anyone STAND and deliver?

[vannah]

Due to have baby no.2 in 2 months time, first birth was awful - v v slow, cervix did not want to dilate. Epidural put a definate stop to any dilating that had taken place!

I vividly recall asking the midwives and the registrar whether things would be speeded up if I was more mobile...(isnt that ALL you learn about during pregnancy?) and their response was 'if you believe in that sort of thing...'So I didnt bother and just lay flat.

Today, I had an antenatal appt with a senior registrar, and asked him the same question. His reply...was the same! 'If you believe in that sort of thing, we dont...'
Is this part of the script?

He then sort of mumbled something about his egyptian background, and that back home they all stand and deliver and have pretty quick births. So, he concluded, there may be some truth in it.

I walked out feeling v confused. Anyway, did you stand, or did you find being mobile was definately the cause of a speedy delivery?

thankyou

With DS (second DC) I stood through nearly all of it (despite MW's requests for me to lie down ). Labour was quick - much quicker than MWs anticipated. They didn't even get round to giving me my GBS antibiotics in time. I gave birth within approx 1.5 hours of arriving at the hospital.

During contractions I sort of leant forward onto the bed or wash-basin or onto DH. Between contractions I paced around. During the pushing stage I kind of leant backwards (was not really in control of this) and DH held me from behind under my armpits.

My body just demanded it of me...it wasn't deliberate. Definitely helped though, I reckon.

i knelt at the end of the bed on some mats on the floor with my second and it was great (as great as it can be) the contractions were more bareable and 2 nd stage was 2 minutes plus no tears. my first dd i was flat on my back the whole time, pushed for hour and a half and had a 2nd degree tear. definitly would go for the active upright birth. i will be again this time.

Spawncorpses (sorry don't recognise usual name!) your description of bending backwards is what Jean Sutton of OFP fame talks about. Did you fling your arms up and hold on around dh neck? This is because the area called the Rhombus of Michaelis shifts and causes pelvis to become a bit too unstable and so mum's need to grab onto something to support them as their babies descend through pelvis and get born.

Fascinating eh?!

I paced around through most of labour, had a short spell kneeling on the bed holding onto the headboard then stood for the pushing stage, although the midwife advised me to squat with each contraction to help me bear down and also to avoid cramp-I found myself doing this anyway. Total labour was 7 hours, waters went at 5.45 am, contractions started at 6 then dd was born at 12.40. Had just 2 paracetamol for pain relief, and honestly felt like keeping mobile was helping me deal better with the pain. TBH I couldn't have lain on bed even if I wanted to, my body wouldn't let me!

i have stood and delivered two!
My second delivery was the easiest of 5 - maybe it was because she was female! It was great i mood- bent over and out she sploshed

I was advised by my midwives to squat to deliver ds1 - squatted on the bed with my arm round dh on one side and a midwife on the other.

Delivered ds2 in exactly the same way.

Both deliveries were very quick and, with ds2, no stitches at all.

Read some Janet Balaskas. Her New Active Birth book explains everything about the physiology of it and gives advice too. Wonderful book

With ds1 I couldn't sit, couldn't lie down so stood for most of the labour. Then when I was ready to push they wanted me on the bed, it was too uncomforable as it felt like I was sitting on his head so I knelt up holding on to the headboard with the midwife behind me. 15 mins later and he was out!

With ds2 I was standing up holding on to the wall, realised he was crowning so took my jeans off and caught him! (I was in the house on my own!)

Being upright def works for me!

wow cornflake thats impressive!!
i wasn't standing but was kneeling upright in a pool leaning on th side and couldn't imagine lying down at all - really felt i needed to be upright.
All the best to you

yes I was standing in the birthing pool to deliver dd2. As mw had filled it too full, I had to stand up or drown. Delivered dd2 myself, caught hold of her in the water and brought her to the surface.

Very good birth, 3.5 hours start to finish, minimal perineal damage, went home same day.

Just saw this and really made me laugh - never thought of the stand and deliver line! I stood and delivered both mine (though ds1 only crowned like this then got stuck so was actually delivered on back with knees around ears - manouvure for shoulder dystocia) and I know if there is a third I'll be singing Adam Ant in my head as he/she comes out! I had no choice in either labour as lying or sitting was agony and could only cope with it when standing. ds2 did the lean back on partner and squat as he held me under the armpits and can thouroughly recomend it - second stage only 11 minutes, no pain and just a tiny tear. Any (male) doctor that says gravity doesn't help should be bunged up for a week and then made to do a massive poo lying on their backs!

I think it is very much the luck of the draw.

my cousin and I walked around like there was no tomorrow and both had long slow labours with dauntingly slow dilation. Doesn't seem to have made a lick of difference to either of us.

My sister lay down for the entire labour as she was vomiting and dry retching the entire way until they gave her an epidural which meant she was unable to walk. She delivered no worries without so much as a graze.

Luck of the draw.

With my first I was walking around hosputal and labour room, then in water pool... then on bed. Gave birth on back and in stirrups after 38 hours. Too tired to stand.

Second on bed from start as being continuously monitored. Gave birth after 6 hours 45 mins again on back and in stirrups.