Hospital delivery rooms

[redjumper]

I'm due my third child and I've previously had a home birth and a hospital birth in a pool.
I'm planning a hospital birth this time, there's no guarantee I'll get a pool room this time and all the other rooms are traditional hospital rooms - a high hospital bed in the middle of the room, a visitor chair and otherwise it's empty.
How do women make these rooms more comfortable for giving birth, and what position do you give birth in? I've never given birth on a bed on my back and I don't like the idea, I'd rather be on the floor, leaning over a low sofa or chair or on all fours somehow. I'd love to hear people's experience of how to make hospital rooms work. Thanks x

I've given birth 3 times kneeling on the bed leaning over the back of it.

One birth I kneeled on the bed and leant on the raised top end of it, another I was stood up, third I was lay right at the bottom of the bed. I didn't really care what was around me! 😂

I stood up leaning on the bed. Just do whatever you feel like at the time.

Did you actually give birth stood up? Sorry if it's a daft question but who caught the baby?

The midwife! She was right behind me, both times.

Haha, sorry! My last births had very short pushing stages, just a couple of intense pushes and the baby shot out head and body in one go...just leaves me worried about him taking everyone by surprise and getting dropped

Midwives are used to delivering babies in all sorts of positions and at all sorts of speeds. He won't get dropped.
The beds in delivery rooms can often be adjusted into all sorts of positions to accommodate sitting, squatting, all fours etc. There's also no reason you have to use the bed at all if you don't want to - might they be able to provide one of those gym mats so you can go on all fours on the floor?

Are you sure that don't have anything else in the room? At our hospital even the high risk rooms have big matts, balls and beanbags. Even if there is not one in thr roon they probably have some, just ask. I have birth kneeling against the bed on a bean bag

That's all that was in the room when I was there last time (before being moved to the birth pool room). They must have some of that stuff somewhere though so if I have to deliver in there I'll be sure to ask. Thanks

I asked for the lights to be turned down which made it cosier. I knelt on the floor for most of it, then squatted on the bed to push.