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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Did women always used to give birth lying down? (Call the Midwife)

72 replies

DontCallMeMaybe · 19/11/2017 22:44

I've been watching a lot of Call the Midwife (possibly a silly idea as I'm due next week), and every birth in it shows the woman lying down on her back for delivery.

From what I've heard and also what I experienced when I last gave birth, this isn't generally the most comfortable or efficient position... I know I couldn't lie or even sit down.

So I'm curious to know if this is lazy filming or is this really how women gave birth in the 50s/60s?

Anyone know?

OP posts:

Branleuse · 20/11/2017 20:21

I had all my babies lying down. Even the two homebirths I needed to lie down, albeit on my side rather than my back. The midwife kept trying to get me to stand up and walk around. I had to shout at her in the end to leave me alone and let me listen to my own body. Not everyone feels better for being active.

SprogletsMum · 20/11/2017 20:28

I've been made to give birth on my back with all 4 of mine despite there being noticeboards in the delivery room advocating not being on your back.
The most recent one, in April I was forced to be flat on my back on constant monitors whilst being told they needed my labour to get going because I had thick meconium in my waters. If they'd have let me stand up I reckon he'd have arrived loads quicker than waiting for the drip to work.

OlennasWimple · 20/11/2017 20:32

I recently watched the episode of Mad Men where Betty Draper gives birth in a fog of drugs. I'd read about "twilight births" before, but seeing it portrayed.... Urgh, I'm so glad we have moved on from thinking that is a good idea

Navegante · 20/11/2017 20:32

My midwives (I had 4 of them as I crossed over breaks and end of shifts) were all very supportive of me not wanting to lie down. I had a very long labour and they did ask me to lie on the bed a couple of times in order to examine me. One also suggested I try and push when I was at the late pushing stage and flagging. As soon as I tries to push lying down I knew it wasn't for me so hopped straight back up again but that few minutes lying down was a useful rest. I ended up giving birth squatting on the floor holding onto the bed. The last thing I heard the midwife to me before I had dd was that I was going to have to catch the baby as she wasn't able to. I missed

Interesting about the birthing still mentioned by a pp. I used one during the early pushing stages and found it incredibly helpful. After I gave birth the midwife mentioned to me that hardly anyone ever asks for one or accepts the offer of one.

I've been following someone on instagram who is recording births in remote communities. It's very interesting to view, it seems like stepping back in time.

Navegante · 20/11/2017 20:33

-stool not still!

Bubblebubblepop · 20/11/2017 20:35

I was told (NCT) that it came from the advent of hospital births so after the call the midwife era- so that a woman could be easily "displayed" and the Doctor could easily go from woman to woman seeing their progress. So sexism basically.

They got the strurrips out during my labour and I shouted "what am
I, in Victorian times?! "

JoanLenin · 20/11/2017 20:35

You have to be on all fours or squat. Gravity....

Gammeldragz · 20/11/2017 20:36

I've just done my maternity learning unit (nursing degree) and we learned that in an emergency delivery (ie no midwife/Dr) that we should encourage kneeling or all fours and NOT lying on her back.

I did see a few episodes of CTM where they were not on their back, but most were. Doctors like it as they can see better...

Gammeldragz · 20/11/2017 20:40

Like sprogletsmum I had to have two of mine on my back. My DD had meconium and we were on monitors and apparently the ones you can move with were broken so we were stuck there. She had shoulder dystocia and they had to do a special maneuver (McRoberts) to get her out. Probably wouldn't have happened in another position...

FGSholdthedoor · 20/11/2017 21:01

I had my first kneeling on the hospital bed holding onto the headboard.
But I got to the hospital ready to push so midwives just got me in the room and said "yep you're ready so get yourself however you're comfortable" or something like that so I just climbed on as that's what I was doing in the car on the way in

Plus side (I don't know if it's down to the position or not but I feel like it is) I didn't need any stitches afterwards.
I remember attending some antenatal classes and the lady there said its better if you're not on your back (unless it's necessary for medical reasons) as your tailbone is "tucked in" when you're on your back and it makes it a bit harder overall.

I'm due with DC2 v soon and I can imagine not being on my back again.

My DM said they had no choice when she gave birth...

SpaghettiAlphabetti · 20/11/2017 21:13

Interesting post. I had both mine on my left side with my leg supported. It was the ideal position for me. With DS they put one stirrup up after I asked for my leg to braced. I pushed against it and he came out in two pushes.

I knew I didn't want to be upright with my second though. I desperately wanted to use gravity with my first birth but my contractions radiated into my thighs and there is no way I could have supported my weight. I just exhausted myself by trying.

Ttbb · 20/11/2017 21:15

I remember watching a great 40s/50s US marines instructional video on the topic of emergency deliveries where they advised to lay the labouring woman on her back. It didn't look at all comfortable but did make for a great view for the camera

Spudlet · 20/11/2017 21:25

I had mine kneeling on the bed and holding onto the headboard. I’m surprised I didn’t leave some finger marks on the wood too!

I had to lie on my back briefly to be examined and it was agonising - I don’t know if DS was back to back or what, but I couldn’t have stayed in that position. It was dreadful.

Fifthtimelucky · 20/11/2017 23:00

I had my two in the 90s and on neither occasion was I on my back. First time, I was more or less standing. I remember the midwife kept asking whether I would prefer to lie down and I kept telling her I wouldn’t. Second time, I was in a half squat half kneel position in a water pool.

I’m quite surprised at so many people saying they were on their backs, especially those who don’t seem to have had much (or any) choice. I couldn’t think of anything less comfortable than lying on my back with my feet in stirrups.

ProseccoMamam · 20/11/2017 23:15

I don't know.
When I was pregnant I was told to keep upright as much as possible in labour to let gravity help but when DC needed help they pinned me to the bed to get baby out quickly. Maybe it's easier/safer to birth in your back if something is going wrong. Medicine and medical machines weren't as good as they are now back then so maybe they just wanted women to birth quickly and get it done with? Also a lot easier for doctor to do a suction/forceps/check for dilation ect if mum is on her back.

grumpysquash3 · 20/11/2017 23:16

I had my three in the early '00s (last one in 2006)
There was no way I was going to lie down.
In the end two were born in water pools and one on dry land on hands and knees. There was no point where lying down would have been a good thing. Lots of walking around, rocking, anything really.

US version of One Born Every Minute gives me the shivers - everyone lying down often with feet in stirrups. OMG.

fia101 · 20/11/2017 23:20

First baby I lay down and it was mega painful with forceps.

No 2 did hypnobirthing over a ball and then stood. Midwife put mattress thing under me and prepared to catch baby. Way better. Gravity and imagining baby going down birth canal made sense. Midwife said she hadn’t caught a baby before when mother was upright but no way could I get on bed.

Hopefully will do same for no 3

Will

ProseccoMamam · 20/11/2017 23:29

Oh forgot to mention- the labour was only last winter (so fairly recent), i was in stirrups and the bed was tilted upwards just a little (so not completely flat), I had SPD and a back to back labour so it was complete hell for me but the best position to get DS out quickly and alive (just)

NinaMarieP · 21/11/2017 02:07

Through the 50s in Call the Midwife most women laboured on their backs, but were turned onto their left side for the delivery.

By the 60s they stayed on their backs.

There are some exceptions though - like the pub landlords’ daughter who knelt on the floor by her bed.

I wanted an active delivery - my biggest fear was being on by back in stirrups. Guess what my strongest pushing position was? I actually hated moving in labour and was actually very happy to just lie there are do my best to deal with each contraction.

clarabellski · 21/11/2017 11:22

I gave birth sitting up in a bed with legs up in stirrups so kind of like yoga boat pose but supported IFSWIM, but that was just at the very end when they threatened forceps and had to make a cut in preparation for that. DS literally flew out after they cut me

Before that I was mostly sitting on a ball or kneeling over a chair/the bed. Felt instinctively less uncomfortable than lying down.

mindutopia · 22/11/2017 11:05

No, women have historically not laid down on their backs to give birth, though I would imagine that it's historically accurate for the time period they are trying to represent as it's been fairly common since probably Victorian era through until now and is only recently changing in practice in midwifery led care. Supposedly Henry VIII made it fashionable as he required his wives to birth that was so he could have a front row view (creepy, right?). But it's definitely been more the standard practice in the West since doctor-led obstetric care became more the norm and that's transferred over to midwifery led care as well. So I would say definitely 20th century until recently when women have been more supported to move around again more. Obviously though in non-Western cultures and in many communities even in the West that practice very women-centred birthing it's never really been the norm that women are on their backs.

I didn't lay down once when I had my 1st. It seems really uncomfortable.

2ducks2ducklings · 28/11/2017 00:37

I was on my back for my first two but standing for my third. I say standing, but in reality I was more squatting at the side of the bed so that the poor midwives were more or less lying on the floor and had to keep telling me to try to stand as I was starting to go under the bed. It was a million times easier standing up than if was lying down.

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