who gave birth lying on a bed in hospital?

[ratclare]

why do they make us do this ? surely standing or squatting would make this easier ,what with gravity and everything . I am a nurse and i would only make some one have a poo in bed if there was no physical way of getting them out !

I pushed for two hours on all fours and in the end I wanted the baby out as quickly as possibly. They suggested sitting on the bed with my legs resting bent each side. I couldn't hold my legs anymore so they held them bent while I pushed. The baby was out in two pushes in that position. I am glad I listened to them.

It was nothing to do with gravity but trying to work out what muscles I needed to use and where to get it out. This position focused my mind.

Aha! Delivery positions, I've tried them all. I had an active labour for DD and pushed on all fours, sitting down on a labour chair thingie, standing up, leaning, squatting, with my legs braced against the midwife. It was what my body wanted to do, but nothing worked.
Ended up on my back in theatre with ventouse to finally turn the little madam from OP to get her out. Didn't care by that stage though. The lovely midwife told me "don't worry, whatever happens you'll have your baby by a quarter to eight". It really gave me something to focus on and she was right.

I was really unhappy that I would have to be monitored in my 2nd delivery (previous section). I'd heard that moving around helped things move and I'm the kind of person that likes moving around/freedom so I thought that would be exactly what I wanted and it was at the top of my birthing plan, freedom of movement as much as possible. It just goes to show that you just don't know when you get there. Right from 3/4 cm onwards I did not want to move from my back because contractions really hurt more standing up. I would run to the toilet straight after one (as much as a lady giving birth can run) to avoid being caught out of bed for the next (and so I could be back for the gas and air)! I just seemed to be able to cope with them much better when I was lying down.

Iwas in hospital for observation and went into labour at 0050 and proceded to pace the corridors until my husband arrived at 9am when I was allowed out into the hospital grounds, DH wouldn't go further than walking round the car park. My Mum came and much to DH horror she walked me everywhere including up the multi storey car park steps all 9 flights!!! When they evetually moved me round to the labour ward I said I wanted to squat or be on all 4, if I couldn't be in biirth pool cos of reguar monitoring. The MW examined me and said that I had to be monitored continuely cos I was bleeding again, so ended up on my back on a bed by that point I didn't care just wanted DD out safely.

Nobody made me do it, I wasn;t capable of standing, contractions were too intense.

Qwanglewangle instead of stirrups I used the MW shoulders.
Fantastic.

I had my first on the bed knees akimbo in a semi-recumbent position (what I think of as the 'old-fashioned' position). The midwife was utterly unsupportive of my attempts to deliver kneeling up and leaning on the headboard of the bed and eventually I gave up and just followed her instructions.

Second one was also on the bed, but this time in the left lateral position with my knees barely separated. I chose this position because I had SPD and it seemed the least problematic position. It was vastly better and more comfortable than the previous position.

My third I delivered the head while almost completely upright on my knees in the birthing pool, moving backwards to be supported on dh's arms and almost floating to deliver the rest of ds2's body. That was the best of all.

I believe that I could only have delivered upright in a pool, as I never felt strong enough to bear my own weight upright on land. Also there would be too much tension in my legs, which of course was relieved by the support of the water.

I had DS on a bed, but only because I had to be monitored full time. Had an epidural because there was NO WAY I could lay still through contractions. Vaguely remember stirrups, but, I guess with an epidural its normal as my legs flopped everywhere

forgot to say, they wouldnt even LET me into a delivery room to a bed until 5pm (labour started at 1am) I had to walk around the hospital all day. I think I half passed out during the birth - I cant remember hardly any of it.

ick, don't know how i'd have pushed ds out with my legs hoisted up, mine were just resting against teh foot of the bed and shoulder distance apart and i braced myself for each contraction, being scrunched up would have killed my back!

First time, I was kneeling. Lovely position, just as I wanted - but DD1 came out at express speed and gave me a 3rd degree tear. Result - me whisked away to theatre, severely traumatised DH literally left holding the (hungry) baby and not knowing what was going on.

Second time, the MW got me up on the bed "just to have a look" just as I knew I was ready to push. I was really cross with her at the time, as there was no chance of getting down again - all going too fast.

BUT

Actually it was the best thing she could have done. I gave birth propped up a bit on the bed. The position forced me to push much more slowly and in a controlled manner. Much smoother birth - only minor tearing - happier mummy and baby.

So bed is not always worst!!

I was keen on active birth, went to NCT classes and took all the gravity stuff to heart. Then the midwife had to bully me off the bed because once I was actually in established labour I just clung to it. Felt like I'd fall over if I wasn't lying down. Vaguely remember sitting on the edge of the bed with someone putting an ice pack on my back (all the pain seemed to be in my back although ds wasn't OP).

I was induced and, while able to move around on monitors etc for the first half of my labour (had lovely midwife who encouraged it to help me get comfortable), when shifts changed got a nightmare midwife who basically bullied me into having an epidural and then when I wanted to standup and give birth using gravity to my hefty little one she refused and bullied me into giving birth on the bed in stirrups. Total nightmare! Next time am definitely going to hang on in there for a home birth (at least there are no stirrups in my bedroom....)

I did with all 3 of mine...but to be honest, it was the position i was most comfortable with. I almost had my last son on my side, but I flipped onto my back at the last minute lol, I just find that position more comfortable.This baby will probably be delivered in the same position lol.

Had DS2 on sitting room couch (lying down!). V. fast. Didn't make it past the front door. Wouldn't recommend!

ds on bed in hospital - totally knackered after long labour - but hated being in that position - the epidural left me unsure when to push and being attached to variuos drips and monitors meant i had little option - i was in stirrups after being stiched for what felt like hours

for dd i was on all fours on living room floor - laboured in birth pool then got out when I knew she was on her way - spent most of my time biting my husbands knees and restraining my swearing as ds was awake upstairs with pil('cripes that hurts' and 'goodness me' )
soooo much better than hospital no drugs (but i needed g&a for the stiches - worse than having the baby imo) mw said I wdnt have torn if dd had not come out with her hands by her face...

I didn't, and I think it's a shame that so many women are 'bullied' into it or don't know about alternatives at the time.

I was induced, so was on the syntocinon drip and had continuous monitoring because of the baby's heartrate being fast, but I spent my whole labour either kneeling or standing and leaning on the edge of the bed. I had a fantastic experience and a pretty easy, straightforward labour. Being induced or monitored shouldn't mean you can't be active or at least be upright, but unfortunately I know not everyone has supportive midwives in those circumstances.

My SIL had a baby a few days earlier than I did and also had continuous monitoring but at a different hospital and not one midwife suggested she could get off the bed and she was too intimidated/distracted/scared to ask herself.

With DS I was lying on the bed with my legs in stirrups, having him pulled out with forceps.

Can't exactly remember with DD - I was definitely on the bed. Maybe more sitting up than lying. It was the position I felt comfortable in anyway, which was the main point.

With DS I was lying on the bed with my legs in stirrups, having him pulled out with forceps.

Can't exactly remember with DD - I was definitely on the bed. Maybe more sitting up than lying. It was the position I felt comfortable in anyway, which was the main point.

I did, first time because of epidural after vv long labour, second time it was just the most comfortable position I could find. I started off pushing against the mw and dh's hips with my feet but actually found the stirrups a god send as I didn't have to wait for them to get inot position at the start of each contraction, I could just start pushing.

In my birth plans I said I wanted to be upright but when it came to the actual event, it just didn't feel right to be up on my knees. I suppose the fact that it was my choice to be lying on the bed made it easier than being forced there by the mw.

I've done it twice but never on my back and it was never even suggested my midwife. In fact they apologised when I had to lie on back to be examined and got me into a better position asap. DD1 was in upright squatting in pool, DD2 was on all fours on bed leaning on birthing ball. Lying on my back at any time was hideous. Can't imagine how awful it would've been if I'd had to deliver that way

i did both times. Was never asked to move off the bed or move around, although dont think i'd be up to it anyway after all the drugs I have. I am quite happy to sit there with my gas and air happily puffing away!!

First time I was on the bed, on my back for 24 hours with epidural, forceps the lot! 2nd time I arrived at hospital at 5cm and shot to 10cm in about 10 mins! I couldn't bear the thought of being remotely vertical as it all seemed too fast but my fab midwife got me on my left side with my right leg resting on a stirrup and dd2 popped out about 10 mins later! it was fab!
have put my order in for the same labour and delivery this time LOL!!!

hmphhhh...well I tried the 'gravity technique' of kneeling on the bed/ gripping the back of the bed and pushed for over an hour. In the end I was knackered, had to be turned over, put in stirrups and had forceps!!! Bit more than gravity needed obviously...

i did. some midwife gave me codeine for pain relief without telling me what it was. i react to codeine like if it was a roofie. hence i only has flashes of memory from 3 am till just before i gave birth 7 hrs later. i can only remember blackness and screaming into conciousness from time to time, hearing voices and not even know if i was standing or sitting or lying down. when i came to i was strapped to monitors as my blood pressure was extremely high and had canulas out both hands. i don't recall being strapped up to any of this.

altogether a horrid affair.

Oooh no, had a homebirth in a birthing pool in a semi squatting position. Didn't lie down for any of the 28hrs, far too uncomfortable!