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December 2010 Moms
Chick7806
member
Birthing Positions- Let's talk L&D
Chick7806
member
...and forget the fact that it scares the crap out of most of us!! 
) So I'm reading a book called "Birthing from Within," and it promotes birth without using pain medication. I am learning a lot from it, but the last chapter I read was about birthing positions.
The book strongly promotes NOT delivering on your back. They say to try standing, hands and knees, side lying, sitting on side of bed, etc... It goes into great detail about medical problems/slowing delivery if you deliver flat on your back. It really kind of opened up my mind to these ideas- I guess I just never considered any other way.
So, mamas (1st time and old timers), what are your thoughts on birthing positions? What do you plan on doing & why?
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Re: Birthing Positions- Let's talk L&D
That's what got me thinking when I read it in the book. They said that on your back is the most painful, slow way to deliver. Someone described it as "pushing the baby out uphill." I've heard the other positions open up your pelvis and help baby descend more (which makes sense). I'm planning on bringing it up to my OB today and see what she has to say about it.
Eek. I probably need to ask about this, too. I wish hospitals didn't have policies on how YOU want to push your baby out of your body.
My MW will let me do what I need to do to get the baby out. I'm not sure I'm going to attempt a natural birth but with my MW I know I have that option.
...........
?????
that is the STUPIDEST thing I have ever heard!!
birthing on your back can cause delays in descending the baby... I can not believe hospitals are still so out of date when it comes to delivering babies... makes me sick..
I'm a 3rd time mommy and learned through my other 2 what to do...
The hospital I will be at, is a very NATURAL hospital. I'm allow to birth/push anyway I want... They have a brthing stool, birthing ball, birthing tub all at the hospital...
I'm hoping to be squatting in the birthing tub, when I need to be pushing.. I will not be anywhere near that bed except too maybe hold on..
DD #1 passed away in January 2011 at 14 days old due to congenital heart disease
DD#2 lost in January 2012 at 23 weeks due to anhydramnios caused by a placental abruption
I know, it sucks but I think it's a liability thing. I would love to try a tub or birthing stool but I think I would have to do it at home if I really wanted it. I thought about trying a home birth but I don't want to risk anything going seriously wrong. There aren't any birthing centers around me or I would look into that.
I forget to included someones answer as a quote.. I'm new to this board, still trying to figure it all out
Have you looked for other hospitals??
The hospital that we are going too, has a birthing center inside of it....
I think it is funny hospitals have these policys, I also want to bet that this hospital has a high csection rate... hmmm
I've thought about other hospitals but this one is the closest and I really like the doctors. They actually have the lowest C-section rate in the area. Like I said though, they'll let you labor anyway you want and I think is the most important part. By the time you go to push the baby has already descended to where it needs to.
My thought: When it happens it happens for me.
Both daughters were born right after I got to the hospital, I barely had time to get hooked up to monitors..But both labors I was sitting/squating so I think i want to do that again, since it helped a great deal with pushing.
As I'm still staring a mandatory c-section in the face, I'm not thinking about this too much.
Plus I don't know my hospital's policy. I know they let you labor however you want, but I'm not sure about delivery. We start our classes at the hospital next week.
food blog | garden blog | curly dogs blog
I *believe* this my hospitals policy as well, tho I plan to ask when I tour L&D (need to do that!!!) basically everyone I know has done it that way so I figure I'll be fine..
I'm hoping to learn all the laboring positions to try and use them until it's time to push. My hope is that when the baby is ready to come, she'll come whether I'm squatting, standing on my head (ok, maybe not) or in the hospital bed. These laboring questions are on my list for my OB when I see her in a few weeks. Every birth is different and I am prepared for the unexpected. I'll just have to do my best to go in with confidence and hope for the best.
Yesterday I read the book "Easy Labor" by William Camann, MD and Kathryn J. Alexander, MA. (Amazon link https://tinyurl.com/37ydhbu ) I found it be an informative, and balanced look at medical and non-medical pain relief strategies- everything from epidurals to aromatherapy. It also included a discussion of birthing fears and interviews with various labor care providers (doulas, midwives, MDs), real women and, even included birth stories from labor care providers and how they birthed their children.
If your hospital has a tub then you should definitely try that! You can move around very easily and weightlessly and lean forward and take the weight off your back.Might be something to look into. I wish we had that at our hospital.
I heart you. You make me laugh! Give the newborn baby a swirly- bwa ha ha!
) But yeah, it does look easier with the squat. Who knows? I guess time will tell!
Yes and no. There are medication options that are not a full epidural/spinal block that allow you to move around while laboring.
But, yes, if you have an epidural, you're really not allowed to or move around much since you can't feel your legs. That's why a catheter is also pretty much mandatory with one as well.
food blog | garden blog | curly dogs blog
Interesting option. I didn't know such drugs existed. I'll probably still opt for the full-blown epidural though. I'm not a hero.
I'm planning on playing it by ear. Whatever feels best and most effective at the time.
They talk about something called a Combined Spinal Epidural, or a "walking epidural", in my book. It's a lower dose epidural combined with a pain-reliever (typically a narcotic). It takes effect faster but, obviously, wears off faster as well (though they leave the catheter in place if they need to administer more). Apparently you don't get to do much walking, per se (enough to shuffle to the bathroom, KWIM?), but it leaves you more mobile in bed or in a chair, etc.
But it depends on if your hospital and anesthesiologist use it. I've heard a lot of places don't.
food blog | garden blog | curly dogs blog
OMG, that's an awesome code name! Sorry to the people if it didn't end well, but that's pretty comical.
I gotta tell you I don't think that I have the muscle strength in my legs to squat and push! Maybe I should start working out those squatting muscles.
And, with my last delivery (a med-free VBAC) I didn't even give it any thought. They broke down the bed, gave me stirrups (which I actually liked) and I pushed that way, semi-sitting up. I didn't really have all my faculties to say "I'd like to squat, please!" Plus, I was under continuous monitoring (VBAC) and had an IV (GBS+) so I can't imagine getting up with all those wires and trying to squat. I really hope I don't need the IV this time and that I can use the wireless monitors!