Let’s Talk Birthing Positions!

Posted @withregram • @helenapelvicpt Pop a squat for the birth of your baby!??⁣⠀⁣

For many years now we have adopted the tradition of lying supine (on your back) during labour and delivery. This is the easiest position for doctors and health practitioners as they have direct access to you and your baby head on.⁣⠀⁣However, there are many studies that suggest the supine position is linked to multiple negative maternal and neonatal outcomes. Why?

For example, when a woman is on her back, her weight is mainly supported by her back so she has to push against gravity, to push the baby out… putting the baby in an unfavorable angle in relation to the pelvic floor…. causing more chances for tearing at the perineum, higher chance of using instruments such as forceps, or needing an episiotomy (snipping of the perineum) to help get baby out.⁣⠀⁣

On the other hand, there are many upright positions that use gravity to their advantage… studies have shown these upright positions to have shorter labours, less of a chance for intervention, less severe pain, and an overall better experience of the birthing process for the woman.⁣⠀⁣Benefits of the upright position:

?gravity assists the effort of pushing⁣?contractions are stronger and more effective⁣?the size of the pelvic diameter naturally increases enabling faster progress⁣⠀⁣(Huang et al. 2019)⁣⠀

⁣Ultimately, the best position for your labour and delivery is the one YOU choose during that time, and not the one that you are TOLD to adopt.⁣⠀⁣So stay mobile, play around with the different positions, and ultimately you decide which position feels the most natural and comfortable for the birth of your baby ?⁣⠀⁣Which position will you choose? ?

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