Why on OBEM are the ladies in labour always in bed???

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I've been watching OBEM (21 weeks pregnant with DC2, not sure why i'm torturing myself lol) and almost all the women seem to spend their labour in bed and end up pushing lay on their back! WHY????

I know labour is different for everyone and i also know OBEM only gives a small snapshot of labour but every bit of information i've ever been given about being in labour and birth has advocated staying active and moving around and not giving birth on your back. With DS1 i was induced and was confined to the bed on my back and it was awful, I'm just really suprised that the midwives in OBEM never seem to suggest that the ladies get out of bed and move about a bit, especiallly when labour is stalling.

Not a massively important thread, but was just checking the "rules" for labour hadn't changed

I was in bed by choice from early on, the contractions made it hard for me to hold my weight up if standing/walking. The MWs told me to go walk around the grounds of the hospital - I couldn't walk to the en suite without someone assisting me! I don't think they separate the advice to move and not be on your back from the individual's ability in labour

I guess the MWs on OBEM realise that is someone is able and willing to pace, they'll be doing that already, and if they're not there's no point telling them they should - wish they'ld have a chat with my MWs!

I gave birth to both of my DCs lay on my back. The midwives tried to get me into all sorts of positions (on knees, leaning on back of bed, standing or lay on side) but they were all so much more painful than being lay on my back propped up. I suppose it's different for everyone, but I much preferred that position for labour and delivery.

I had all the info and ended up labouring on my back. I had continuous foetal monitoring and the good drugs so it just ended up that way.

I wonder this too. I marched round like a loon and then pushed out on my knees - can't imagine doing it on my back. But then if they have an epidural or are monitored they may not get that choice. :(

I have been wondering this. I'm 33 weeks with my first and just had antenatal classes which were very clear on how much quicker and more biologically sensible it is to be upright/on all fours etc. Clearly what they're not telling us first timers is that it might be rather tricky to stay off the bed when the time actually comes....

Keep an open mind. For my labour I couldn't have stopped walking round during contractions if I'd tried! It was my first and the whole thing was 6 hours tops. So if that is anything to go by the walking about thing is definitely good for not protracting labour! :)

But it depends if things are going simply or not I suppose.

I'm a MW and I work at the OBEM hospital, the first series anyway. I can assure you every woman who is able is given the opportunity to mobilise and there are many mobile CTGs especially for this. It is not a new or radical idea and well espoused within modern midwifery. The reality is many women prefer not to move in strong labour/second stage.
Bear in mind the programme is heavily edited and a small conversation about adopting any position you like probably wasn't exciting enough to make prime time channel 4.

I'm sure that midwives also prefer to interfere as little as possible with what the labouring woman instinctively chooses to do

I was very active for most of my labour but preferred to sleep on my side during the very last stages and transition. I was on my knees in the pool for the birth though.

I wonder though, whether because birth is portrayed (by the media) as something one does "lying down", women are unconsciously influenced by this during their own labours?

I wanted to be active during my labor but then I ended up being induced too do was confined to the bed with the monitor on. Although I did give birth on my side cocking my leg lol and it wasnt too bad. The MW tried me on all fours on the bed but it hurt that much more.

If I have another I would like to try to be active. Remember on OBEM they don't show you everything they cut loads out so you don't know what may have made them do it on their back.

I reckon a woman who is pacing around all over the place would be a lot added to film too, since a lot of the camas seem fixed. It's prob easier to film the ones taht do stick to the bed. I couldn't bear to move around during labour neither.

I couldn't bear to move that much during labour. In fact, on my way back from the loo to the bed I fell to my knees as standing was just too much hard work.

I was in the pool for a while, and had to get out. I did like the pool, but I really just wanted to lie down once labour really started to get going.

I thought it odd too - i assumed it might be because too much may be shown with women on all fours etc in labour...easier to just show ladies on backs and more dignified?

Starry that sounds just like me, I also tried the pool but needed to lie down as I was constantly fighting the contractions to keep my body upright in the pool and couldn't stand, lying in bed I could just let my body contort with the contractions

I was going to give birth upright. Absolutely definitely.

You couldn't have got me off my back in the last hour if you'd paid me! It hurt so much more being upright and I tried all the positions going.

OBEM gets criticised a lot for this but I always think its in the editing.

i have a doula on my facebook who rants and raves about OBEM, saying it should show natural labour, but TBH I think its good that it shows women's birth plans going out the window changing.

Most of my antenatal class friend were GOING to have water births, give birth on all fours.. all that. Most didn't for various reason, and some had real issues during and afterwards with not getting "their choice". OBEM seems pretty realistic to me because it shows more of the kind of births my friends and I actually HAD rather than what NCT told us we could have just by WANTING them - PMA only does so much actually, sometimes the baby or your body has other ideas!

I was flat in my back for DD1. It was embarrassing stomping the hospital corridors in established labour and their were child visitors on the ward. So I ended up sitting on the bed, curtains to get some privacy.

Consequently DD1 stuck her head on my sciatic nerve and made my legs so painful I couldn't move.

DD2 was born at home, where I had no qualms at all about sitting up right on the sofa and the walking about or up and down the stairs every time I caught her trying the same trick.
She was eventually born with DH on the bed supporting me crouching beside it.

Tiny tear and no stitches rather than the episiotomy I had with DD1.

In my hospital birth, I ended up on my back. Coerced by MW. It's easier for them!

Both HB, I gave birth without a bed in sight (in the living room) on all fours. Compared to the first, it was far less painful, no tearing and much easier.

I think media influence is strong, and being in hospital with the bed centrally in the room reinforces that suggestion.

drives me bonkers too, so does all of the intervention ...

Crunchy - the midwives wanted you to stay on your back? My midwives were actually very anti-bed. They even offered to wheel the bed out of the room if I just wanted to be on the floor.
LO was back to back, I had immense pressure on my pelvis and thighs. Once I was out of the water, I just wanted to lie down, and be supported by comfy clean pillows.

I desperately wanted to get on all fours for dc1's birth but the mw made me stay on my back as it was easier for her that way

Dc2 was born at home and I stayed on all fours, it was much less painful and easier to push like that.

I think that the media generally shows labour as a dramatic medicalised event and as we normally see women laying on their backs to give birth some women think that thats the norm and don't try to do it in any other position.

I don't think MWs generally think its easier for them if you spend a lot of time on your back, IMO its easier for them if you speed things up by moving about! Surely they prefer you to be done and out? They kept telling me to move about even when I couldn't, they didn't want me on the bed but I couldn't physcially cope anywhere else

fuckbadger most of us on this thread who ended up on our backs DID try it the other ways first and hated it or just couldn't manage it. Back to back contractions would have had me falling on the floor each time if I had been walking around un-supported - I could barely make it to the loo and that was with a hand rail on one side and DH on the other!

I think when we advocate choices in labour we need to advocate ALL choices, not just the choices of women who are more comfortable in water/upright/on all fours!

I was on the bed both.times. sitting bolt up right to push. Second baby out in 5 pushes so worked fine for me!

People should do what they're comfortable with. I wouldn't have gotten off that bed for a million pounds!

If you give birth on all fours the midwife has to wear a riot mask! I think that would make pretty good telly!

I wonder if the tv company choose to film only back-birthers, or if people who have considered birthing positions enough to not automatically lie on their backs also prefer to give birth without a tv crew watching?