sitting down in labour?

[3flightsofstairs]

Just had a thought about my last OP baby. I couldn't sit down on the way to the hosp in the car and had to be on all fours in the back seat (much to the amusement of all the white van drivers who were on the road at 7am!). And I also couldn't sit the right way round in the birthing pool and had to have my head at the wrong end.
Might this have been because baby was OP? Or would this have happened with any birth?
Due in 6 weeks - just trying to get my ducks in a row!

[Twinklemegan]

I couldn't sit in the bath which they made me have. I had to be kneeling, leaning on the end of the bath and it was still the most agonising few minutes of my life. That was the position I naturally wanted to adopt on the bed as well, but they made me get up and go for a walk. Nightmare. Do you think maybe it's our bodies telling us what we need to do to help the baby get moving?

[Twinklemegan]

Oh sorry, should have said DS went OP as well.

[Twinklemegan]

Having said that, later on at the start of the second stage sitting on the loo was the most comfortable position, but the MW made me move. I was still pushing 3 hours later!

[mamazon]

i found the toilet incredibly soothing...as odd as that sounds.

i think there are stools that are shaped like a toilet sdo that your pelvis is supported but your vaginal passage remains in a good position.

[NoBiggy]

I sat on the toilet for the pushing bit. I was just so shattered by that point, having been at it to some extent for about 12 hours (when I would normally have been asleep), that I couldn't kneel, stand, or anything else they wanted me to do. On to the floor for the last bit.

[lulumama]

the position your body insinctively went for , is the one that was right at the time...allfours is good as takes pressure off your back, which can be good for OP labours

just go with the flow and what your body tells you

sitting on the loo or birthing stool can be really helpful, as can being in a supported squat position!

[MrsTittleMouse]

DD was OP too. Sitting down in the car on the way to the hospital was agony, sitting down in the wheelchair to be transferred to the high-risk unit was worse. I'm sure that part of it was the OP position, but that most of it was not being able to push when I had contractions, as sitting down to push in a labour-chair thingie was fine.

[ledodgy]

DD was OP and sitting down was ok. Ds wasn't OP but trying to sit down in the car to rush to hospital was a nightmare and I ended up literally forcing myself to sit as it was that or ring an ambulance. I had the same trouble with getting into a wheel chair after I got out of the car to be rushed to the labour ward.

[3flightsofstairs]

thank you! this baby is so squirmy tonight I think anything might happen!

[lemonaid]

DS was OP and I found sitting down very uncomfortable once I was 3-4cm dilated -- I'd been looking forward to the birthing ball but think I would have slapped anyone who tried to make me use it in the end.

[SlightlyMadStew]

I found sitting down v v v painful too...

[SlightlyMadStew]

Not OP BTW

[Ceolas]

Had 3 OP babies. Worst bit of each of them was when they strapped that God-forsaken monitor on and made me lie on the bed when I got to hospital.

Sitting/lying down was impossibly painful.

Shan't be doing that this time - staying at home!

[PinkTulips]

don't know if mine were op or not.

was convinced ds was while i was preg but never had it confirmed by mw's. both my labours were long and agonising til 5cms, then to pushing in 1 hour and baby out in very little time so it's possible. i know dd had the cord around her shoulder and both of them had their arms over their faces.

with both labours i was most comfortable sitting cross legged on the ground or on the couch or bed.

it was a comfortable position both during and between contractions, good angle for nipple twiddling and bump was somewhat supported, as was my back if i propped some pillows behind me

[JodieG1]

My last baby was op. I started off on birthing ball but had to go on be to be monitored properly as the monitor kept losing the heartbeat when I was on the ball. In the end I had to stay on my back as when I was kneeling and on my side his heartrate dipped alarmingly and he was happiest with me on my back. His heartrate still dipped on my back but slightly less so. Luckily the birth was fast or they would have taken steps to get him out.

[ellenjames]

Hi havent read other posts but i laboured and gave birth standing up all the time midwife kept trying to get me on the bed, but that would have killed me! I am a firm believer in doing what feels best 4u at the time!