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Delivering a baby can be hard and uncomfortable, hence trying several birthing positions can make it easier for both the mother and the baby. It may vary from crouching to standing, depending on the expectant mother and her condition. This article is meant to give you all the necessary health information that you need in your maternal days. Birthing positions are not limited to just lying straight on the hospital bed.
Here is the article on the best position to give birth
Childbirth Positions
When it comes to pregnancy you are most likely to prepare for your baby’s arrival. You may read various books on birthing positions, take birthing classes, and watch videos on the perfect birthing position. However, most TV shows and movies tend to make us believe that labour and delivery happen while you are lying on your back and the legs spread wide. But anyone who has had experience in giving birth will tell you that it’s not necessary for these positions to work for every woman’s delivery.
Research says that about 68% of people are likely to give birth in a horizontal position, which is said to be one of the most unnatural birthing positions. You may ask the hospital staff, like the doctor or nurse to suggest to you the best positions for delivery.
Importance Of Birthing Positions
There are actually a variety of birthing positions that you can take into consideration while giving birth. There is a whole set of positions the nurse may suggest that is good and comfortable for giving birth when it comes it is the time to push. This position need not necessarily have to be lying on your back. It is quite evident that almost less than 10% of people use traditional positions while childbirth. Several doctors believe that the birthing position has a lot to do with the comfort level of the mother during labour.
Health Care Benefits Of Best Positions For Birth
Even your obstetrician and gynecologist may say that rotating between labour and a good birthing position is necessary to optimize the conditions of the baby and the mother. This is also important for the mother as for her comfort, especially if she is giving a medication-free birth. It also provides more pelvic space which will make more room for pushing the baby.
Importance Of Labour Positions
The process delivery is hard. But at the same, it is also important to find the most comfortable position other than just lying flat on your back. Birthing positions are used during the labour process so that it helps to ease discomfort. It also lets the baby move down the pelvis and encourages optimal fetal position. There are several women who don’t want to take drugs for pain management, therefore, a good labour position may be important for a comfortable delivery. Women are advised to try several birthing positions during their second stage of labour. This article speaks about different positions for birth and the health of a woman during her maternal days.
Labour Position In The Second Stage
Birthing Positions: Best Positions To Give Birth In
1. Hands And Knees Position: Best Position To Give Birth
One of the best positions to give birth can be the hands and knees position. This all fours position requires you to get down on your hands and knees, either on the floor mat or on the bed. Rebekah Wheeler is a certified nurse and midwife in the Bay Area, California who says that the hands and knees birth position is a great labor position for childbirth, as it opens up the pelvis.
At certain times the baby’s heart rate responds better when the woman is in the hands and knees position, especially when the baby is not in the best spot. The hands and knees position eases back pain as it takes the pressure off the spine and may boost the oxygen level and blood flow of the baby too. However, your arms may get tired if you are in the hands and knees position for a long time. However, with the help of a nurse, you can take care of your health during this position.
2. Sitting Position: Best Position To Give Birth
The sitting position can also be a comfortable position for labor and delivery. There can be times when you may feel the weight of the baby downwards during birth, and you may want to sit or be in a semi-sitting position. The upright positions can be great for taking rest for the women sitting in such a condition can relax the perineum, which can further help reduce tearing.
The upright positions can be used with a fetal monitoring machine. There can be some problems with this sitting birthing position. A hard toilet seat can be a bit uncomfortable for upright positions. At the same time, if you have high blood pressure during pregnancy, this position for birth may not be a good option for you. During the time of delivery, upright positions are the least tried birthing positions. However, according to doctors and nurses, this sitting position can be ideal for many women.
3. Birthing Ball Position: Best Position To Give Birth
Apart from sitting on a toilet or birthing chair, you can also try another upright position that is the birthing ball position. There are many women who use this prop during their pregnancy and labor days. Women may find it difficult to shift around in other birthing positions. The pain and discomfort in the second stage of labour are too high which makes the body difficult to move. However, birthing balls give good support which helps you to shift around your body. A few positions may restrict or lessen the movement of the hips.
Why Use A Birthing Ball During Labor?
A birthing ball can be used in several ways- which is why some women prefer this over other birthing positions. Women who are in their second stage of labor, lean or rock on it, sit, or just put their upper bodies on it while kneeling. This can also be used as a support while squatting. These are the reasons some women are a great fan of a birthing ball, they can even bounce or move around during contractions of the second stage of labor while being monitored. Hence, you must check beforehand and see if the hospital uses wireless monitoring or not. Or else, you might be limited to how far you can move in these labor positions.
Advantages Of A Birthing Ball
A birthing ball can help the baby move in a favorable birthing position, it relieves the pressure off the back, and it can also encourage dilation and help the baby move deeper into the pelvis. But it can be a bit difficult to keep your balance on a birthing ball and some of the birthing positions on the ball can be difficult to do alone.
4. Squatting Position: Best Position To Give Birth
There are hardly any people who are fond of a squatting position. But when it comes to birthing, squatting can be used as a labor position. Squatting can be done with the help of a partner, chair, or against the wall. You can even take the help of midwives for doing this position. This birthing position helps in opening the pelvis, which gives room to the baby as they move towards the birth canal. Like some of the other birthing positions, even this can be tiring for the woman.
5. Lying On Your Side Position: Best Position To Give Birth
The side-lying position on the bed can be one of the best birthing positions to take a rest during labor. Just because you are in a side-lying position does not mean that your body is resting. On the contrary, lying on your side helps the baby to move into a ready position. Taking a peanut-shaped birthing ball between the legs and side-lying can be great for the baby to rotate and descend in labor.
Women are also advised to flip from one side to the other and let the baby come down and out. Being in a side-lying position can help the baby get oxygen, it is also an ideal position if you have high blood pressure, and eases your body during contractions. However, in this position, it can be difficult to access the heartbeat.
Upright Position: The Best Position To Give Birth In?
Gravity can work as an advantage during pregnancy through the upright position. It does not matter whether you are in a standing, swaying, or walking position, just being vertical can help you get to the finishing line. Walking can be great for women who are waiting for their labor. Even swaying with the help of someone else’s support can be a good way to work through labor. Rocking your hips up and down also helps in keeping the baby moving lower and lower.
At the time of birth, you may be in the upright position as it helps in reducing backaches, this position may also help in making contraction in the second stage of labor less painful and reduce back pain. Being in the upright position lets the baby move deeper into the birth canal. But the upright position is not recommended for women with high blood pressure. There is a need for a telemetry unit for continuous monitoring of the fetal heart rate.
Let’s take a look at some upright positions on that note:
Upright Positions: Lunging Position: Best Position To Give Birth
The lunging position is one of the upright birthing positions for mothers in the first stage. Though it may not sound like one of the best birthing positions that you would want to try, you may give it a whirl. For this position, you can put one of your feet on a chair or bed and simply lean forward towards the raised leg, whenever you feel a contraction. You may repeat this as many times as you want. Like some of the other birthing positions, this too opens up the pelvis, providing more room to the baby helping it descend and rotate. But for this, unlike other birthing positions, you may need a partner. Mothers may also take the help of the midwives for this position who can help them in pushing the baby.
Stair Climbing Position: Best Position To Give Birth
There are times when there is good progress in labor but then it slows down. In such cases, several upright birthing positions fail to work. So, you can use the stair-climbing position in the second stage of labor. Most of the time it is during the second stage of labor that the baby might need some pushing and encouragement to get to the optimal positions. You may consider the stair-climbing position as one of the birthing positions, as it can shift the baby during birth.
Similar to some other labor positions this too opens up the pelvis and lets the baby move farther towards the cervix. It also helps the baby rotate and get to a better position during birth. Unlike other labor positions, this can be pretty tiring as your body is in motion. Especially if you have been in labor for a while.
So, What Are The Best Birthing Positions?
If you have made it through the first stages of labor, it is time to start trying birthing positions for the final stage. Birthing positions are for the baby to come out, unlike labor positions it is not limited to the mothers lying on your back. In fact, women who simply lie down tend to face more pain than women who move around during their stages of childbirth. Here are some of the best birthing positions:
The Squatting Birth Position: Best Position To Give Birth
Squats are known to be one of the most helpful exercises for expectant mothers during the stage of labor, and it is also one of the best birthing positions. One must remember that when it comes to birth positions and giving birth, gravity is the advantage. This position decreases the use of several tools like, vacuum or forceps and it also helps with dilation. However, squatting may not be among the ideal positions for labor and delivery as it can lead to tearing if a birth stool or other aid is not used.
Reclining Birth Position: Best Position To Give Birth
Many expectant mothers opt for the reclining birth position as if it offers a bit of rest in the second stage of labor. Childbirth can be tiring and hard hence women need rest. Reclining during giving birth can be on the bed, against the wall, or even on midwives. Trying to recline while you give birth can relax your muscles and release tension from your body. It can also be a good alternative if the woman wants to take some rest but does not want to lie completely. But this birth position can work against gravity and hence can be a bit uncomfortable for some would-be mothers.
Kneeling Birth Position: Best Position To Give Birth
In several cases the baby can face towards the mother’s abdomen instead of her back, in such times the kneeling birth position can be helpful. Kneeling on the bed is also one of the best and most popular birth positions as it helps the baby move and lets the mother rest. This birth position reduces the pain of contractions and eases any backpressure. This position is also good for the second stage of maternal labor. This position can help you in pushing the baby without the support of a nurse.
Best Position To Give Birth Final Conclusion
You are most likely to prepare for your delivery from the maternal days and this article aims to help you in the process. When it comes to birth positions expectant women must discuss all the options with the hospital staff, doctor, and midwife to decide the one which is most comfortable and practical for them. Babies and mothers respond to positions differently. Hence, it is the job of the doctors or the midwives to help the woman figure out which works the best for her. No matter what labor position mothers choose, everything will be worth it when your baby is in your arms.
