What position did you give birth in? - Page 5

[IsaFrench]

birthing position

first baby, on my back with too many members of staff around (+ two cleaning ladies who had asked to come in at the last minute, "to see a birth) , was parched, not allowed to drink, with epidural, felt i was in such a silly situation being made to lie on my back & had no strength to push, was just frustrated to have let myself be so mistakenly guided by so called experts ....

second baby, changed hospital, could move around, rotate hips sitting on birthing ball and go to the restroom, but still had to climb on the birthing table for the last 10 minutes due to some little complication ...

third baby, risked out of birthing center, but still with staff open to natural births ideas, could move around, DRINK if I wanted to, started mainly rotating hips with elbows on a table, did some belly dancing movements too, spent half the time on the toilet (first needed to empty my bladder and bowels due to the pressure BUT ALSO wanted privacy in fact !) and actually nearly gave birth on the toilet since I was "still only 3 cm" 15 minutes before the baby arrived ... luckily had the presence of mind of standing up, two mighty contractions when I howled like a demented wolf, couldn't control anything, just put one hand because I thaught my innards were coming out, felt the head of the baby, put my second hand and caught her on the second contraction, she arrived a few seconds before the staff came back hurrying after hearing the noise I made .... I didn't know it was "normal", only read a similar account by Michel Odent AFTER that birth, in restrospect it was the most satisfying birth of the 3 !

[SoCaliMommy]

With my daughter the standard legs bent and pulled back slightly reclined laying on back with a midwife delivering at a hospital,Pushed 1 hour.She was 7lbs 13oz 20"

With my son i had a horrible medwife* a kaiser midwife* and my doula suggested i push laying on my side with one leg bent and held back and the midwife almost didn't let me push that way: But i did and didn't tear at all not sure how long i pushed though, he was 8lbs 14oz 22"

[onelilguysmommy]

first, trying to semi squat on the "bed" they forced me back onto in the hospital. i didnt have any stirrups or anything to push my feet off of at ALL so that sucked..took 7 pushes

and my second, on my knees in the water and i caught him. i ushed a trad to see if he would move any, and his water broke. next one out came his head, and the next out came the rest of him.

[johannasonja]

first birth was hospital laying down, not by choice.
second birth i took contractions standing up, then mw arrived and she told me to lay down that she could check how much i was dialated, so i did a second later i felt a contraction coming, so by instint i jumped of my bed on hand and knees pushed 2 times (total 2 min, if that) and baby was born, and the mw got never to check me.
Johannsonja

[Fanny1460]

squatting in water

(I lifted DD up myself)

[AspenRayne]

DD#1: All-natural low-intervention hospital birth but I was semi-reclined and had coached pushing and tore pretty badly, lots of stitches. Pushed about 20 min.

DS#2: Kneeling in the bathtub at the birth center. Pushed b/c my body told me to, he was out in 2 cx and I caught him myself. Minimal tearing, no stitches.

[Skrimpy]

#1 - standing
#2 - sort of half-squat propped with pillow
#3 - squatting in the birth tub

[Nonie's mom]

I delivered in a birthing pool at a hospital and was "floating" on my back the whole time I was in the water and delivered dd in that position. I pushed for 15 minutes or so. I "napped" between contractions because labor was from 3am until 5:30 am and I was tired and that was the easiest position to rest in. I'm a very lucky first time mama!

[MomaLisa]

whenever I read a study I always look at who did the study, how they conducted the study, who participated and what exactly was the ? to be answered. It can tell alot about the result.

#1-hospital on back natural (I was young and I think this helped with my ability to flex and stay on track physically) not a choice I must say but the only option, I guess OB's can't bend there head to the side to see a baby coming out!

#2- home, most of labor on hands and knees, standing, this one took only four hours from start to finish-one push (lots of grunts) he came out when I was sitting/standing- it was strange and I had an excellent midwife who would catch that baby no matter where I was!! go kim!!

#3-home, on my side with my leg pushed up against my midwife-go kim- and my back pushed against my hubby, this one was sunny side up and had his hand stuck to his face and his arm pop out with his head!, so I kinda rotated from side to side to get him out-the hardest work I have EVER done

#4-home, on my knees laying over my bed-from the torso up- so kinda squat, bend, hands knees, this one had a very short cord, stuck sidways on the placenta, and wrapped around her neck-she actually came through the cord like a jump rope! lol so I didn't have much time to think and I didn't have much option for her to get out without hurting herself, in fact just as she came out, you can see on the video, I kinda turn to the side and put a knee up and rotate.......the baby told me to do that, so she could breath!! smart girl........

don't let any body tell you where or how to give birth, find someone you trust to only interupt you if they HAVE TO, not for their ease of view or whatever......find someone that will read your signs and help you in your direction.

blessings,
lisa

[kshaye7]

Position to birth in

In a birth center, on a birth stool. It was awesome!

[lioralourie]

#1 stirrups, on back, long labor, at 8 cm cervix swelled instead of dilating and stayed like that for 10 hours... ended up with "light" epidural and pitocin ---don''t ask : (

#2 in bathtub at home. My mom got cold feet at the last minute about an actual water birth, so I turned over on hands and knees.

No I personally don't feel that a semi-sitting position would be comfy for me.

[wetcement101]

wow, what a diverse crowd. I labored on hands and knees for about two hours, 30 min in car, 23 minutes in hospital. Delivered DD 23 mins after arrival with DH, midwife, and nurse. I planned on sqatting but the pressure was too much, so on my side worked great.

[mountainborn]

I was in hospital with a good midwife; I had been thinking I would give birth standing or squatting but when the time came I was tired and also felt like I needed to slow things down a bit so I pushed him out on my left side, upper body semi reclined, with my left leg in the air. (Lots of help from DH and two friends with that position!) No tearing at all, he was 8 lbs 5 oz and I pushed for 45 minutes.

I don't think I could ever do it semi-sitting, anytime I was in that position in my entire labor my tailbone hurt like crazy.

[unlegal]

1st birth - On my back, in stirrups.

2nd birth - LOL, flat on my stomach.

[Limabean1975]

Originally Posted by unlegal

2nd birth - LOL, flat on my stomach.

Whhhhhaaaaa...?? That's a new one! Tell us about it!

[unlegal]

Originally Posted by Limabean1975

Whhhhhaaaaa...?? That's a new one! Tell us about it!

I had been standing for awhile, then went to hands and knees on my bed, then I just became so exhausted, and was sweating so much (very slippery), that I just couldn't stay in that position, and I just kinda laid flat. My legs were even together, and my husband said, "Nicole, you're going to need to move!" I said I couldn't, and he said, "At least your legs. The baby can't get out." And he had to move my legs for me. Hahaha! Pushing seriously wore me out!

[MamaMakingMemories]

Long labor, mainly on my hands and knees in a birth tub. Pushed sitting backwards on the toilet for quite a while, then got back in the tub and gave birth on my hands and knees. There is NO WAY I could have been on my back. YEEEEOW!

[DBZ]

Ok for birth #4 I gave birth on my back again. I guess it was slightly reclined since I had my baby in the backseat of the car . It was all I could think to do considering it wasn't a huge space. I prefer to labor standing. In the car I did my best to be in a modified standing position for contractions.

[Lovemyohana]

I gave birth in the semi-reclining position as well. It worked for me. I tried many other positions with out getting anywhere.

[Limabean1975]

Originally Posted by unlegal

I had been standing for awhile, then went to hands and knees on my bed, then I just became so exhausted, and was sweating so much (very slippery), that I just couldn't stay in that position, and I just kinda laid flat. My legs were even together, and my husband said, "Nicole, you're going to need to move!" I said I couldn't, and he said, "At least your legs. The baby can't get out." And he had to move my legs for me. Hahaha! Pushing seriously wore me out!

Wow! "At least your legs" Hee!