Positions for Giving Birth

Television and movies make it seem like women always give birth one way: half-reclined in a bed, feet in stirrups, with a doctor between their legs. Though this may be true in many hospitals, it's actually not a position women prefer to give birth in. There are actually a wide variety of positions for giving birth.

Upright Positions

Most women naturally choose an upright position to give birth. Though the semi-reclined position you see on all the television shows is slightly upright, it works against gravity because the lower half of the mother's body is propped up and pointing at the ceiling! This gives the doctor a great view, but doesn't help the mom or the baby.

Many women prefer to use a squatting position. Most women's bodies open very easily in a squat. The baby's head is aligned directly over the opening in the mother's pelvis, helping the baby move down through the birth canal easily.

A semi-squat where the mother is on her knees, or has one knee up and the other beside or behind her is also very comfortable. These positions give mothers a lot of stability but also allow the baby through the birth canal very easily.

Some mothers find that standing up is the easiest way to give birth! Having a helper support and hold the mother up lets her focus all her efforts on pushing the baby down and out. Gravity is a great help!

Lying Down

Some moms do find that a lying down position is most comfortable for giving birth. If a mom is very tired from pushing, or is having trouble supporting herself, lying down can give her a break.

Mothers who choose to lie down do not usually do so on their backs. These mothers usually choose to labor on their sides. A helper can hold the top leg up while the mother pushes.

A mother who positions herself on her left side can be sure a good blood supply is reaching her baby. This can help babies who may not be doing well with the semi-sitting labor position (which can cut off blood flow). A strong blood flow and relaxed mother let the contractions work effectively to get the baby down.

Other Options

Another good position to get plenty of blood and oxygen to the baby is the hands and knees position. This position is very natural for many mothers. It's a very effective position for pushing.

Some mothers like to use one of these pushing variations in a birth tub. A birth tub warms tissues and the water provides gentle, equalizing pressure as the baby is being born. It helps many mothers relax and open for their babies.

Other tools like a pull bar, scarf and birth stool can be used during the pushing stage to help a mother push more effectively.

It's important to "try" various positions before you go into labor. A position that helps one mother open may make you feel closed. Experiment so you know what may be right for you.