what exactly should i be doing on my birthing ball?

[celebmum]

hi.. had it for a while and to be fair its just been a general nuisance getting in the way!

anyway almost 39weeks now so may as well give it a shot, so far have only been balancing on the ball and clinging to edge of coffee table for fear of falling off/rolling away!!

are there any specific 'moves' that i should be doing? or is it just a case of having a general bounce away!?!?

This focuses on breech babies but has good tips.

I loved just sitting on mine with last pregnancy, much more confortable than anything else. Circling your hips on it is good and I learned a really nice move at antenatal yoga where you lay backwards over it and rock backwards and forwards really stretchs your back out and sorted out any little niggles I had with my back, although I needed DH to help me off as I got more pregnant! I used mine mainly for the yoga class that I took as it required one. I sat on it a lot during labour too.

Rocking back and forth as you breathe through a contraction

I have one too and don't know what I am supposed to do with it either

However what I do is:

-vigorously bounce up and down on it while watching hours of daytime TV - theory being that this will assist gravity in moving baby down

-sit on it and do big figure of eights with my hips - saw another MNer recommend this

-sit towards the back of the ball, lean forwards and brace my hands against the front of the ball IYSWIM - theory being this will encourage baby into facing my back rather than front

I sit on mine to do the ironing! It's the only way I can iron for more than 2 mins without crippling myself with backache!

My two DS's use mine as a giant bouncy ball!

Have also had to dodge it coming down the stairs a few times, think 'raiders of the lost ark!'

"I sit on mine to do the ironing! It's the only way I can iron for more than 2 mins without crippling myself with backache!"
What a great idea

Also take it to the dinner table and use in place of chair during late pregnancy, looks uncivilised but sooo much more comfortable

I see a physio for spd and she told me that just sitting on it and bouncing gently engages the pelvic floor. Moving one arm up and down to off balance yourself makes the pelvic floor do more work. I do exercises with a stretchy band that she showed me. BUT celebmum you need to let go of that coffee table. To get off the ball you just lean forward and stand up.
My friend was told to bounce on one to turn her back to back baby (didn't work).

All the above tips are great. I also found just kneeling on the floor, and leaning over the ball, whilst rocking back and forth was great to ease back ache, whilst watchin tv !?

Possibly a very stupid question, but is there any difference between a birthing ball and an exercise ball?

I don't think so!

I think the birthing balls have a thicker skin or something to make them less likely to pop under lovely pregnant lady weight... but I just used an exercise ball, it was bliss during early labour when I had urges to wiggle hips. Also bounced on it from about 38 weeks when watching tv to help get baby in a good position.

You have to juggle 3 of them during labour. Didn't your MW tell you?

By KateM77 "Possibly a very stupid question, but is there any difference between a birthing ball and an exercise ball?"

About £10?

I got a excersize ball and I suspect it is smaller than the hospital one I used last time.
Sadly when it came to it, I found the excersize ball was a bit too small! So check sizes.
Excersize ball £5 birthing ball £25
But I think there's a size difference, I ended up rocking on a chair instead so knees werent too high up from pelvis

Thanks all. Actually had NCT class today and got to try out balls. The one I used there was a Reebok exercise ball, same as I have at home. I'm quite tall so have a large size ball - will take my own to hospital!

If you use it during labour them move your hips in a figure 8 shape. Really helps.

Birthing balls are supposed to deflate slowly if they're punctured, for safety, so you have time to get off the ball. I don't know whether gym balls do the same thing.

I've just sat on my ball so far and wiggled about a bit.