What is your fav. birthing position?

[NEWUC'ER]

I have only ever birthed on my back, even with my youngest which was a homebirth. I went so fast that I didn't hink about it & that is just how I ended up. But I was wondering what was your favorite position & what seemed to work & feel the best?

[Novella]

Sitting up. . . I know that sounds funny since you can't actually birth the baby sitting (nope, no birthing stool available!) but sitting is my position of choice until the actual second the baby emerges.

#1 Pretty classic. Semi-reclined in hospital bed (ie. on my tailbone) with husband and nurse pulling knees back and up. Although I was lucky in pushing for only 1/2 and hour, this was not pleasant.

#2 Wanted to try hands and knees but couldn't - exactly - b/c I'd dislocated my kneecap at 36-weeks (birth was 5 weeks later). Ended up being kinda' "semi-hands-and-knees". Meaning: the back of the bed was cranked quite far upright (perhaps 60-70 degrees). I was turned around backwards on the bed. Basically on my knees with a straighter injured knee. Had my hands against the upright portion of the bed for support. So although I was supported on palms and kneecaps, I was actually more upright than the horizontal trunk position of hands-and-knees.

#3 Barely made it to hospital and got zinged upstairs in wheelchair while yelling that I just absolutely couldn't hold him in any longer. Stood out of chair at bedside as nurse whipped off pants and his head was sliding right out. Turned around and got my butt half-hitched onto the bed while the nurse caught his body.

#4 & #5 (twins) Adopted my favourite position for late-labour, which is sitting and leaning deeply forward into my thighs (learned this worked for me through the necessity of LONG vehicle rides to hospital). Hang out this way through every contraction, then my body just propels me up off my butt since I'm completely sitting and you gotta make room for that baby to come out! Baby out in two quick involuntary pushes. Resumed a similar sitting position for the contractions for twin B. Compelled to raise buttocks similarly right as he's born. Doctor insisted (sorta' pushed) my upper body back onto the inclined bed for a semi-sitting delivery (yeah, I KNOW that's bad for breech - I argued) but by the time I was actually IN that position, he was almost completely out.

So in summary, I like being very upright and think it's actually more "me" than hands and knees.

I had hoped to have a homebirth for this last pregnancy, attended only by husband and a relative. I kept envisioning that I would likely end up birthing onto towels on the bathroom floor, kneeling but with my body upright. I imagined possibly supporting my upper body on pillows stacked over the toilet lid until those final pushing moments leave no time or inclination for rest. I felt a real connection to the workabilty of this position. Alas twins dictated change of plans. . . which I'm sure they will continue to do.

Good luck with your impending delivery! Let us know how it turns out.

My brain keeps revisiting a line from "Birthing from Within":
"stand and deliver"
as well as an anecdote from the same book
in which a grandmother advised her granddaughter to "hang onto your bureau" as she had done.

[koru]

i really liked the birthing stool with my second daughter....so much so, i'm considering buying one for my upcoming homebirth.

i birthed my first in left side-lying which wasn't too bad, really. i tried hands & knees with her but it was awkward & uncomfortable for me.

[hapersmion]

The toilet was my favorite for pushing! It just seemed to feel more natural to push there. I moved to a birthing stool for the actual birth, but it was a little too tall and felt slightly awkward. I ended up with one foot on the bed beside me and one foot sometimes on the floor and sometimes on the midwife. My dh really liked a semi-upright sitting position, with me leaning back on him, because he felt like he was helping, but I wasn't making any progress that way.

(3.5-4 hours pushing, vaginal breech)
hapersmion

[ColetteInIllinois]

I prefered standing.

With my first I was too tired and was kind of sitting on the edge of a regular bed w/feet on floor.

Second was standing, while I held onto the dresser. This was totally, um, enjoyable pushing. LOVED IT.

Third (last) was a water birth, so sort of floating belly up. I didn't like the water birth, but that probably has more to do with the probability that his hand was up by his face making it hurt a LOT.

[laohaire]

Squatting in a birthing pool.

But, more than that, FREEDOM of position was the best for me. I wouldn't have wanted to stay in the same position, even my favorite, for the whole time.

[krismarie]

whatever feels the best hands and knees during labor... standing up during pushing...

[PerennialMom]

Laying on my left side with my leg propped up on my midwives (or DH's) shoulder.

[Snork]

I labour standing leaning over a bench/counter, legs apart, circling my hips. Then when I am transitional I get into a semi-kneel, and I push that way too - one knee down, leaning onto a sofa/chair, and where the other knee would be, I put my foot down flat. Every few minutes I swop feet/knees.

As a midwife I get any woman with a slow second stage into this position and have rarely seen it fail to get the baby out very soon after.

[2+twins]

Kind of sitting in the birth tub, but that's more for the sake of being in the water (which really helps me) then the position itself. I've given birth 4 times and all but one were in upright positions - that's what I've preferred.

[rstump]

I LOVE hands & Knees rocking...leaning on a birth ball!

[NatureMama3]

I labored and delivered in a semi-squat/kneel with Noah and probably will do something like that again (since it's what my body made me do).

[AnneCordelia]

I pushed out #1 in a semi-flat position, alternating between pushing on my side. After a long, hard labour it was the most comfortable for me.

I pushed out #2 starting in a squat and ending on the birthstool...it was most comfortable for me then.

[Slingin'Momto4]

With my last home/water birth I squatted and it was AWESOME! I am planning on using it again if my body makes me!

[ladybugchild77]

WIth my dd#1 I birthe don my hands and knees in the water. She was almost 11lb and came out fine with almost no tearing for me. I *thought* I would do it sitting up like many others have said but somehting in my body told me to turn over so I did! JUst go with what your body tells you and you will be ifne...and FWIW: I have a friend who gave birth standing up on her bed holding on to her headboradwobbling all over the place b/c she said it "felt good at the time!"

[Midwitch]

I laboured/birthed on my side, squatting and sitting up/reclined...

[Jenlaana]

I had a birth "pool" (it was one of those inflatable kiddy pools with an inflated bottom) and it was like sitting on a pillow under the water. (the sides were pretty high) I had intended to birth my daughter in a way that my husband could catch her, but what we ended up doing was me on my knees, kind of leaned forward and holding onto my husband (who was sitting on a kid sized chair outside the pool) and then up on my knees, I 'caught' her myself, in the pool. I wouldnt give up the inflated bottom of that kiddy pool for all the jacuzzis in the whole world. It felt THAT good. The best part of the water for me, was that it took the weight off of my knees so that I could stay in that position.

Be it the water, the position, that I did not push till the very last minute, but I didnt have anything more than a few "skid marks". I really think the position and being in the tub helped a TON. My 1st baby was a cesarean and that was my 2nd, and I cannot even imagine having been forced to stay in a bed or surrounded by strangers going through that.

[momto l&a]

Each of my 3 I have birthed in different positions. Each was comfy and perfect for that birth.

I have to say birthing in water is tops.