What position did you/ do you plan to give birth in?

[ALS94]

Just because I’m interested… I’ve heard squatting and hands and knees are the most comfortable positions as they open your pelvis more and gravity helps but I don’t know anyone who has given birth on anything apart from their back.

Is this common? Do the midwifes restrict your movement during birth?

1. I arrived 10cm and as they filled the pool they told me hand and knees leaning over the back of the bed. Otherwise I might have laid down. Same position in the pool.
2. Same over a birth ball on my bedroom floor, interspersed with much wider legs and sitting up- instinctively did this when felt a bit stuck.
3. In the pool again, but at home, and wanted to be lying on my side. Stretched out between each contraction and then back onto my side. I’ve since read this slows things down which is what I needed with rapid births.

So I would say your body might well know what feels right in each birth.

What you want and what you get can be very different.
With dc1 I was encouraged to squat by side of bed but then had an emergency situation and ended up on my back.
With dt I was on monitors and unable to move around so asked for the bed to be put into a seat position which was better than flat on my back.

I didn't think about it beforehand and switched positions quite a bit during labour. But for the actual delivery both times I ended up on my knees with my arms/top half of my body propped up. First time I was leaning against the side of the birthing pool and second time I was leaning against the head of the bed which had been put up so it was sort of 45 degrees.

During my second labour there was a point I was so tired and my legs were killing me I just wanted to lie down but I just couldn't be in that position as it was much more painful, I had to kneel or stand.

Being on your back is the worst position as your coccyx basically gets in the way so you have to push harder. Every woman I know (aside from c section births) have felt most comfortable on their knees bending forwards over the side of a bath/chair/bed/toilet cistern(!)

Not me.

back both times
Very straightforward
no inclination to change to another position. Or i would have done

I would hold off with such sweeping “being on your back is the worst position” and other such statements phrased in such a way as to suggest you are talking FACT!

Yeah, I delivered all three of mine on my back. Uncomplicated and relatively quick deliveries, 4 hours, 2 hours, 1 hour.

On an operating table for both but before that...

I was a fully paid up hypnobirther. I tried in water in every position and then again out of it including on my side, knees, standing, leaning, crouching on the loo etc because everybody said it was best to be up and mobile. In reality, I wanted to lie down on my back and it was an almost desperate urge.

On my back with the first. Had been in the pool but hated it.

With second it all happened so fast. Was on my knees holding onto head of the bed but midwife wasn't happy and made me shoot her out on my back so she had a better view.

Hands and knees for both of mine, can't imagine giving birth lying on my back.

Do whatever makes you feel comfortable.

I squatted on the bed for two then stood up against the bed for my third. They lowered the bed to the perfect height for me and I leant across it with my feet on the floor. The midwife was underneath me like a plumber under the sink! 😂😂😂
Personally, I couldn’t bear to be on my back at it just seems both uncomfortable and unproductive.

@Devineursula, technically it’s physiologically correct that it’s more difficult on your back (or at least that there’s less room) due to the position of your coccyx. However, this doesn’t always translate to being uncomfortable for the labouring woman. As long as the baby isn’t in distress, the mum should get into whichever position she feels works best for her unless the baby is in distress.

I got into all sorts of weird positions during labour with my first because he was turning the right way round from back to back and I just went with what my body told me to do. For my actual deliveries, I have been kneeling and leaning over the upright back of the bed. I can’t really remember how they turned me round to put the baby on my tummy so quickly, but the midwives knew what they were doing.

DC1 in lithotomy as almost needed an instrumental delivery

DC2 lying on my left side

With both DCs I spent the majority of labour on my left side to aid descent (although DC2 shot out after 20 mins of active labour 😳)

As a midwife I don't mind what position women want to be in, although if continuous fetal monitoring is required it can be tricky to know how the baby is doing if they themselves are in an awkward position and/or if maternal BMI is raised. Most midwives practice defensively so would want to ensure there is constant contact with the fetal heart in the presence of any risk factors. The monitors are by no means perfect and sometimes the wireless ones are more temperamental as they rely on a good signal.

Unfortunately the demands of the service expect a midwife to attend a birth whilst simultaneously documenting fetal heart (in two places), descent, maternal position, liquor colour, bladder care and more every 5 mins and takes a dim view if you get behind in these and have to fill them out after birth so it is not possible to hold the monitor in place, which is what is occasionally required to maintain contact in standing/squatting/all fours positions.

Also many colleagues have back trouble after years of hard physical work. I once caught a baby whilst in a held in a headlock by the mum 😳

I know it's no excuse not to facilitate women to be in the position that is most comfortable for them, but just wanted to add some context that it isn't always bossy midwives not 'letting' women be on all fours etc. although I appreciate there will be some instances of poor practice which is a real shame 😔

During labour with DC1 I was mainly bouncing on a ball or on hands and knees doing figure 8s (apparently 'looked like I was salsa dancing'). Pushing was on hands and knees.

DC2 I had an epidural so was on my back with the bed propped up.

No restriction whatsoever with my first birth. With my second I physically couldn't move due to the epidural.

I had my head in the sand about all things birth so had no plans! But with baby 1 I ended up on my back, baby 2 on the floor on hands and knees, and baby 3 I was kneeling on the bed and holding onto the raised headboard. Each time I just let my instincts direct me.

Baby 1 - he was in distress and it’s all a bit of a blur but I ended up on my back with what seemed to be about 20 people looking at the business end.

Baby 2 - wanted a water birth but not enough staff. Was on birthing ball until quite late but gave birth on my back.

1st - kneeling on the bed, holding onto the headboard

2nd - birthing pool, kneeling and leaning over the side

3rd - birthing pool, kneeling and leaning over the side

There's no way I could have laid on my back, it was just not comfortable. The midwife let me get into the position I felt most comfortable

First - lying on side in birthing pool

Second - on my knees on the bed kind of holding onto / hugging the headboard as the bed was tilted up.

2nd degree read each time but both big babies and pushing stage only 20 mins each time.

Both good experiences. On my back would've been hell for me. Right before pushing stage with my second they got me on my back to break my waters and it was hell on earth. I couldn't wait to get back up!

Is it your first op? Birth can be primal and instinctive. I didn't actively decide on the above positions, it just kind of happened, it's hard to explain.

Tear not read!

I had DC at home in a pool,

I kept moving about generally during labour or I was sat up leaning against DH, I was lay on my side during transition.

I gave birth kneeling, leaning forward against the side of the pool.

The best thing you can do is do whatever your body is telling you to do, or more precisely don’t do what makes it feel worse.

Not something you can plan, just do what feels right, I found birth much easier that I expected with my two tbh.

I found it a lot less painful with moving around (I was pacing the birth room like a mad woman) and sort of leaning over to breathe through contractions. Until my waters broke and there was meconium and then the midwife’s got me on the bed on my back and wouldn’t let me move until I’d had her! Much more painful lay on your back imo

With my first my labour was long and I was so tired I was propped up lying on my back, I had no energy to move. With my second I moved so much I think I was on my back in the end but I moved around a lot!

I was in stirrups. Which I was very resistant to; I'd absorbed lots of ideas about how terrible and barbaric they were and blah blah, but the midwife gently suggested she thought they might help me, and indeed they did.

I would prefer to be upright as much as possible. But no point planning too much!