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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Birthing position

40 replies

MimiDaisy11 · 08/06/2021 19:26

I'm pregnant with my first so interested to hear about this from women who've given birth. Which position did you find best? Did you do it differently for different pregnancies? I've read that one where gravity can help can be useful and that despite most material/media etc showing a woman lying on her back that's actually not a good one to go for. Opinions?

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crobo87 · 08/06/2021 19:29

With my first I stood up at the foot of the bed. My labour was 4 hours from start to finish.
My 2nd I laid down quite early and stayed laid down then, labour with her was 12hours.

I definitely want to stay more active in this labour when it comes around as I do think it really helped.

Terriblecreature · 08/06/2021 19:37

This wasn't really the case for me. With DS1 I was active and up and about, labour from start to finish was 6 hours. however, once the contractions were becoming seriously painful I moved to lying down, this was for approx 4 hours. For DS2 I was lying down as the contractions were again were too painful, labour was 1 hour 28 minutes. I honestly think it's down to your body and luck!

Chelyanne · 08/06/2021 19:37

1st I was induced, ended up with epidural and hooked up to the heart monitors the whole time. Only choice was on back but that was fine.
2nd had meconium in his waters so again hooked up to heart monitor. On back again but only 14 mins pushing out a 10lb 12oz boy.
3rd I was FREE so moved about during labour. When I needed to push though I just jumped back on the bed and a few pushes to get the 9lb 10oz baby out despite them telling me she was back to back.
4&5 were elcs as breech. Still undecided if I'm going vbac or elcs this time, I have a growth scan soon and will decide based on her size and position. If she's huge they want to bring her early and I'm not up for another induction.

DappledThings · 08/06/2021 19:39

First time felt like I wanted to be on all fours, was a bit complicated and I was constrained by monitors but was lying on my side.
Second time kneeling up on the bed leaning into the raised end of it. Felt totally right and was a textbook labour. Midwife shift change happened about 45 mins before DC2 was born. As she entered the room I heard the newly arrived midwife say, "Oh, now that's what I like to see. Carry on!"

Findmeatthebeach · 08/06/2021 19:40

I stood up with my hands on the bed with my first, the midwife tried to coax me I to the bed but I just couldn't move from standing.
Second was a waterbirth - bloody uncomfortable! It was at hospital and it was a rigid hard big bath do my neck was in so much pain and the water had to be kept at 36degrees so I felt like I was cooking!

OchonAgusOchonOh · 08/06/2021 19:48

Number 1, I had a bitch of a midwife who insisted I got into the semi-seated position. It was dreadful from then on and I tore quite badly.

Number 2, I interviewed the midwife to see was she willing to support me doing weird and wonderful things (kneeling and all fours). She was. Labour was very easy. I did the same with number 3. Again, very easy.

The reason I know it was the position each time was because I had to occasionally get into a more traditional position for monitoring and the pain was unreal for those periods of time.

HelpfulBelle · 08/06/2021 19:50

Standing up, then kneeling in a pool for crowning/last 5 minutes (DS2). Much better than flat on back for hours with monitor clipped onto DS1's head.

Whatthefucculant · 08/06/2021 20:01

Standing, kinda leaning forward slightly to support myself. I did all 3 the same way. I had 3 quick & easy births, all started with waters going then contractions started. From start to finish
1st 6hrs
2nd 4hrs
3rd 90mins

Keha · 08/06/2021 20:01

Standing up was best for me

Dreamer2468 · 08/06/2021 20:03

You want as much gravity as possible as it helps speed things up. I was upright for most of it then kneeled over the side of a birth pool.

duckme · 08/06/2021 20:09

My first was on the bed. Epidural, induced, took a while. Second, again on bed. We'd left it so late to get to the hospital that I barely had time to get to the bed let alone change positions.
Third I was stood up by the bed, sort of squatting. At one point the midwife has to to ask me to stand up because she was nearly on the floor under the bed.
I enjoyed all three births but number three was such an amazing experience. I literally just went along with what my body was doing. This was the only birth where I had no grazing or tearing. It didn't even sting to pee!

UpToMyElbowsInDiapers · 08/06/2021 20:15

For baby #1 I was lying down, which I wouldn’t recommend. For 2 and 3: Walking during early/active labour, squats during early transition then a sort of kneeling prayer pose supported against the side of the bed for 9-10cm (this allowed the midwife or my DH to apply pressure on my lower back during contractions which helped SO much with the pain!), on my back but slightly raised for pushing. Worked well!

Sexnotgender · 08/06/2021 20:18

My best birth was kneeling in the birthing pool, highly recommend!

tuxedocat · 08/06/2021 20:19

I think it depends on how things are going. Nobody told me once your waters break, they keep breaking! I assumed it was a gush and done, but nope they keep trickle out. I stood up at the start but the poor student
Midwife was running around with puppy pads after me and I was on the heart rate monitor for the induction and she kept fussing that I was knocking it so I gave up and got on the bed. My Labour (induced by waters being broken) was about 8hrs for first baby. I did a lot of on my knees holding the bed which I found much more comfortable to lean forward

Greytminds · 08/06/2021 20:22

I refused to lie down. It made me feel so passive. I had to have continuous monitoring on the delivery suite as a high risk pregnancy, which made moving harder. I walked, paced, bounced and then delivered kneeling whilst holding on at the raised end of the bed. Labour was very quick - no one believed me when I said baby was coming. I only had a slight scratch after - no tearing.

I did hypnobirthing and read Ina May’s guide to childbirth. I would recommend both. They helped me overcome the total lack of faith in my body that infertility and recurrent miscarriage caused, and really helped me believe in my instinct and the power of the body!

BertieBotts · 08/06/2021 20:24

With my first I was so exhausted I could not move from my back so I had to give birth that way. I was really annoyed - I wanted to be in any other position! I even wrote it in my birth plan for my second baby, that if I was unable to move I wanted to be rolled onto my left side. It had not occurred to me that I would be so drained of energy that even moving one arm or leg would feel too much, let alone my entire body.

Second baby - I gave birth on my back again :o Although actually I had been much more active during that labour. In order to get DS2 to come down the midwives (brilliant) had me in all kinds of positions. On all fours for 2-3 contractions, kneeling up the back of the bed for 2-3 contractions, squatting at the end of the bed, etc. I bitched and moaned about it because I didn't want to keep moving, but it did work. Final position just happened to be on my back and pushing him out was absolutely fine. No getting stuck, no tears.

So third time around I am much less bothered about position and will go with the flow I think.

scaredsadandstuck · 08/06/2021 20:26

Both mine were born in the water kneeling up, leaning forwards against the edge of the pool.

When lying on your back your vagina slopes down towards the base of your spine so in theory you are pushing your baby 'uphill'.

Even before pushing, being upright during labour is beneficial as your baby's head will press down on your cervix to help it open.

When I was pregnant with my first someone said to me, how many mammals have you seen on David Attenborough giving birth on their backs, which really stuck with me.

trevthecat · 08/06/2021 20:29

Kneeling in a pool lent against the side was the easiest I had. My first two I was led on my back and it wasn't great or easy!

amylou8 · 08/06/2021 20:52

With DS1 I laid down, then physically couldn't move. With DS2 I laboured standing, then reluctantly got onto all fours on the bed to deliver, after the midwife scared the crap out of DH telling him she might need his help to catch the baby! DD I delivered standing up holding the back of a chair on one side, and the gas and air bottle trolley on the other.

annlee3817 · 08/06/2021 21:50

Standing up and then on all fours, labour was just over five hours

PurpleFlower1983 · 08/06/2021 21:54

Sat in the birthing pool with bum off the seat if you know what I mean! It was great!

happytoday73 · 08/06/2021 21:58

Stood up was a much better birth for me... Sort of leaned over bed... Squatted a little for very last bit....and that was a big baby
First pregnancy far to long for that, monitored etc etc and baby got stuck.. Honestly feel would have delivered without help if able to stand...

BrilloSolar · 08/06/2021 22:14

My body just seemed to go into all-fours position instinctively.

1st was a home/ water birth. Just about got downstairs as contractions got very very painful and midwife arrived. I was on all fours on the living room floor with gas and air as the midwife and husband filled up pool. Then into the pool and I was on my knees with my top half hung over the edge of the pool for 5 hours. I didn't really push until a little push at the very end, my body just did it.

Second birth. Could not sit in car on the way to the hospital- all fours on the back seat. Obediently lay down to be examined on arrival (9cm) the got up as soon as possible and down onto knees leaning on a bean bag. This time I was surprised by actually having to make an effort to push as baby's head rate was dipping during contractions, but he was out quickly in a few pushes.

Both times I absolutely couldn't stand being in a sitting position or on my back. But my position I laboured and pushed in was never a conscious, pre-planned thing - it's just how I found myself needing to be in the moment.

scrivette · 08/06/2021 22:17

Standing up sort of leaning over the bed until just before birth when the midwives asked me to kneel (so that if the baby flew out there was less of a fall they told me!)

DC2 I was on all fours until they asked me to lay down on my back as they couldn't find the heartbeat due to my position but a couple more pushes and he came out (all okay) and I didn't have the time/energy to go back to being on all fours.

PerspicaciousGreen · 08/06/2021 22:25

I was sort of semi-sat up on the hospital bed with #1, because I was induced and on the labour ward and they needed "access" to me and the baby for monitoring.

Then with #2 I ended up climbing up onto the bed and doing the exact same thing of being semi sat up - I just went into autopilot, I think, as it's what I'd done last time! And she came right out, no problems there!

However, both labours I did as much walking as I could manage while dilating, and bouncing on a birth ball for #1 too. The bed bit was only for pushing. I totally believe that gravity is good for dilating and that an open pelvis is good for pushing, but I had pushed both mine out in virtually the "telly labour" position with no trouble.

Currently pregnant with #3 and expect I'll do the same again! Active, vertical labour, then on the bed pushing. One thing I actually liked about being semi-sat up on the bed was that I could relax the whole rest of my body and just totally concentrate on pushing. No worries about not being able to stand for much longer or needing to be held up in case my arms gave way. I was bloody knackered by the end of both labours, even though they were relatively short (11h and 4.5h). I don't know if I could have held myself upright even if I'd wanted to!

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