who has/plans on birthing standing up - Page 2

[MsBlack]

Originally Posted by Marissamom

and in terms of fast birth=tearing, it really depends, because a long pushing stage can lead to swelling and an increased chance of tearing. and some kids (like mine) just have big heads that are hard to get out. we had a long pushing stage just because her head had to squish so much (I'm small, and once her head popped back out it was 75th percentile, that's one reason I hate the big baby=hard birth thing, because small babies can still have big heads)

The only time I've seen 'long pushing stages' lead to swelling and tearing is when the pushing is directed and forceful. I've seen moms (even a FTM with a 9lb baby) push for 2 hrs without a tear--but it was completely instinct-driven pushing, no holding of breath but for a couple seconds sometimes.

But 'hospital style purple pushing'--with mother being directed to push with all she's got, hold her breath and count to 10--yeah, that often leads to swelling and tearing both, especially if she pushes for more than an hour or so.

Also, while it's certainly true that squatting or standing or other highly upright positions CAN make for faster descent, less ease of controlling birth--and so, tearing--it doesn't have to. As one pp said, mother-chosen positions and mother-driven pushing seldom leads to tears...at least, not to significant tears needing repair.

[mom2reenie]

I just gave birth to DD2 on Sunday standing up. I was sitting on the toilet and my midwife asked if I could move so I stood up and baby was out 3 minutes later. I think DS2 would have been born standing up if the nurse at the hospital didn't ask me to lay back down.

I sat back down on the toilet less than 10 minutes after she was born and then sat in bed with her until my placenta came out

[CBEmomma]

I gave birth standing up. It's what my body felt like doing and needed to to get my son out. I had my Midwife, her assistant and my mom in front of me with my husband behind me. Once baby came out I sat on the birth stool that was under me (didn't sit directly on it, more like leaning on it) and I held my son while we waited for the placenta. Once placenta came out I went to the bedroom to nurse and bond. I really enjoyed birthing standing up. I could tell that gravity was helping. I didn't tear, eventhough I had a bad tear with my first. Not much blood loss either.

This study says there is more research that is needed, but with the research they did do women who were not laying on their backs for birth had less tearing, less assistance, and baby's heartrates were better.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/o/coc...006/frame.html

[emc03]

i labored in the tub, then had help to the bathroom to finish. i stood and leaned against the wall for the final bit. ds had his hand up by his shoulder and grabbed the cord on the way out, so laboring the last bit on the toilet then standing finally allowed me to get him out. he needed cpr thanks to him trying to hold onto the lifeline and i wanted to make sure the cord had enough slack in it so he could still get oxygen flow. so i didn't sit down after birthing. i kept standing even though my sis and mw kept telling me to sit. big mistake. i lot A LOT of blood when i birthed the placenta standing up. sis had never seen so much at a birth before (nurse/mw student), mw was a little shocked.

so birth the baby and placenta however feels comfy, but please sit or lay in between. that's my advice.
oh, and no tearing. though i think something was off internally for a while, but that was due to baby position, not the laboring.

[AutumnAir]

I birthed standing up too - had a precipitous birth and didn't actually fully realise I was in labour until I was sitting on the toilet and felt DD2's head right there. My first instinct was to stand, but leaning backwards, resting my hands behind me on the cistern - it's possible she was OP as the first one was, and that was my body telling me how to best get her out. When my mom came in and was kneeling on the floor in front of me to catch her I switched to standing up, leaning slightly forwards, resting a bit on my mom's shoulders.

She came out in 3-4 pushes, maybe 5-10 minutes? I did tear, but I really couldn't slow things down, despite trying - it was a total fetal ejection reflex! Even so, I doubt I would've torn (or at least not so badly) if I hadn't had a large episiotomy with DD1 - I tore right along that scar

I sat down once she was out, and my mom handed her to me while she went downstairs to phone the midwives. As I was holding her I felt the placenta detach, and quickly stood up again to birth it, as I had plans of eating it, and didn't want it going in the loo!! It came out maybe 3-5 minutes after the baby.

I liked it as a whole, but I was just thrilled to actually be feeling the pushing sensation, which I never got to first time around, and also just to finally be in labour (at 43+6 weeks!) It felt like a productive position, even though I had originally planned a water birth, and to birth in either hands and knees or a supported squat. I think it's definitely just a case of doing whatever feels right at that particular time for you.