What position did you give birth in? - Page 2

[halfadozen]

#1 hospital - on my back, legs up in stirrups

#2 birth center, water birth - semi-squat leaning back on husband's legs (coached)

#3 birth center, reclining on bed with husband behind me (incidently, this was my fastest pushing stage, I was pushing before I knew what was happening... 7 minutes... and I was very comfortable in this position)

#4 hospital - semi-squat on bed (coached)

#5 birth center - all fours (just picked the position I felt I needed to be in at the time, did not expect to do chose all fours!! This was the only birth I did not tear, though...)

[emaye_to_2]

For DD (#2) I was on my hands and knees and I loved it! Barely two pushes!!
Altho I can say I was grateful my friend that was supposed to take pictures of the birth didn't show up in time for that view..

DS (#1) was a waterbirth, I was kind of reclining on DH in the tub.

[pinksprklybarefoot]

In the hospital. Semi-reclining. I had a 15 min pushing phase. They were worried about the baby, so they were doing anything and everything they could to get him out. My MW had them set up the squat bar, but that position just didn't work for me. I wound up semi-reclining, and it worked well. I felt guilty about that (I thought that I *should*be squatting or something like that), but if it works, it works. You will know what you want to do. Just do that.

[erin_brycesmom]

I pushed my first semi-reclined on my back (hospital birth induced, epidural, coached pushing).

With my second, I pushed his head out while on my knees and after that the dr asked me to flip to my back in the sit position because she felt a double nuchal cord and wanted to "manage" that. Grrrr. That caused a lot of problems and I wish I had not allowed anyone to check or touch my baby or my vagina until after he was fully born.

I think the semi-reclined feels right to a lot of women because it is the most commonly witnessed position to give birth in and I think the social influence is huge. Women so very rarely give birth without the influence of those around them and many other factors influencing them. I know I never have but I hope to next time. The article you are talking about goes into detail about why upright birth that is off your back/butt is the natural body led stance for birth.

[DBZ]

My first vbac was semi-reclined with stirrups under the influence of an epi with coached pushing. It took 45 minutes to get that baby out. The doc also had two people bringing my upper body forward with each contraction. I found this way kind of bizarre, but far better then a c-section!

With my 2nd vbac, I had that wicked urge to push while standing next to the bed, so the doc told me to get on the bed. I was on my back , but partially to a side. They didn't have time to suggest anything more then that. She was out in 3 pushes. I was ok with how I was.

I don't know how I'll birth this baby. I've been thinking about squatting, but also read that side-laying might be better to slow the pushing stage down a tad. I hurt my last baby's shoulder because I pushed her out so fast.

[annakiss]

First baby was side-lying, leg in the air.

Second baby was on a birth stool.

I felt like hands and knees made my torso too small - like there wasn't enough room. I think that if I'd been able to, having someone hold me up would have been ideal. I dunno. Both times it worked, so whatever.

[ElkMtnsMama]

On the toilet, then my hands and knees for most of the pushing, but squatting, supported by DH, for the actual birth.

[ColwynsMommy]

Both times so far was in the hospital, semi-reclined. With the first, I had my feet up on the squatting bar, and with my second.. I have no idea where my feet were. My babies came super fast once I started pushing, so I'm wondering what position I'll end up in this time, since it's our first homebirth. I don't want to speed up pushing anymore, so I'm thinking I might try side-lying. I'd be okay with kneeling or a sort of lunge position, but I'm a little hesitant about the all-fours position.. mainly because I want pictures and don't want my huge butt to be center stage.

[day-by-day]

Originally Posted by erin_brycesmom

I think the semi-reclined feels right to a lot of women because it is the most commonly witnessed position to give birth in and I think the social influence is huge.

I see your point. But I'm also wondering if chosen positions for giving birth are also influenced by what positions we typically assume during the rest of our lives. Many cultures spend a lot of time squatting. I visited Indonesia last summer and squatting is a very common position for people in that culture. It is, however, a very uncommon position for me to be in. My muscles aren't used to it, and so it doesn't seem a comfortable position for me to be in. Additionally, I tire easily in that position.

Likewise I spent very little time in the hands/knees position during my pregnancy because my pelvic joints were so loose that it hurt a lot. So it doesn't really surprise me that hands/knees felt bad during labor. On the other hand, I spent a lot of time in a semi-reclining position during my pregnancy. It feels like a relaxing position to me. So, although I spent most of my labor standing/swaying/walking. When I got tired, the position that was comfortable to me was semi-reclining.

I don't think that I chose that position because that was "societally acceptable". It just felt right. I was actually kinda expecting to birth side-lying because that's how I had done it with my others, but when the time came, I couldn't move to that position.

I'm just hypothesizing here. Any thoughts?

[theretohere]

I've squatted for both.

[gentleearthmama]

I had planned on squatting in the tub, but it all happened so fast, and I didn't need gravity's help (didn't even have to push), so I ended up side-lying in the bathtub. Or maybe I was even on my back when he was actually coming out. I don't even remember!

[theretohere]

Originally Posted by day-by-day

I see your point. But I'm also wondering if chosen positions for giving birth are also influenced by what positions we typically assume during the rest of our lives. Many cultures spend a lot of time squatting. I visited Indonesia last summer and squatting is a very common position for people in that culture. It is, however, a very uncommon position for me to be in. My muscles aren't used to it, and so it doesn't seem a comfortable position for me to be in. Additionally, I tire easily in that position.

Likewise I spent very little time in the hands/knees position during my pregnancy because my pelvic joints were so loose that it hurt a lot. So it doesn't really surprise me that hands/knees felt bad during labor. On the other hand, I spent a lot of time in a semi-reclining position during my pregnancy. It feels like a relaxing position to me. So, although I spent most of my labor standing/swaying/walking. When I got tired, the position that was comfortable to me was semi-reclining.

I don't think that I chose that position because that was "societally acceptable". It just felt right. I was actually kinda expecting to birth side-lying because that's how I had done it with my others, but when the time came, I couldn't move to that position.

I'm just hypothesizing here. Any thoughts?

I think that's a very interesting hypothesis.

[kythe]

Originally Posted by day-by-day

I see your point. But I'm also wondering if chosen positions for giving birth are also influenced by what positions we typically assume during the rest of our lives. Many cultures spend a lot of time squatting. I visited Indonesia last summer and squatting is a very common position for people in that culture. It is, however, a very uncommon position for me to be in. My muscles aren't used to it, and so it doesn't seem a comfortable position for me to be in. Additionally, I tire easily in that position.

I think this is the origin of the birth stool, which I believe is quite a modern invention. The whole concept of the birth stool is intended to resemble our toilets. Throughout history, and in many areas of the world, people have just squatted to go to the bathroom. Think of how many women enjoy laboring on the toilet, and even associate pushing a baby out with the feeling of having a bowel movement. These muscle groups are very connected. Obviously we don't enjoy hearing stories of babies being accidentally born into the toilet, so we invent a birth stool to simulate one.

[UrbanCrunchyMama]

I wanted to birth standing while leaning on the hospital bed for support, but there was too much unecessary panic in the room to "allow" me to do so. I was told that I had to push in the semi-reclined position and had an episiotomoy too.

[ColwynsMommy]

Originally Posted by kythe

I think this is the origin of the birth stool, which I believe is quite a modern invention. The whole concept of the birth stool is intended to resemble our toilets. Throughout history, and in many areas of the world, people have just squatted to go to the bathroom. Think of how many women enjoy laboring on the toilet, and even associate pushing a baby out with the feeling of having a bowel movement. These muscle groups are very connected. Obviously we don't enjoy hearing stories of babies being accidentally born into the toilet, so we invent a birth stool to simulate one.

Everything I've seen says the birth stool is actually a very old delivery aide. Here are two articles:

http://www.sheilakitzinger.com/Artic..._March2003.htm (scroll down to the section on Chairs)
http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=001...3E2.0.CO%3B2-9

[Mama Poot]

DS1, semi-reclining but mostly sitting up hanging onto a sheet for "leverage" as I pushed out my posterior kid. Hospital birth :
DS2, squatting on the floor at the end of the bed. this was SO much better, my level of pain was dramatically reduced by squatting. I'm convinced this is how humans are supposed to birth their babies. I was on my back for about five minutes during this labor to have my midwife give EPO and it was horrid. I kept saying "hurry up! ouch!" I just could not stand being on my back!!!

I plan on birthing this baby the same way as the second!

[2girls4me]

DD #1-pushed on hands and knees in bed but had to flip over to lithotomy position as she crowned. Don't know why I was so compliant!
DD #2- standing up while holding on to DH. Got to the hospital and was fully dilated(I thought I was maybe 7 cm, lol). I had labored the whole time at home standing and kneeling. Got on the bed quickly to let mw check me, then my water broke and I stood up to let them find the heart beat. Then I realized that DD was coming out. I didn't push at all. I remember them asking me if I wanted to squat but I wasn't about to move. She literally barrelled through me in about three contractions. It was neat(and painful, lol).

[cachet]

1st- hospital with epi, laying on my back while dh and nurse held my legs
2nd- med-free hospital, on back semi reclining (I think)
3rd- homebirth- hands and knees. This was so odd to me- it was completely instinctual, no time to think. I had envisioned the birth and spent lots of time thinking how it would go, never did I think I would birth in that position!!

[Genesis]

I had a squatting birth.

[Blooming]

For my first, I was in the hospital on my back.

For my 2nd I was at home in the birthing pool, sitting on a birth stool.