Labor on All Fours

[tweedlezee]

Anyone done it (Labor on all fours?)
Anyone done both and recommend it over others? Been reading up on it and lots of pro's. I was induced last time so far too many hormones rushing round my body and too pre-occupied with the drip in my hand to even move but I want a better idea of what is out there this time and this position sounds very interesting.

Discuss

I did it twice

tbh, I can't really imagine how you would do it any other way. Sort of felt natural at the time and gravity is always a great help!

Gave birth on all fours/leaning upright, think it helped OP DD to turn, but go with what feels right, listen to your body is probably the most important thing.

With DD (DC2) I stood and walked until I got too tired (probs about 6cm) and then knelt on some thick comfy cushioned mats leaning over a birthing ball (so I didn't have to support my own weight on my hands). As I was tired, I did try lying on my side, but it hurt ten times more so I chose to get back up on my knees despite the tiredness! I gave birth leaning on the birthing ball so effectively on all 4s. 3cm-10cm was only 2 hours and then I think it really helped DD to descend as delivery was only 20 mins of pushing, and I really only had to properly push for about 3 pushes - the rest felt more like gravity and the contractions doing the job with me doing not much more than just going with it. It was definitely much easier to deliver her than DS who I was on my back for (epidural) and really had to push out. It also meant that once she was delivered onto the mat between my legs, I got to be the first person to pick her up, rather than her having to be handed to me so I was the first person to hold my daughter which was really special (midwife did nothing more than really break her fall onto the mat to avoid a big thud!).

The birthing ball was good because it was easy to rock, which I found really helped me deal with the contractions - when standing, I was swaying with the contractions a lot. So I'd recommend trying a birthing ball to support your upper body rather than being properly on hands and knees as it makes being mobile really easy, and then you have something to just flop on between contractions rather than having to carry on supporting yourself.

I tried the all fours position for DS1 but was told that I would need to get a bit more upright. Ended up pushing the baby out hanging on to the end of out iron bed in a sort of squat.

With DS2 and 3, I liked standing up and either leaning on to our bed and supported by forearms or leaning on to the birthing ball which was on the sofa.

All three births were fast and the pain was manageable.

Janet Balaskas is yer woman for all things Active Birth- guess you've prbably discovered her already.

I moved onto all fours right at the end, when I was ready to push. Took every ounce of willpower I had, I desperately wanted to lie flat on my back and carry on hoping for the best but I've been told (and I've no idea if it's true) that being on all fours opens the pelvis by up to 1/3rd more then the traditional position. May just be luck but once I turned over I was only pushing for 16 minutes.

I can TOTALLY believe that you don't see it on One Born Every Minute. I know hardly any woman in real life who has given birth that way, and loads who have been encouraged onto their backs or sides It's utterly endemic and a massive big up to midwives who encourage women to listen to their bodies.

Spent most of labour walking, kneeling, squatting and then on to all fours for the pushing bit. At one point I remember I did lie down for a contraction and it was utter agony, no way could I have laboured/delivered on my back.

Ooid - so true about midwives. With my first the midwives didn't encourage me to move around despite my birth plan saying I wanted to avoid an epidural, and I ended up with one that failed badly (not blaming them at all as it was my decision, but got no help to avoid it from them either IYSWIM) Second time around, my midwife read my birth plan and said 'oh yes, i definitely think staying upright is a good idea'. She then shoved the bed against the wall so it wasn't in our way. When DH suggested I might like a ball, she grabbed it, and brought some mats and various other things in case I wanted them. She sat on the bed so I couldn't and just let me get on with it! She literally only came near me to listen into the baby which she did by lying on the floor so she could I didn't have to move position, and offered me support when changing position or when I'd had a particularly bad contraction, and she didn't do an internal after 5cm (when i got to her) as she could tell from how I was labouring where I was. She was utterly amazing!