what is/was your prefered position to give birth?

[j20baby]

need to write my birth plan.

with dd i ws induced and flat on my back for 4 hours, i couldn't move (think i'd gone into shock a bit) and kept my eyes shut all the way through. this time, i want it to be different, was thinking of giving birth on all fours if possible, what do people think?

I think you should just aim to stay mobile and give birth in whatever position feels right at the time and trust your body to know what to do.

[whispers-was hoping it would stop my piles getting even worse]

I gave birth on all fours - twice. Didn't occur to me at the time to do anything else, I suppose I just went with my instinct (had my eyes shut too btw!)

Although I tried desperately to be upright or squatting, for some bizarre reason lying on my back was the most comfortable position for me...Just go with the flow.

i was hoping to give birth on my knees and leaning over bed.
But when it came to that time of pushing i laid on my left side and DD came flying out.

What about a water birth? That's supposed to be good for supporting the tissues. I think the key thing with piles is to avoid a long period of pushing so it might be worth asking not to be 'coached' and only push when you feel an overwhelming urge to. Often this can mean a shorter second stage than if you are 'told' to push once you reach full dilatation.

It's hard to say what you'll want to do on the day. I planned a waterbirth both times, but when it came to it I just couldn't give birth in the water, something just didn't seem right about it (although I was dead set on doing it throughout the pregnancies.)

Both times I laboured in the water then gave birth flat on my back on dry land. I know it's meant to be the worst position but it worked for me. It was the only position I could push effectivly in, although I wouldn't have wanted to labour like that, upright definitely best for that part of things!

i was induced with dd so had to stay strapped to a machine and bed bound so i feel ur pain...............i just moved to whichever position i needed to be in it was fab.

With dd1 i was strapped to a monitor flat on my back and pushing uphill

With dd2 i ended up birthing alone on my side on the floor with my legs crossed
I kid not!

Well i had to get out of the water, I just had to be grounded.

DD1 I was standing, one foot on the floor and one leg up on bed (did this for last moment as I realise after it gives baby even more room to get out).

DD2 I was on my hands and knees, botom half on floor top half on bed then when head crowned I stood up and had her.

It worked for me and am convinced that's how i'll have no 3.

Basically what I wanted and had was the freedom to do what I wanted to do.

During contractions I had to be doubled over on hand and knees or kneeling on floor and hanging on to bed mattress andinbetween I had to be mobile .

Good luck

oh i'm dreading it! makes me feel sick when i think about it

the thing is, i think i had my eyes shut because i don't like people seeing me when i'm vunerable, so i could hide my face if i'm on all fours. a water birth sounds nice in theory, but i don't think i could cope with being adrift if you know what i mean, nothing to hold on to.

I gave birth to my ds on my back, he got stuck and to cut a long story short was starved of oxygen and needed resusitating. My dd came along a year later and I stayed mobile, swayed with my hips open during contractions and lay on the bed just as her head was crowning. Standing lets gravity help you and believe me it made the whole thing a lot less painful.
Ps my son is now nearly three and fully recovered but would never advise a lying down birth, your just fighting with the whole 'coming out' process.

Agree with dobby, try not to push until the very last minute. Your body really does push the baby out of its own accord towards the end. I would never have believed that was true after 2hours of pushing with my first, but second time round I concentrated on not pushing (ambulance transfer, long story!) and I could literally feel my body pushing him out against my will. In the end it took 3 pushes. Much better!

My preferred position is epidural in, lying on a gurney, chatting with DH while the surgeon does her thing.

Sorry that's probably not very helpful. Actually I didn't find labour tough at all - I just am physiologically unable to give birth naturally.

Don't get tied to a birth plan - plan the following: come away with a live baby. Anything else is just fripperies that you won't care a jot for at the time. Honestly!

On all fours for me second time around, and it was marvellous!

Message withdrawn

J20, the water actually made me feel safer and less visble. Also, at our midwifeled unit they dim the lights for you whilst you're in the water

I recommend a waterbirth too... in reality the pool is quite small (like a big bath, really) and is not too deep either. There should be handles to get a good grip of!

I gave birth in the pool both times, the first sort of lying back in a crab position, the second time squatting. Both positive experiences. Good luck however it happens!

are you really, WMMC? is there an issue with your pelvis?

J20 - a client gave me a good idea...calling a birth plan , her birth preferences....therefore it was open, and flexible, so she and her caregivers knew it wasn;t written in stone....

lying flat on your back is not generally a good position....upright, active and moving and being allowed to listen to and work with your body in the first stage should allow you to adopt , instinctively, the best position for you, for the second stage

my first labour was induced, stuck on the bed, epdiural, not moving , ending in c,s

second labour , was upright and active for as long as possible, then sat up on bed, which is where i gave birth ...

On my feet and walking whilst in labour (or 'mobilising' as the midwives described it in my notes ). On all fours for the actual delivery. Tried the stuck on my back on the bed thing first time round and it didn't work.

Spagblog - me too.
i planned to go on all fours/squat but when i tried it i found it was excruciatingly painful so ended up on my back (which was the most comfy..)

thank you all, i know a birth plan is not the be all and end all, but i don't know if i'm going to be on my own(if my friend has problems with childcare for her dc's) and i'm not good at being able to communicate when i'm in pain (don't think they'll understand the throwing of bed pans and swearing ) so i want them to be able to have an idea of what i want, but i don't even know what i want or how i'll feel as dd's birth is a bit of a blur.

With DD (my second child) I planned on all fours but ended up stood up leaning on the bed.

lulumama- yes I really am WMMC

My cervix can't open more than 3cms because the bones are in the wrong place apparently. Of course I was induced and having contractions every minute, lasting 45 seconds for 10 (of 14) hours before anyone noticed

Once I had a spinal in, they tried a physical manipulation and soon realised there was no way there was a baby coming out that way, so we went for a catflap delivery

Twas the nicest ending to surgery I've ever had.

I do have fantasies about having a vbac though, but it's fairly unlikely.

If you're someone who feels self-conscious then you could also ask to have the lights dimmed or turned off so that you feel less observed - this is also good because it helps lower your adrenalin levels which will promote oxytocin production. I agree with whoever said about labouring in water being good for privacy and they usually have something to hold onto - the pools in hospital are usually rigid so you can hold onto the sides, not like the inflatable ones.

You don't necessarily have to be really specific with birth plans as a few phrases can convey how you want to manage your labour eg please don't offer me pain relief (if that's what you want) or please keep the lights dimmed etc