What position did you give birth in?

[day-by-day]

I recently read an article about positions for giving birth that stated that women who are given the choice will almost never choose to give birth semi-reclining. But when I had my daughter one month ago at a birth center, I was given the choice and I did choose to give birth semi-reclining. Honestly, hands-and-knees felt AWFUL to me, even though, from what I've read many women find it to be a great position to give birth. Now I'm wondering if I'm really the odd one out.

I only pushed for 4 minutes (about two pushes), so obviously it worked for me, but I'm curious, what position did you choose to birth your baby?

[adtake]

The most comfortable one at the time...lol

#1 - hospital - on back legs raised
#2 - BC - birthing chair....not a fan
#3 - BC - on all fours...loved it..super fast. But I did all of my laboring standing. Would have delivered that way if they mw didn't make me move.

[MelW]

I was lying on my left side (in bed).

I was on the toilet trying to pee when I felt the top of dd's head and my midwives were moving supplies closer to the bathroom when I asked to move into my bedroom since it was bigger and less claustrophobic. I pushed on my hands and knees most of the time, but turned around to my side as she was crowning. The reason? I didn't have any bendy straws and was thirsty and totally frustrated by trying to drink from a water bottle on my hands and knees. Flipping to my side was most convenient.

So while technically I chose my birthing position, I think that my beverage situation highly influenced it And I "pushed" for about 50 minutes- never coached, just pushing lead by my urges and what felt good.

[annettemarie]

Hands and knees.

[amnda527]

Four minutes?! Thats great! I ended up pushing laying on my side, semi reclining. I planned a waterbirth, but as I was laying on the bed while the nurse was asking me the admitting questions, I realized I was pushing. Turns out I was fully dialated and ready to go! Obviously there was no time to fill the tub, so thats just where I ended up having her! If I was given a choice laying on the bed would have been the last thing I chose, but looking back it really wasn't that bad.

[NatureMama3]

semi-squat with one foot in squatting and one knee down. My body propelled me into that position with each contraction. Had NO chioce in the matter.

hands/knees and lying down felt AWFUL to me.

[balancedmama]

I pushed for a long time in a lot of positions but the final position for me was hands and knees to get her head out and a lunge to get her shoulders out.

[gcgirl]

Hands and knees felt great but I switched to a stand/squat with a birthing bar because hands and knees was disconcerting for the hospital staff. Wasn't that nice of me?

Stand/squat felt good too but wasn't as restful.

[Peony]

Both of my DD's have been born while I was semi reclining, my choice. With DD1, I leaned back against DH, and when DD2 I was floating in a pool but when the urge to push hit I flipped to reclining, 2 minutes later she was out.

[Dabble]

Lying on my right side with hubby holding my top leg. It felt better than being on my back, and I was tired and wanted to be in the bed.

[xelakann]

I pushed for a long time too in many different positions, but the one I ended up with was a semi-reclined position. It's what was most comfortable at the time.

Congrats on 4 mins pushing (I was a 5 hour pusher...yes 5 hours).

[womenswisdom]

Semi-reclined (in water, tho so no pressure on the tailbone). It just seemed that was the way I pushed most effectively & felt right.

[thefragile7393]

Hands and knees in water....any other position I tried just hurt.

[mamabearsoblessed]

first~ semi-reclined but leaning on my left side
Second~ semi reclined squat, more with my arms around my knees
third~ more squat than last time, most support came from my legs and less from the bed I was leaning against

squatting is my birth position of choice but really its just where I ended up each time, my body begins pushing at about the time I reach 7cm and all goes very quickly from there, So from crowning to nursing my babes fly.

[Limabean1975]

I was semi-reclining, on a hospital bed, with my legs being held up & back & apart by DH and a friend. Seems like a terrible position, but it felt right at the time. I mean, I had coached pushing which in retrospect was probably not good, and I pushed for about 2 hours...but once I was on my back, I know I did not want to change that position. (I did lift my head and curl upwards alot, so I guess I was not *actually* reclining).

[Veritaserum]

#1 epidural, hospital birth, semi-sitting with my legs in stirrups--pushed for 20 minutes (they didn't know I was complete until we could see dd's hair so there wasn't far to go)
#2 home water birth, sideways squat with my legs against the side of the tub--pushed for 4 minutes
#3 home water birth, knees leaning forward over side of tub--pushed for 15 minutes
#4 home water birth, kneeling--pushed for 1 minute

[MyBoysBlue]

DS1 was born in the hospital Semi-reclined position.
DS2 was a UC. I had been labouring on the toilet when I realized I was pushing. I walked to just outside the bathroom door and delivered him lying flat on my back. I tried hands and knees for one contraction but it didn't feel right so I tried to get into a squat and ended up flat on my back as DS slipped out. Minimal tearing with either birth, no stitches needed.

[meganmarie]

#1 - hospital with OB - on back, semi reclined
Not by choice, nurse refused to let me get up - I tore pretty badly and was mad about it afterwards

#2 - hospital with midwife - lying on my side
Like a pp I was planning to get in the labor tub but I lay down to relax when they were filling it, then I was pushing before I had time to get up again. Luckily with midwives they were asking me whether I was happy with the position I was in to push - but I personally couldn't move from where I was at that point. Still, side-lying was a lot better than on the back - more comfortable, quicker pushing phase and minimal tearing.

[Septagram]

#1 was at the hospital. Take a wild guess what posistion I birthed in...
#2 was at home on all fours.

[kythe]

#1: Pushed for 3 hours, at first on the toilet, then on my knees leaning over a birth ball. On my back for about the last 10 minutes and for the actual birth.

#2: On hand and knees