Active birth - advice needed!

[bessie26]

So after spending the last 37 weeks worrying that #2 would arrive early like #1 did and I would have to spend the whole labour on my back being monitored, it has suddenly dawned on me that I could possibly have one of these new fangled "active births" I hear people talking about!

Anyone got any good tips or know of any websites I should go look at? I'm thinking I need to make a list (I like lists ) of suitable positions so that DH can remind me of them at the time and I can tell him where to stick them

The NCT does a leaflet with pictures of active birth positions...I bet it's on their website. Basically anything that avoids you lying on your back is good - bounce on a birth ball, sit straddling a chair (facing the back of it), get on all fours, walk sideways up and down stairs like a crab (can help baby descend apparently), consider a water birth...and keep as active as you can in labour (which just means moving about, gently walking around, doesn't mean going for a jog!)

NCT info here

THis is a homebirth site but has tons of useful info.
It's basically being upright as much as possible, incl while pushing and giving birth if that doesn't feel horrendously wrong to you (if it does, so what you feel is right).
I had a midwife who was excellent at monitoring occasionally with a doppler, and also doing internals without me having to get out of the kneeling position. SO that's what I did and it was great.

The other ladies have given good links to read up on and I'd also add that you must trust your instinct. You get into positions or move about as much or as little as you feel is going to get the baby out safely. As with most things no one position or set of positions are right for everyone or every childbirth situation. For example, for some women who had thought they would want to be moving about and upright they found their instincts and their body telling them it was better to lie on their side or with their bottoms in the air, often this is because your body is telling you that the womb needs to work to move the baby to a better position for exit, or that your body is slowing the baby coming out so that your person assisting you can deal with a cord round the neck (not always as scarey as it sounds). Some women find that they want to squat and then find that a baby who was looking like a candidate for being stuck and needing moved round the pelvic bone is then able to come out as the squatting can give you and extra 3cm of space to get your baby out...very handy! So my advice would be read all you can, listen to your midwife about what position they think the baby is coming down in if you wish and most important of all listen to what your body is telling you (even if that means giving birth stood up with a foot on a chair, if that's what you need there is no shame in trying) and stay calm...you're made to do this.
Good luck!

Your local library may have books on the various childbirth philosophies that involve active birth. Mine has loads. Amazon is good for ideas. Also there are loads of websites with free info.

Some names to try (apart from "active birth" of course)

• the childbirth forum here
• anything by Ina May Gaskin
• Hypnobirthing
• Leboyer, Lamaze etc

My local hospital supports active birth although I've been told that there area few staff who still advocate the "you're in labour, lie on your back" style. In which case you can request a different midwife who is familiar and supportive of active birth techniques.

Thanks for the info guys!

I did try to get on a workshop run by the people who do my pregnancy yoga class, but I couldn't get any childcare for the day it ran

We do some positions in class that they say are good for birthing, and am really hoping that i'll just KNOW what to do when the time comes, but really want something I can show DH so he can remind me (& back me up if i get an awkward MW) so will show him the NCT thing & see what the library have.

Thanks again!