second, (different doc) the doc said "labor how you like but when the baby comes out you must be on your back. Except I stayed home so long (another super long labor) that the doc didn't make it until well after delivery. My doula did, and aside from some great counterpressure on my back during contractions, the best thing she did was position me for delivery. She asked how I wanted to deliver but I was so wracked by contractions that I couldn't think. She put me on my knees facing the wall with the back of the bed raised. A handful of pushes and baby was out. A benefit of this position...in addition to being able to push on the headboard while I bore down, is that I was only focused on myself and not what was happening in the room....like I didn't know that at one point while I was pushing it was only hubby & I in the room...nurse had gone to call doc and doula had gone to tell nurse I had delivered the bag of waters...it was dangling between my legs. Had i known we were alone I might have panicked and stalled progress. Consider a doula if you want something out of the norm. At least have the discussion with your doc and consider a birth preference list (birth "plan" is nice but you can't really plan for these things). Know that your doc may not be there (my regular doc wasn't there for either birth).
