shocked that giving birth lying down is for doctor's benefit?

[Pepsipepsi]

I've not given it too much thought before now but just came across a video saying that giving birth kneeling/standing/squatting are better birth positions than laying on back, as it opens up the hips and gravity helps.

So I Google why reclining is such a common childbirth position. And the answer basically is because it helps the medical staff see what's going on but can contribute to more pain, contractions stopping, and a longer labour. (Also some theories about how Kings used to want watch childbirth and lying down then became popular if it was seen good enough for the Royals. Could be a urban legend!)

I've read a few women's experiences agreeing with the above theory, and it's just made me feel upset and angry. Why are women suffering for medical staff convenience?
Why are we not giving women more birthing options?

Voting = YANBU giving birth using gravity makes more sense
YABU = modern medical science has come a long way and lying down is fine

@mam0918 I was pushing for hours both times!
Couldn't get them out at all despite being 10cms for ages. I think I’m just useless at it.

Same. 3 babies, 3 inductions and 3 times on my back, legs in stirrups.

I think the prevalence of epidurals- while giving huge pain relief also limits birth choices.
I understand there are different types of epidural, but mostly they reduce mobility- necessitating a prone position to give birth.

I have given birth 4 times and was always told to do what I was comfortable doing. Actually no 1st baby I was practically left alone and they had to catch him. I was laying down but was walking around until his head was crowning.
Others I actually preferred laying down because I was on my feet until I knew I had to push and I would literally fall asleep for 20 seconds between pushing. So couldn't do that in any other position.

This is why I refused to book in at my local hospital for my third baby 17 years ago. They wanted me to have a medical birth lying down with continuous monitoring as they considered me high risk. I argued that this would increase the risk of complications and went to a midwife led unit and had her in a birthing pool. No problems, except that hospital contacting them and telling them I had lied to them about my risk factors but that's another story!

I was definitely encouraged to move around, give birth in whatever position I felt best, but if/when you need forceps, episiotomy etc, that can only really be done in a position that gives them a decent view.

Which I most definitely would want them to have 😅

@MyneighbourisTotoro oh yes, I did have to actively push once they had freed her, they said she was in severe distress and needed to come out right now. It was easier than expected I g

Ooops premature post!

It was easier than expected I guess because of the fast labour and no active pushing. After a short resuscitation to get her breathing she was fine, although they kept us overnight just in case.

Yeah at the hospital based parenting class I went to they told us lying on back is a bad position and to try to use gravity, on knees leaning forward usually better. I thought hospitals didn't encourage lying on back (I wouldn't know I had a water birth and wasn't lying back) but I have no idea

Haven’t read the full thread but find it bizarre that anyone is being told what to do at all. I got into the positions I wanted in labour (on my knees in birthing pool) and if anyone had tried to tell me what to do I’d have told them where to go! Unless it was medically necessary obvs but that must be quite unusual.

Oh and both my births were inductions, the second with continuous monitoring and there was no issue with me walking around and then being in the pool.

The other tv tradition is water breaking being the first part of labour- while this can happen usually contractions start first and it's more unusual for water to unexpectedly break! They broke my water for me during labour as I got stuck at 4cm for hours and it helped things progress

I had my DC over twenty and third years ago and moving around was definitely a thing. I found being on all 4’s or leaning over a bed best and then on my back to push.
I was very fortunate to have extremely quick labours with no complications or need for drugs.

I was encouraged to move around and position myself however I wanted, both times. I just found on my back to be most comfortable.

I wrote my thesis on this very topic. OP you're absolutely not alone in having this perception as it's perpetuated by images in the media.

I was on my back for my first and I sort of didn't question it.
Then I read up on it and it made sense that gravity would help so I kneeled up and held on to the head of the bed with DC2.
A HCP told me I couldn't start pushing yet because the midwife wasn't there! (As if I had a choice) babys head was out in the first push and the midwife came in after that.

If you get an epidural you have to lie down unfortunately.

no you don't, I was very much standing.

I was in the 'pushing stage' for 3 hours (no thwump, so I didn't know and wasn't pushing), baby was fine although did look like a ventinuse birth from the head being in the vagina that long.
I thought crowning was the exact time you weren't supposed to push? Pant don't push to prevent tearing.

If the cord has dropped before the head is born then that would be an emergency and baby needs to be born quickly. But normally the cervix should be out the way and the cord still in the uterus as baby's head decends so there's no oxygen deprivation. I don't understand pushing if there's still a cervical lip (excepting complications).

Still is really!

DD is 10 and I was encouraged to move around and have an active birth. However it wasn't to be and I spent most of it on my back and ended up in stirrups, then forceps. You can't always plan these things! It was definitely known and encouraged then to be active.

I was also encouraged to be active, use gravity etc, and that was 17 years ago.

@Blessedbethefruitz I doubt there are modern stats on involuntary vs active pushing. Partly because as soon as you're actively pushing how do you determine if there's involuntary pushing, and partly because the medicalised approach (e.g. US) doesn't always believe that involuntary pushing exists.

Historically, there was a whole era of rich victorians(?) who had the equivalent of general anaesthetic throughout natural labours (ie pushing whilst unconcious), plus the odd woman in a coma, so I don't think involuntary pushing is rare.

I had involuntary pushing with my second. It was defiantly involuntary as I didn't want to push (was to scared) and was trying my best to stop it but had no control, almost like a contraction. I asked the midwife about it afterwards as I'd never heard of it. She completely knew what I was talking about.

I had my first baby almost 5 months ago, I was adamant I would not be lying on my back for any of it and also requested a birthing pool- my labour ended up being extremely fast- 3cm dilated at 21.30pm to giving birth at 00.30am. Baby went into distress so I ended up giving birth lying on my back, legs in stirrups, ventousse delivery, on just gas and air and it was agony. I was far more comfortable crouching over the bed, all I wanted to do was hunch over to help the pain which is impossible on your back!

Sure I sure a documentary about induction being "sold" to women as convenient to be able to choose day/time, but was more for the Drs to try to keep things with "office hours"