birthing positions ?

[rainbowmoon]

what position did you birth in and did you tear?

[pamamidwife]

I was flat on my back (yes, this was only 9 years ago), my legs up in stirrups and I was cut and tore into my rectum.

Here's some info from my website about vertical delivery:
http://www.midwifemama.com/vertical_delivery.html


I discourage even semi-sitting because of the pressure it puts on the tailbone, decreasing the pelvic outlet. However, I notice that hardly any woman will choose a semi-sitting position on her own.

[cottonwood]

If you want to avoid tearing, just as important as correct positioning is privacy so that the hormones can do their job, and following your body's cues as to how and when to push.

For my first birth I did not tear, but I stretched the skin enough that it was damaged (a "skid mark".) That was when I was in a semi-reclining position and being told when to start pushing and how to push. Pushing took two hours and was very physically difficult (I ended up pulling some muscles that took a long time to heal.)

For my second birth I would have given birth kneeling, except for the midwife encouraging me to get into a squat when I told her I could feel the baby's head. The pushing phase was relatively short (10 minutes,) I only pushed when I couldn't help but push, and there was no damage to my vaginal tissues. (This was a waterbirth, also.)

For my third birth I was in about a million different positions during transition, and then had a very strong urge to kneel, at which point I could not feel the baby's head, then one spontaneous push and the head was out, then another push and the body was out. Again, no vaginal trama. (This was an unassisted birth.)

[Spark]

My first birth I pushed in a modified squat, but on my back. I had tried a lot of vertical positions, all fours and on my side but it didn't seem to help. The babe just couldn't slip under my pelvic bone (he was posterior with his hand up, if this had anything to with it). Once I got on my back (just as I swore I'd never do) and did the modified squat, it only took 15 mintues to push him out (still posterior with his hand up). I did not tear and I did not have any skid marks. I was at home & had warm compresses, both helped a lot. Also, we had done perenial massage in the months leading up to birth.

This birth I'm envisioning my babe being anterior and perfectly positioned. I see myself kneeling/leaning over something to push her out.

[Eman'smom]

Both births were semi-sitting, ds was born in a hospital bed , I had no tearing.

Dd (our second child) was born in the same position but in the tub, with her I had a 1st degree tear, no stitched, she was posterior though.

It might not be the best position but for me it's the most comfortable, I never felt good on hands and knees and could never feel "supported" enough for squating or sitting. Since I didn't feel that I could hold myself up and wasn't comfortable with others holding me up, I couldn't push well in other positions.

[lilyka]

My 1st was born while I was laying on my side and the bed was was raised almost to verticle. 15 minutes of pushing with obnoxious counting, no tear, 5#11oz

2nd, hands and knees, 11 minutes of pushing, no counting coachiong , no tear but a skid mark (like a scrape - from her big melon), 9#3oz

Third, hands and knees, 2 minutes of pushing, baby had descended 2 minutes earlier, weighed 7#5oz and thanks to the heroic efforts of my midwife in a less than ideal situation and her extreme knowledgeof what to do to keepa woman from tearing, even though there was no gentle gradual stretching or slow pushing i escaped with out so much as a skid mark thankyouverymuch She told me what she did but I was foggy. I just remember being really impressed (somehting about supporting the perineum, counter pressure, not massage, I forget). When my dh tells that birth story it is al about Lisa. You would think i wasn't eventhere :LOL Oh well at least after three he was finally impressed. HA!

Anyway, completely sold on the hands and knees postion which I thought was complete lunacy the first time Iheard about it. And I was into alternative birthing positions.

[teachinmaof3]

Birth 1 - hospital, epi for the last 10 minutes (I went to 10cm while sitting up waiting for the epidural), in stirrups, tore and had stitches.

Birth 2 - hospital, no meds, Semi-sitting, no stirrups b/c I went too fast for them to get them up, no tearing.

Birth 2 - home, waterbirth, on my knees leaning against the pool, no tearing.

[smittenmom]

I was lying on my side, and did tear a little bit. BUT according to my doula, the tear was from the OB sticking her fingers in there and stretching. She (the doula) said I wouldn't have torn from the baby's head. Stupid doctors.

[indiegirl]

birth #1: sitting up in the tub
birth #2: supported squat--but I was standing for much of the pushing

both were homebirths

No tears for both.

[lovebugmama]

I used a modified squat in a pretty upright hospital bed. I pushed out my 8 lb ds in 15 min this way. I had a very UNCONTROLLABLE urge to push and did not have to be told when to push or stop. It was pure instinct. I did have a small tear (maybe 2 stiches), but probably due to the force with which I expelled my ds. He came out all at once, not head first, wait, shoulders, wait, body ect. He went from crowning to flopped onto the bed in one huge push.

I now know that I do not have to push that hard and will try to control my pushes more toward the end to avoid all that trauma to my perineum. Even though I didn't require a lot of stiches, I was very bruised and sore.

[Sustainer]

I squatted on a birthing stool and did not tear.

[mamaroni]

For both of my babies, I labored on the toilet for a long time, then moved to the bed (rather than actually birth them on the toilet) and pushed them both out flat on my back, with dh and my doula each holding a leg. I did not tear either time.

[BoobyJuice]

I was semi-sitting for my first having been in numerous other positions in the 3 hours of pushing. I didn't tear but the midwives used hot compresses and massage. I did have a lot of vaginal swelling, soreness and I dislocated my tailbone. Ouch!

My second was squatting - what a difference! My husband held me up from behind and I aught. It was an unplanned unassisted homebirth - the midwife hadn't even left her house by the time the baby was there. A few minutes, slipped right out, no tears. (Also didn't feel like I'd been hit by a mack truck!)

[Pigpen]

1st- on my side in bed.
2nd- in birth tub, leaning over the side. I tore both times, I think the second time b/c things happened too fast. This time I'm going to try the hands and knees position, I've read (Active Birth, Janet Balaskas) that this is a good one if things are happening too fast.

[hotmamacita]

1st- leaning back (my first!!!) TORE but her hand came out first and ouch, it hurt.
2nd- squatting -skid makr
3rd--semi sitting NO TEAR at all (and I had two 8 pound plus twins who were frank and footling breech.)

I had a friend who was on all fours and tore just as horrible as my friend who birthed on her back. makes no sense to me.