Anyone planning or had an active birth?

[Leviathan]

I'm currently reading Janet Balaskas "New Active Birth" - a lot seems to make sense - choosing the position you are in- especially squatting, upright, all fours etc; using yoga; walking around and generally doing what feels right...

If you have wanted to do/ done this, how are midwives, hospital staff etc responding? does it depend on area, whether you have home or hospital birth etc?

I can't see myself lying on my back with my legs in stirrups?!
xL

i remained upright for the entirety of ds2's birth (about 6 hours) except for the pushing bit when they sort of made me lean on a birth ball
i hadn't read the book you mention, but i found very early on that it HURT when i sat down, REALLY HURT when i lay down, and was manageable when i stood up
i was supported (physically, oh and mentally too ) by dp and a doula
the midwives stayed out of the room until the end or at points when we asked to speak to them
they did pressure me strongly to lie down and have an internal - it was dreadful and i would not allow this again unless there was a very good reason for it
the pain was magnified immensely when i wasn't upright

Hey, I had a home birth but it felt best to be walking around between contractions and standing for contractions and the birth (midwife next to me in final bit).

Midwife actively encouraged this, it was great.

With DS, I was in hostpital and they were dreadful. Midwife bullied me on to the bed.

With DD at home was fine, sat on birthing ball, had a bath then plopped her out in the middle of the living room.

I more than settled into lying on my leftside for the last hour or so with ds2. I was actively walking round and doing my own thing til then, but the pain got too much and standing was getting on my nerves, and the mw encouraged me onto the bed. I was much happier lying down. i did read later that it is one recommended position for labour. so see what your body says - it might not want to do what you've read about.

with dd, I had her at home and did what I wanted. at the end, I wanted to lean forward and wiggle my hips. turned out my cervix was thickening a bit (9 1/2 cm dilated) and this position is good for that. so my body knew what to do.

would highly recommend doula or good friend to come to labour as well to advocate for you (dh/dp as well of course but it's the female presence that makes the difference imo)

I had to do the whole lay down and legs in stirrups thing, but I was DESPERATE to go onto all fours. It was pure instinct and had I not been psycially tied down by the number of drips and monitors in me I would have rolled. Left side was great too though, only thing that got ds unstuck while I was waiting to be taken to theatre for emergency c-section.

I had an active labour but needed to lie down to deliver, i was exhausted and overwhelmed by the sensation, i delivered dd on a huge beanbag on the floor at the MLU and ds on the landing floor (to paramedics ). It may have been because my pushing bit was quick i suppose

Lynettescavo I'm angry for you! I second what sanfairyann said about getting someone to advocate for you. I was already pushing when I got to hospital so in no position to stick up for myself. I ended up laying on the bed with my legs in stirrups which was awful! Dh is great but was too shocked himself to challenge the midwives so I think a doula would have been great. I've heard hospital midwives are generally quite good at letting you choose a position but in my case things were just happening too fast.

I know of the book and used a lot of the techniques you mention for my 2 births. I was at home so midwives were very supportive.

With DS (first baby) labour went on for about 18 hrs, including over night. I had been moving about constantly and was pretty knackered by the time it came to pushing, so especially first time round I'd say it's important to pace yourself a little! With DS the pain was all in my back and even the thought of lying on my back was painful. I had an internal exam at one point lying on my back and I can honestly say that was one of the worst bits of the whole labour.

With DD (second) labour was a lot quicker, about 4 hrs. I spent most of the time bouncing on my birthball, and then by the end moved to hands and knees almost instinctively to delivery.

I begged the midwife to let me do this. She said I wasn't pushing hard enough (at this point I hadn't yet felt the urge to push) and insisted I give birth in the lithotomy position, which resulted in long-term damage to my pelvis.

I would brief your birth partner to insist your wishes are followed. Then brief them again! I had repeatedly explained birthing positions to my DH but when push came to shove (!) he trusted the midwife to know what was best, which turned the whole birth into a disaster for me.

yes, i had 2 active births, tho i didn;t know that was the name for them at the time!
had 2 homebirths, and just did what I felt I needed to do

midwives were fine with it

I would say I have had 1 and a half active births. 1st was active until I went to hospital, it was a hospital that encourages active births but still wound up being assisted because it was my 1st and hospital is a difficult place to keep it going naturally. They gave me time, but baby was prosterior and I would have needed much more time then possible once in the hospital system.

2nd was just last yr, unplanned (completely active) homebirth, it was great, I would recommend reading Ina May Gaskin, hypno birthing cds, and draping yourself across a birth ball every evening towards the end to get baby into a good position.

Good luck

Just another person seconding listening to your instincts. I was very active after my waters broke to get contractions going (after lots of activity and birth ball bouncing in the weeks leading up to that), was walking about for first hour of contractions and then spent the rest of the time lying in bath.

Husband desperately tried to get me out walking about (as this is what we said we'd do to ensure labour progressed) but I refused. Turns out I had a super fast labour anyway, so my body just knew I needed to stay put so that it wasn't any faser than that.

I delivered leaning forward on to the side of empty birth pool, kneeling, as found this most comfy, but had the urge to stand up and squat a few times (which MWs then made me do a few more times when I didn't want to as it worked so well in bringing baby down).

Yes - I did active birth classes at the hospital, so the midwife was happy for me to do my own thing. Had a back to back baby and spent labour at hospital standing up leaning on my husband. Gave birth like that too. My legs were knackered at the end tho (and my labour was fast!). I tried on all fours and that didn't work for me, I tried being on the bed, and that was OK but was more painful than standing up. Try what you want to, don't be bullied, and tell the person going with you what you want.

Have had 3 active births all in MLUs inside big teaching hospitals. Midwifes all very supportive, didn't lie on back or on bed at all.

I still really pleased with my midwife.
I was so scared when they said the baby was coming. As it was a prem birth i though i would be stuck on a bed with my legs up but even though i had wires strapped to my belly they were long and i could walk around the room. It was small circles but i could still move and i found leaning over the bed great. I did have to sit to give birth but that is because it was a traction birth. Even so it was not legs up more the postion you have a smear in if that makes sense. I would say it is to your advantage to be as active as you can be.

The first time for me I lay on my side and the second time I knelt on the bed holding the top of the bed.

Both times the position was the one I wanted to be in and both times the midwives were fine about it. I gave bith in a midwife led unit and had a positive experience both times.

I also read the book you mentioned.

I had a planned homebirth with my second DC and the midwives were very supportive.

I coped with the contractions by kneeling on the floor with my head and chest supported by the bed but when it came to pushing I became really uncomfortable and turned around so that I was basically sat on the floor with DH supporting me from behind.
The midwives kept telling me to do what my body was telling me to and it seemed to work as DD was born 45 minutes after the midwives arrived!

Best of luck

I had an active birth in a MLU at my local hospital.

Was very encouraged to move around, get on all four etc. and was actually told to get up when I laid down on the bed for 10 minutes.

They were very supportive and even did exams while I was standing or squatting.

I had a homebirth and was completely left to do as I felt best. I was on all fours for contractions, walking about in between and delivered in a semi-reclined squat in the birth pool. The only times I had to adopt a certain position was for MW to examine dilation (at my request) and even then she encouraged me to move as I wanted to & she would try and fit in! It was great !!

I went to Active Birth yoga from 22 weeks - really helped.

Good luck.

PS - FWIW I couldn't have laid/sat down if they had ordered me too, it was sooooo uncomfrotable to even try!

3 active homebirths here. That book was my bible and I think it just makes so much sense.

I walked alot as my labours were starting and then remained upright throughout and in a sort of semi squatting position for the delivery. Once I got in to a position, I just didn't want to change it.

You can write in your birth plan that you would like an active birth and would like your midwives to support you in this.

I didn't know they were active births. DS3 was me saying 'can I push?' when midwife finally examined me-she said yes and I did and that was it! DS2 was a bit similar-midwife wasn't ready, she hadn't realised I was at that stage. Even with DS1, I was 8cm dilated before anyone saw me. Until that point I just carried on as normal. If you just do your own thing, you can wander around and keep to any position.

Have had two. First was not intentional. I stayed at home until last minute by accident. Second, I was induced and it only took 1.5 hours most of which was spent on a birth ball.

I think it helps to be at home personally as you are far more in control.

Another MLU fan here - I had wanted to have an active birth right from the start, but I was encouraged by the midwives too. They suggested positions and were very supportive.

The only problem that I had was that I had very long labours (even with active labouring which tends to speed things up). It was really hard to keep up the pacing and rocking and bouncing for such a long time. I think that I was unusual though - certainly the midwives seemed to think so, which was one reason that they were so keen on active labour. Keeping hydrated and keeping the blood sugar levels up helps, so make sure that your birth partner has plenty of water/sports drinks/glucose tablets and offers them often (but isn't offended when if you occasionally bat them away ).

You'll probably find that your body tells you which position to be in, by the way. I found that being on all fours felt "right" - on my back was agony.

ds1 i had lying on bed cos i had epidural in but ds2 i had active birth and the midwives were extremely supportive & helpful, i was stood up leaning on midwife/dh then after i felt weak to keep standing up i went on all fours and delivered him like that, it was so much easier than my 1st birth and i think those positions are much better than lying flat. i did lie down just for them to check the progress, and it was much worse then i started asking for epidural (wouldnt have been much point as i was quite far into labour by the time i was @ hospital anyway, so glad they didnt give it), the midwives encouraged me to get back up again from that position and it was much better, i think the gravity actually helps alot? this was not even in the mlu, just the labour ward but the midwives were so great with it, i felt so thankful to them because beforehand when i only had ds1 i never thought i would have been able to have that kind of birth, i was very much just let me lie on the bed and give me all the drugs kind of person, but it was so much better than i expected, so i would much rather always aim to go down this route in future

I've had 3 active births, 2 of which were in NHS hospitals (MLUs). Midwives were very supportive.

Be prepared, write it in your birth plan, and make sure your partner is aware. I went for a little lie down in between contractions, and inertia would probably have kept me there on the bed if the mw hadn't chivvied me along and reminded me of my stated preference. She & DH hauled me up for the delivery, which was the best thing for me.