Did you give birth on your back?

[JennyBeanR]

If so, how was it? I'm curious because everything I've read states that the ideal position for giving birth is upright, or on all fours. Apparently there's a reduced risk of severe tears, intervention and so on.

I'm 35 weeks by the way and this is my first baby.

I gave birth in a birthing pool on my knees and holding on to the side. Before getting in the pool I was in too much pain to move at all so spent 6 hours laying on my side having contractions.

Second baby was born at home, on all fours on myliving room floor. He was out in 2 pushes and not a hint of any tearing/grazing. The whole pushing stage was a million times easier with gravity on my side!

Isn't pushing almost always easier and quicker with a second baby regardless? That's what the midwife who delivered DS told/promised me (when she offered to deliver my next child and I pointed out that this one was only six hours old - she seemed determined to persuade me!)

Had both of mine laying on my back, both very easy births.

Try not to focus too much on the birth OP, your body will know what feels right for you.

Good luck.

I thought I'd want to but I couldn't bear the idea of being on my back once I was in labour. DC1 I was on all fours in a birthing pool, DC2, I was standing, leaning forward on a bed which the midwives had raised up for me, going "what do you mean, there isn't time to fill the birthing pool?".

On my knees/ squatting for both children, in a birthing pool. Two very easy births. No tearing.

I did and had a very quick, “easy” birth but didn’t have time to think. DD was born 29mins after getting to hospital so I just gratefully took the gas and air, got on the trolley and pushed. Had a fairly bad tear, though.

Spent most of my labour at home in the spare room knelt against the sofa bed while my husband was asleep in bed. Tried being in the bath but hated it.

With DC1 pain was all in lower back, so lying on my back was excruciating (had one internal exam lying on my back, major ouch). Spent a lot of time on all fours or standing throughout labour, but got tired. By time of pushing I was sat on DH's lap using him as an impromptu birthing stool.

DC2 a straightforward hands and knees delivery, learning over the sofa.

On all fours both times - DS1 shot out like a missile (head and body all at once). Midwife was thankfully a decent catch. DS2 delivered by his dad at home - paramedic through the door 10 minutes later. Maybe being on my back would have been better 😂

First one was on my back with legs up in lithotomy because I had a ventouse. Second one was on my side because I was in quite a shallow bath and being upright might not have allowed the head to stay submerged.

As a midwife I'd say there isn't an ideal position. Side lying (lateral) is very good because it oxygenates the baby well and the head can be controlled so as to minimize tearing. Upright allows you to use gravity to your advantage. On your back or in "semi-recumbent" CAN be a useful position for pushing if progress is slow as it does open the pelvis. I find many women end up on their backs through circumstance or choice and it can be quite difficult to shift this.

DD1 was natural on all fours. Midwife told me that in the position, gravity really helps you.

Had my second on my back (no epidural). It's not how I wanted to give birth but I was in so much pain i was basically stuck and could neither move myself nor verbalise my desire to be on all fours. Baby came out without too much trouble, some tearing but I thought tearing happened to everyone (until this thread!). My first baby was a section.

*Isn't pushing almost always easier and quicker with a second baby regardless?
*
Not in my experience no! Dc2 was smaller and harder to get out..
Could have something to do with being induced whereas dc1 was natural though.

Both DC born with me on my back, no tearing.

Only DC (so far) delivered standing up with pillows underneath in case the midwife couldn't catch. I didn't feel that moving was an option. Second degrees years though.

I was layed on my side, sorta twisted at the waist with my top leg on the midwifes shoulder.

No tears no stitches and she was out in like 4 pushes.

Thanks everyone! It's great to read the different experiences and to know it can be perfectly fine to be on your back. It's definitely putting me at ease.

Yep. Epidural in full swing, couldn't feel the contractions but felt myself tear and considerable pain pushing DD out. I had a 2nd degree tear, but did manage the pushing stage within 1 hour and it wasn't nightmarish. Up and about as soon as epidural wore off :)

Lots of people like to mock first-time mothers for having birth plans at all, seeing it as a sign of naivety. I don't think that at all - I think it's good to think about what you want in advance and in some ways I wish I'd done more of it - but I do think for things like position you can't plan because either:
a) you'll have a completely free choice in which case your body will give you really clear signs of how you want to be or
b) you won't have a totally free choice - epidural, monitoring etc can all make some positions much more possible than others - in which case you'll do what's possible

Good luck and I hope it all goes well!

Pushed while on my back, as was guided into that position by the midwife. I tore quite bad, inside and out 🙈 was told at the ante natal classes that it’s not the best position for pushing, but it’s just what happened at the time!

Yep, both of mine were born that way. I was comfortable like that, and had no problems.

DC1 unfortunately yes. Pushed for 1.5hrs and needed a cut to get baby out, although I started on all fours and didn't make any progress even with gravity on my side. Moving around was hard as I had multiple cannulas and wired monitoring. I remember thinking I shouldn't be on my back, but I was too exhausted to argue.

DC2 I was squatting/kneeling in the birth pool. Baby out in a few pushes - I was only in the pool about 10-15 minutes. I suspect it being my second vaginal delivery had more impact on speed than the position itself though. However it definitely felt more natural to birth in that position!

I was on my back unfortunately (wasn't the pool birth I wanted either) but was induced and had to have an epidural..

Second time, I had a section so yes but irrelevant xx

For my first induced labour I was on back in stirrups and required forceps and epi, but mainly due to fetal distress. If it wasn't for that I would have had more time to push.

Second labour birthed in pool and was leaning on side of bath on knees for most of the labour and then was on my back holding on to the side of the bath with my arms and with my feet pushing on the other side of the bath, so fairly upright too. I had a fairly quick labour, just two hrs from 5cm to birth and a 12 min pushing stage with minor tear. I found being upright really helped and I felt less 'exposed' which I think helped me draw into myself and relax more during contractions.

Both positions were fine though, but think being upright worked better.

I was on my back but I had an epidural. My baby was back to back and wasnt progressing so had to have the hormone drip to move things along. I was also monitored constantly as I was had strep b so didnt have a choice of position unfortunately!

I was on my back for my first, but only because I was too exhausted having been in labour all night. It was quite tough, and my instinct was definitely to be upright.

Had my second on my knees in birth pool, he came out in 4 pushes. Obviously you can’t control for all the variables, but i know which I preferred.

I read that women only ever birthed on their back after a French queen( Marie Antionette?) was forced to lie on her back so the birth could be witnessed by some officials. Poor woman.

Both on my back. With DS2 I did try on my front, sort of half upright, but it neither helped me, nor felt right, so I turned over again.