What position did you spend most of your labour in?

[Mrsgrumble]

Just on the back of another thread, it got me thinking. I was lying down for the whole labour and didn't walk around at all. At a later stage I was offered a commode and she said this was a better position for me.

Labour didn't progress in time and ended up with an emcs. I don't know if lying was the right way?

When I watch one born they have gym balls and the like. Nothing like this was offered. Now am very quiet and didn't ask or request anything and also a bit bod py shy so didn't want to be half naked. Was I a bit naive?

Ds1 - sprawled on my back like a drunken lush thanks to the gas and air!

Ds2 - kneeling up, leaning on the back of the bed thanks to the SPD!

I was pacing for the first 8 hours of mine, then stopped progressing so needed the drip which they kept me laid down for. Baby flipped, I needed epidural, preped for csec and eventual episiptomy and forceps delivery in surgery.

Next time im hoping to use the pool.

On my back with all three

They tried to get me on a gym ball but I was scared of falling off

I was also quite nasty so they left me to it

Stood up, then in birth pool which was ace for about 4 hours!

It went tits up shortly after!

With dd1 I was on birth ball until pethidine kicked in then sat up on the bed.

Dd2 I had emcs under GA.

Walking around, on the gym ball, wiggling/gyrating my hips when stood up. I birthed on my knees upright on the bed, leaning against the back of the bed which was raised.

DS1 - on my back, with an epidural, being continuously monitored as my blood pressure was sky high.

DS2 - just going about my daily business, then went to do my business after a slightly more uncomfortable contraction than would be normal for not really established labour. That was it!

Leaning forward, either on a gym ball, on bed, in birthing pool. Was back-to-back and had SPD so only way to relieve the pain in my lower back. By the time I got to pushing, had to lie down on my side curled up in foetal position as legs too tired.

Second time, I stayed flat on my back with an epidural. Bliss!

DS1 - flat on my back, hooked up to as many monitors as the hospital could find I think. Also had an epidural (which didn't take) and sky high BP.

DS2 - flat on my back, but with less monitors.

DD - I still had the baby monitor on throughout, but spent 90% of my labour in a rocking chair . It helped hugely to be able to 'rock out' the contractions. I was told to get back on to the bed when the pain was so bad I wanted a pethidine injection. By the time I got on the bed & asked for pethidine, DD's head was showing & it was too late anyway! She arrived less than 15 minutes later.

Hands and knees. In water for a bit, then out. Walked round a bit. Had to be on my hands and knees for contractions though or they were too painful.

labour one.
standing, walking to car, sitting in car, arriving at hospital, sitting on the bead, whoops there's the head.
Total labour 2 hours.

Labour two.
swift half at pub, go to loo, waters break.
Stumble to car, arrive at hospital, 3 pushes this time
Total labour 90 mins.

labour 3
waters break, book taxi as dh hadn't expected it would happen, woke kids, called mil, 15 min run to hospital, sat on bed, whoops there's the head, again.
Total labour 30 mins.

Not much pain but all at once, nosteady build up as so fast.
Had more pain having hair pulled through those old caps for highlights at the hair dressers.

Would've liked to have been moving around for both, but was made to lie down and keep still so they could monitor DCs. I felt much better when allowed to kneel up and lean forward but the midwife didn't agree.

Spend the majority of it walking around. I felt the pain was worse if I was lying down. I couldnt keep still thought I would give birth standing up. Had a ball thing to bounce on but I just felt sick. Got in and out the bath several times and cryed alot. In the end I had to lie down. I dunno how some woman can spend there entire Labour lying in bed.

I walked about for 6 hours of labour and spent the rest of the time on my knees on the bed or on my side in the spooning position lol.

Majority walking around but both times I had an urge to lie down to give birth and the contractions kind of radiated into my thighs which meant I couldn't support my weight anyway.

Laying on my left side with right leg propped up was a fantastic position for me. DS shot out in two pushes as DD had paved the way

Gym ball!

on all fours works best for me.

I had an induction on drip at 37 weeks so was supposed to be on continous monitoring, but because of a scar the toco counter things don't work on me, so I was able to dance around the delivery room when I had music on. Then as the contractions got bad and I used gas and air, I got onto my back. Moved about a little bit right before I started pushing, but I pushed her out on my back. She came out in 3 pushes.

Oh but I wasn't flat on my back, my head was elevated :)

First labour was on my back with an epidural. Hated it.

Second labour was spent in a big corner bath. Loved it.

my baby was back to back so I had to be leaning forward or on my hands and knees - otherwise it was too painful. so i spent about 6 hours in a bath on my hands and knees and then moved into the birthing pool for the last bit

I was on the drip so laid down for the whole time on that. Before the drip I spent most of the time bouncing on the birthing ball

On all 4s whilst dilating, on back in stirrups for pushing, which is actually best for my hips.

The only bit of my labour that was hard to deal with was when they tried to make me lay down for half an hour on a monitor. I then insisted I was mobile for the rest (still on monitor) and stood next to the elevated bed - slumped down between contractions and then stood/rocked/swayed as needed with each contraction.

For the pushing stage midwives had me in every postion in the book but DS wasn't playing ball and ended up on my back with forceps.