Active birth/ staying upright: your experiences please!

[BCCmum]

Hi, I'm due Sat 7th June, so been thinking alot about how I the birth will happen.

I've read alot about/spoken to other mums who say staying upright and walking around can accelerate the labour and keep things moving.

Is this possible right through to the actual birth? What happens during the delivery? Does it actually help with the pain? Your experiences please?

Nervous newbie mum x

Yes I had an active birth and stayed upright and walking around as much as possible (I had to sit on the birthing ball during contractions) until I dropped from exhaustion and had a hot bath until I started pushing - when I got out of the bath and onto the bed.

Would definitely recommend - it all worked very well for me, my entire labour lasted only 9 hours start to finish (first time mother) and I had absolutely no tears or intervention.

During labour, I wanted to be active - felt like I couldn't sit down or be still. However, during the last few hours I was knackered and lay on the bed having big stretches during my contractions. I deliverd lying down through choice, but many women deliver well on their knees or even squatting. hopefully you will have the support to do as you feel comfortable.

Btw, if I can manage it, anyone can, so try to relax.

btw, I was 12 hours, 2 stitches and no intervention.

I was induced at 39+4 because of pre eclampsia. This restricted my movement a bit as I had drip in one arm and BP monitor on other. Things were painful and slow whilst I was on the bed. When I insisted I wanted to get up, I started to lean over the bed it was as if somebody had taken out the plug that was stopping DD. I suddenly had the strongest urge to push, there was a huge panic with MW telling me I wasn't going to have baby on the floor!

So in my experience, gravity certainly helped.

Good luck

tried walking around, squatting for contractions

ended up having c/s as dd in distress

be prepared for anyting!

I stayed upright, because sitting down was agony- even on a birthing ball.

The only side-effect was really, really, really swollen ankles after many hours of standing. They went back to normal after a couple of weeks tho'.

I was active in all mine. Pacing the hall and up & down stairs in 1st, on and off bed and in bath for 2nd, then in 3rd I was nipping round house and faffing till I got in the pool.

Being upright felt very natural for me. Once you're in labour you know very much what you do and don't want, there is no grey area!

Hi, i also wanted to keep upright & moving about etc. But for me, nothing went according to plan! you need to keep an open mind and just do what feels right for you & listen to your midwives.

I had to be induced both times with a drip as my waters broke and labour didn't start naturally. I only had 6 hour labours both time, so they were pretty quick. So, i was limited how much i could move about as i had to have the heart monitor on. But i did stay sat on my ball for a long time as i felt comfortable. TBH, once labour/drip really kicked in, i was most comfortable on the bed on my side, having my gas and air.

I did however get up on my knees to deliver (kinda hung over the back of the bed) which i felt really comfortable doing.

I don't think i'd be able to of stood up unadided though. I think if you've got it in your mind that you want to deliver upright then you will. I'm not sure about if you have an epidural though you'd be able too?

Good luck

I stayed active and upright pretty much until the end (at times supported by DH, the wall, the banisters, doorframe etc ).

I ended up delivering a supported squat because I was so knackered I couldn't stand up any more. DS was fairly big but got away with a small tear (no stitches). If I had my time again I would have tried to pace myself a bit to conserve energy in the early stages, but in reality I just couldn't keep still.

I'm due with DC2 in December and have a feeling that I'll be pacing the floor again...

I was kneeling up on my bed and delivered in a supported squat (nearly crushed DH to death!) I was made to lie on my back briefly for an examination and I couldn't do it, it was agony!

I stated in my birth plan that I wanted an active labour and to deliver in an upright position if possible as I had heard it made things a bit easier. When it actually kicked off I found sitting and lying down extremely uncomfortable (even the birthing ball was difficult) so went along with my instinct to stand up although I didn't really walk around, just leaned over the bed rocking my hips around. I delivered dd upright leaning over the bedside (dh held my hands) with the midwives crouching either side on the floor. Unfortunately due to tearing dd dropped out rather unexpectedly and landed on the floor (on a padded mat, cue scrabbling midwives to pick her up!) I was mortified but dd just seemed rather bemused.

My friend delivered upright kneeling on the bed and holding on the bed rails which meant the midwives could see better what was going on but then so could her dh!

I think you just need to be able to articulate your wishes (or your birth partner can) to the midwives as some can be a bit pushy about lying on the bed during delivery as it is easier for them to see. Obviously things can change very quickly during labour which sometimes means that your wishes are not possible but hopefully this will be properly communicated at the time.

Good luck!

I stayed upright during contractions and had a rest in between. Then when the whole process had been going on for a few hours I remembered that keeping upright and walking about could speed it up. It did.

I didn't have swollen ankles, possibly because I gave birth in the pool.

Before it started, I had no idea how I wanted to be during labour, (though hoped to avoid an epidural). I found that I spent almost the whole time standing, swaying from foot to foot while DP did some brutal (but heavenly!) lower back massage. Gas and air, then for the actual pushing bit I was kneeling on the bed facing the bed head, and sort of leaning over a bit spongey wedge-thing they produced from somewhere. It was a slow labour & they broke my waters to get things moving, but that was the only intervention.

DS was born very calmly and slowly, no stitches. I'm hoping I have a similar experience this time as it just felt right - very quiet, calm, and natural.

Think i would have gone mad if I'd been flat on my back the whole time, but labour is one of those times when whatever you want/need is absolutely and only the right thing for you and to hell with other people's opinions/expectations!

You'll find that you know what feels right for you when the time comes (infuriatingly woolly commment I know but true nonetheless )

3 babies
3 upright deliveries.
first two standing leaning over bed
and final one knelt on bed leaning shoulders over top of raised headrest bit.
could never have sat squatted or lay down just could not...
so from my pov
def way to go!!!

Agree that you need to be prepared for anything, but try and stay relaxed.

Second & third time around i walked around a lot, then sat on a birthing ball and rocked around, sucking on my entonox. Hopped onto the bed to actually deliver. Had the bed-head raised, so I could kneel facing it and leaning on it. I would say that gravity seems to help.

1st labour 4 hours, led on back in bed, but mostly because I didn't know I was in labour (, I know), after being induced.

2nd labour, active, upright. Urge to push after 2 hours, but exam 20 mins later showed only 4cms. Had to lie down & 4 hours later gave birth.

Apparently, my uterus was tilted, so baby was trying to push through wall, not opening, hence lack of dilation but pushing urge.

So, for me, I would have my next lying down, but I think I am an exception to the rule.

dd1 - lay on my back for whole of labour (9hrs) pushed for 1 1/2 hrs on my back which did nothing. was put on a birthing stool and she was out in minutes.

dd2 - walked around in labour and gave birth kneeling at the end of the bed. pain was much easier to deal with for starters and pushing was basically 2 minutes

dd3 - was induced, had an epidural, spent whole time on my back and ended up in theatre with a ventouse!

so from my experiance moving around and staying upright is the way to go. stitches wise i had them with my first and that was it

I think with both labours I was all over the place, I certainly remember with DD2 being on the bed, off the bed, up the bed (pulled headboard off bed at once point), foetal position on my side but I think I did turn round and did the last few pushes on my back.

I have told DP I want to try squatting this time

Thanks for your speedy replies ladeez! Your stories have definately helped. I have always been of the mindset that I will just "go with the flow" and be realistic about what my options are at the time.

Every story/birth is sooo different, and I can't wait to share mine with you guys!

Bags of thanks!

Good luck - definitely it's the way to go. I was induced (with a pessary) and they still insisted on the monitoring - then they wanted to give me a drip so my baby was out within 48hrs of waters breaking. I had a rather robust discussion with the registrar (between contractions!), she allowed me 2 hrs off the monitor to see if I progressed more quickly "which you could probably do without harming your baby" (hmm reassuring...) - once they let me off the bed I went like a rocket and she was out in that time! Active birth is the best! I pushed in an upright kneel, elbows on pillow on the bed. I only pushed for ten minutes.

This brings back memories, my DD2 was going to be an upright birth.
I was all over the place, sitting on birthing ball, handing off the head of the bed, walking around, sitting on the loo (three times), back to the bed all of this over 2hrs and then i just tried it on my back and she came out really quickly but i had a 3rd degree tear as she had her fists just under her chin so she presented extra wide and i did shriek a bit and the midwife told me i was frightening the other ladies!
This was in a midwife run birthing center.
I think it's good to move about as with DD1 i spent over 5hrs just lying on my back.

But the one thing with birth is that although you are in pain, its a different kind of pain, i.e you just don't feel like crying...or at least i didn't.
Cry more over tootache!

I spent all my time upright - Walking about in the back yard, kneeling on the sofa leaning on the back, kneeling on the stairs leaning on a stair, kneeling in the pool, leaning on the side, all over the house. Lying down was just impossible - the only time in my (one!) experience of labour I would say I was in actual pain.

I had quite a difficult birth as DD was big, with a huge square head and OP. I had an active labour for most of the time, and pushed in supported squat. Sadly I was one of the few women who's baby didn't turn and she was completely stuck. I have to say that after being transferred to the CLU and being stuck on my back, I realised it made a huge difference to be upright. Upright was powerful but OK, on my back was awful.

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