what position did you give birth in?

[Timeoutofmind]

I gave birth on all fours, and I stood up and walked around for most of my labour. I just felt that the pain was 100 times worse when I sat or laid down, and it just felt natural to deliver on all fours.

Just wondering if I am a minority, as all those on OBEM seem to be on their backs, and in bed throughout the labour, and friends in RL all seem to have been on their backs..

With DD, it was on back (ELCS due to pre-eclampsia).

With DS (VBAC) it was on knees/all fours, as lying on my back was at least double the pain!

I've seen some US baby programmes where the mother is on her back legs in stirrups and I think "no way". I had stirrups after DS was born, for the stitches (I didn't actually tear, DS came out with a hand at the side of his head and looooong nails which scratched me internally. Mum keeps joking that he was practising for his first mobile phone )

best position was doggy style squating while clinging on to the headboard. really comfortable and supported. postition suggested by midwife.

On knees holding onto back of bed both times, laboured on all fours. Pain was in lower back, couldn't sit or lie even if i was told too, cannot understand the 'lying flat on your back' school of thought, just seemed so unnatural to me and don't remember spending any of my labour in that position

I tried to push on all fours, squatting but with ds2 and ds3 it just did not work and I was exhausted. It was for last part that I was lying down with knee to chest, on back with ds2 and side with ds3. I wasn't comfortable but after a long active labour my legs gave up.

I recommend side lying over back if you do need to rest. Breaking my tailbone was awful. Recovery from that birth was crappy. In both cases completely unmedicated.

I was upright (walking, bouncing on the ball) most of the labour. Tried pushing on all fours but lower back could not take it. Delivered on back but not flat - in sitting up position with my back supported.

On my back - I'd planned to be on all fours, but when they told me to get on the bed, I just lay down without thinking and it didn't occur to me to move (even though I spent half the labour talking about an NCT poster in front of me which showed diferent positions for giving birth).

I had a very fast labour.

On back both times. DD1: epidural, out in 10 minutes (3 pushes). DD2: no pain relief, out in 3 minutes (2 pushes, with which my water broke and she shot out). I think if I gave birth upright it would all go a bit TOO fast (my labours are precipitous)

On my knees so I could deliver my baby myself, all 3 times.

For my 3rd I decided to try lying down to slow things down but when it came to it I just couldn't, so he arrived in about 1/2hr with no pushing my poor pelvic floor.

first on all fours
second lying down cos i had a pain in my hip and felt i couldnt support myself
third standing up - quickest and easiest

First - on my back (three hours pushing, not that I could feel it as had epidural due to induction, ended up with forceps)

Second - sitting on birthing stool with DH sitting behind me (7 mins pushing stage - DS shot out and MW very nearly dropped him!)

Standing throughout, elbows leaning on the bed, wires everywhere, every time they wanted to examine me I had to get up on the bed - lying down was agony! Got off again as soon as I possibly could. Apparently DS was back to back for ages, I don't really remember the details! Only had gas and air, but am still asking DH what happened 10 months later, I was in such a daze at the time.

Flat on my back. I was literally paralysed with pain and could not move or be touched at all. I had imagined it all so active etc but just couldn't do it

Ds1 - laboured mostly on all fours leaning on ball on bed. Tried to push whilst kneeling upright and leaning on raised back of bed but not much was happening. Midwife suggested I lay on my left and he came out pretty quick.

Ds2 - laboured on birth ball and hopped on to bed to be examined. Turns out I was 7 cm then about 5 mons layer was ready to push. Midwife informed me ds's heart rate was low so to move on to my left. He came out very quickly and had cord round the back of his neck then back down his body which had been reason for low heart rate.

So really, both on them on my left although that hadn't been the plan.

I thought same thing about Obem. My last birth was on all fours in birthing pool, by far the easiest of my 3 births.

I was on l fours for my second.

On a mat on the floor-no energy to get on the bed.

First was on the floor at home semi sitting supported by the paramedic.

On my back with both. Was never encouraged to get off the bed and I didn't know any different way back then, just trusted the MW knew what they were doing!

I did spend about an hour in a huge bath with DC2 which helped no end (until my waters broke in it, that was pretty yeuch I have to say!)

This time round would love water birth and/or on my knees or all fours. I know what to do now!

DC1- on back (augmented labour, epidural, ventouse) They tried to get me kneeling holding onto the back of the bed but I was too exhausted after a 3 day labour and kept sliding off to one side.

DC2- on my knees with my bum in the air, then once her head was out and the paramedic finally accepted that I was going to give birth whether he liked it or not, on my knees leaning onto a futon to deliver her body.

DC3- on my knees leaning over birthing ball. The rest of the labour was all upright- I felt very uncomfortable in any other position.

I did it on all fours. It was quick and I didn't tear. Now pregnant with twins and depending on how much monitoring I have to have, birthing position might be dictated by how well they can hear babies' heartbeats. Will be miffed if they make me lie on my back, it just seems like it would be harder that way.

DS1 - on back, pushed for an hour and a half
DS2 - squatting in the birth pool, pushed for 8 minutes.

In fact, I was on all fours in the pool, the midwife suggested squatting, and the difference it made was instantaneous. I could feel him drop really far down the birth canal.

In fact, with DS2, I refused to get on any bed, because I thought if I did, I'd not get up again.

Both mine were delivered while I was standing up leaning on the bed. I tried lying on the bed for the second one as my legs were pretty wobbly and I wanted some drugs, but the contractions were far worse lying down. I recommend using gravity to get them out and bear-down during the delivery.

I started to push on my hands and knees, then got DH to sit on a bean bag (I was on mats on the floor) so I could brace against him in a kneeling position. Eventually they asked me to turn over onto my coccyx (so not flat on my back, but practically lying down) as it was taking so long for anything to happen and they needed be in a better position to monitor DD. In the end I was sat back against DH who was against a bean bag on the floor, with my feet on the knees of the two midwives in attendence. When DD finally popped her head out after 2 hours the midwives were surprised to see that she had been back to back the whole time. With hindsight I reckon I'd've had a shorted pushing time if I'd stayed as upright as I could, but ah well. This time around I'm hopeful to give birth in a more upright position, preferably in a pool (I laboured in the pool with DD and it was the best relief I found).

Laid on the bed, top half propped up on pillows, legs in stirrups. I'd planned for a lovely earth-mothery birth where I moved around lots, all fours, squatting supported by DP etc (we'd even practised the easiest position for him to hold me in), but when I was actually in labour all I wanted to do with every contraction was lay on the bed, curled up in a ball, and NOT MOVE until that baby was out of me! Ended up needing the stirrups as he was coming down the birth canal at an awkward angle- chin tucked too far into his chest- and had got stuck.

Ds1 on the bed but I was being prepped for an emergency c-section buy DS1 had other ideas and out he popped.

DS2 I just about got to hospital in time and I was upright!

On my back. No choice as I was constantly bleeding and every time I tried turning on my side the trickle turned to a gush. It was alright though.