- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Natural Birth
Birthing ball
How did you use your birthing ball prior to pregnancy? I have heard it helps bring the baby "down into position" but I don't really understand what that means. What if LO is already in position? What are the benefits of using the birthing ball before and during labor?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Birthing ball
I've been bouncing on mine to try to encourage baby to move down into my pelvis. I also do hip circles while sitting on it for the same reason. If your LO is already head down, but is still "high" (-3 station) then ideally he would drop in station so that he puts more pressure on the cervix, which in turn encourages effacement and dilation.
During labor a birthing ball can help keep you in a comfortable position with good posture. It lets you sit while allowing your hips to move freely in any direction that feels comfortable to you. It can also be nice to drape yourself over. Basically it's strong point is the freedom of movement that you have while on it, while remaining supported.
I've been considering getting one of these. My MW recommended it when I mentioned how it can be difficult for me to breathe while sitting upright (31 weeks right now). Since I'm having a home birth it'll come in handy then, too. Nice to know they're at Target!
I don't know if this is totally true, or makes any sense, but I do trust my OB and this is what he told me with DD. Once I hit about 37 weeks, I just used an extra large exercise ball to sit on and bounce, trying to help DD move down. When I told my OB I had been doing that, he said "don't bounce. The same way LO might move down when your bounce goes down, she will go right back up when your bounce goes up. Just do big circles, back and forth, side to side and such. That will help open up your hips to help her descend." I had her just a couple weeks later and never did look anything up on that bouncing theory.
LO1 was transverse, so I spent a lot of time hanging over my birthing ball to try and get hm head down. Not sure if it helped or not, but he ended up vertex.
LO2 was breech and the chiropractor had me use my birth ball to keep my hips loose between appointments for webster technique. She flipped to head down 3 days before she was born.
Not sure if I would use it if baby was already in position unless my MW gave me reasons to.