Have you heard how amazing the peanut ball is for birthing women?

Would you like a smoother, easier birth? Then read on.

Most people are familiar with standard birth/yoga/exercise balls. They’ve become more popular over the years and have many different uses.

The most well-known peanut ball use is for building core strength during more sedentary activities, but these inflatable balls also provide a great way to stay upright and active during labour.

They come in many different sizes. Depending on your height and weight, the size can mean the difference between having a valuable tool and just a really uncomfortable seat.

Although the birth ball is an excellent tool, it isn’t the only inflatable device that can assist a mother during labour. The inflatable ball is like a sister tool to the birth ball and offers additional benefits for labouring women.

What is a peanut ball?

A peanut ball is made from the same materials as a birth ball and is also inflatable. Not surprisingly, it’s shaped like a peanut – hence the name.

Like the birth ball, it comes in multiple sizes. Usually, the best way to choose the right-sized peanut ball is according to your height.

These are the recommended sizes for each height range:

160cm (5ft 3in) or less – a 45cm ball
Between 160cm and 170cm (5ft 3in–5ft 7in) – a 50cm ball
Over 170cm (5ft 8in), or you’re a plus-size – you might find a 60cm ball most comfortable.

Peanut balls larger than 60cm are typically recommended only to sit or rest on and might not offer any more benefits than a standard birth ball.

How does a birth ball help during labour?

We know that being upright and active and having asymmetrical hips can help labour progress and facilitate the baby’s movement down the birth canal.

Often, the more active and mobile a mother is, the better her labour progresses.

We know that lying in the lithotomy position has the potential to slow labour because:

You lose gravity
The lack of movement does not help the baby to move down during labour
The lack of asymmetrical hips can mean up to 30% less pelvic space for the baby to navigate through.

But what if you want or need to rest during labour? What if health concerns mean you need to be in bed?

If you have an epidural, what options do you have to help labour progress, since you cannot be active and upright?

Well, the birth ball can help. This magical ball can help align your hips when you need or want to be in bed.

Peanut balls to open the cervix

Using a peanut ball during labour can help you get into a more favourable position to open your cervix. During the first stage of labour, your cervix must dilate to 10cm. The ball can help you stay in a semi-prone position which might encourage your cervix to dilate.

It can also help you stay in positions that might otherwise grow uncomfortable. A birth ball can encourage you to keep your pelvis open, stay upright and change positions more frequently, all of which can encourage cervical dilation.

What positions can you use a peanut ball to help in labour?

One of the great things about peanut balls is that there are many ways to use them. Don’t like one position? No problem, try another. You should switch positions every 20-60 minutes to encourage progress and aid circulation.

It’s a good idea to try out these positions in advance so you know what you’re doing when the time comes. You don’t want to feel like you’re playing Twister mid-contraction while your partner reads instructions on how you should be positioned. Trying out the positions in advance and familiarising yourself with the ball might help you to feel more in control on the day.

Here are some tried and tested peanut ball labour positions:

1. Side-lying position

Lie on your side on a floor mat or hospital bed
Place the ball between your thighs
Wrap both legs around it.

2. Lunge position

Lie on your side on the bed with the top of the bed elevated to around 45 degrees
Place the ball between your thighs
Wrap your legs around it, so you appear to be in a lunge position.

The lunge position changes how the pelvic outlet is opened, so it is an excellent variation to try after the side-lying position.

3. Fire hydrant

Get on all fours on the bed
Place the ball under one leg and place that knee and foot on top of it.

This position will open your pelvis and create plenty of room for your baby. Women often use the fire hydrant position to encourage their babies to rotate as they descend during birth.

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4. Forward leaning

Get on all fours on the bed
Use the ball as a pillow and lean your arms and upper body on it.

This position is beneficial during the second stage of labour (also known as the pushing stage). This favourable position uses gravity to help your baby down the birth canal.

What does the research say about peanut balls?

One study found that using the peanut ball after having an epidural reduced both the first and second stages of labour.

Placing a peanut ball between a woman’s thighs while she’s semi-reclined or lying on her side can facilitate a hip alignment similar to being upright.

Alternate resting on the left and right sides, and being in a semi-reclined position; this will give you some of the same benefits as active labour.

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Should I Buy A Peanut Ball For Labour?

Should you go out and buy a peanut ball for labour? Or would a regular birth ball be sufficient? Birth balls, pillows, and other comfort items during labour can be beneficial.

The peanut ball’s unique shape has additional benefits. It allows hip alignment, for example; this position promotes dilation and increases pelvic space.

Pillows and cushions often flatten with prolonged use and don’t offer as much support. They also might slip or change position quickly.

The ball’s firm but flexible shape is comfortable without causing any of these problems.

Birth balls can be beneficial during labour and especially helpful when women require time in bed (e.g., with an epidural).

If you are interested in using a peanut ball during labour, contact your birthing facility or maternity care provider and find out whether they offer them.

Some labour wards, birthing centres, and home birth midwives keep peanut balls on hand for labouring mothers. In some cases, though, they might have limited numbers.

If your birthing facility doesn’t have a peanut ball or only a limited number, you might consider purchasing one for yourself.

See the most popular peanut ball available on Amazon.

Does a peanut ball replace the benefits of being upright and mobile?

Although peanut balls have proved to be helpful during labour – especially when an epidural has been administered – there are still many benefits to labouring in an upright position.

Many labouring women find gravity helps their labour to progress. Movement can also be a comfort technique.

Swaying, walking and even dancing can help reduce labour discomfort and facilitate the baby’s movement into the optimal position to navigate the birth canal.

Like many comfort techniques and positions for labour, a birth ball is one more useful item in your ‘toolbox’ to help you during birth.

What you find most helpful during labour will depend on many things.

However, knowing your options and preparing different techniques before birth can help your labour run more smoothly.

Can I use a peanut ball before labour?

Unlike other birthing balls, peanut balls are not usually used before labour has started. Whereas birthing balls can be bounced upon for hours on end, peanut balls are not used in the same way.

You might not spend as much time using your peanut ball as you would a standard birthing ball. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth getting one. As you’ve read above, the benefits of using balls during labour are potentially worth investing in.

Does the hospital have a peanut ball I can use during labour?

Ideally, all birth settings would have peanut balls on offer, though this is not always the case. Some hospitals have peanut balls, and others don’t, so you’ll need to ask your midwife what the deal is at your local hospital or birth centre. If your birth centre has them, you’ll be able to use one during labour without buying one yourself.

Should I buy a peanut ball for labour?

Whether you should buy a peanut ball for labour will depend on your financial situation and whether you can get hold of one free of charge.

Ask your midwife whether the hospital has peanut balls pregnant women can use during labour. Alternatively, there might be a local birth community group that lends out birth equipment such as peanut balls.

If it’s impossible to get hold of one free and you have your heart set on one, you might need to buy one. Look online to see if any are being sold secondhand nearby. People who purchase birth balls for labour often sell them at a reduced cost after birth.

Can you use a peanut ball to induce labour?

If you’re patiently waiting for labour to start, you might wonder whether a peanut ball can help induce labour. Women often use birthing balls to try to bring on labour, but can peanut balls be used in the same way?

Unfortunately, the simple answer is no. You cannot bounce or rotate your hips using a peanut ball. Therefore, it’s best to save your peanut ball for when labour begins.

If you’re keen to find a natural way to induce labour, look at How to bring on labour naturally – 11 natural methods.

What can I use instead of a peanut ball?

Peanut balls are unique in their design, and no other labour aids work in the same way. However, birth balls are not the only labour aids out there.

You could choose to use a birthing ball to stay upright and open your pelvis. Or you could achieve these things without the help of labour aids.

Choosing upright positions and positions that encourage a wide pelvic outlet can help you have a positive and empowering birth.

Can you use a peanut ball with an epidural?

One of the benefits of a peanut ball is that it can be used with an epidural. Your choice of pain relief doesn’t need to stop you from using the peanut ball.

Using the peanut ball will help open your pelvis while lying down, so it’s ideal for when you’ve had an epidural.

A popular position after an epidural is the side-lying position, where one leg rests on the ball to open the pelvis.

The birth ball will help your body do what it needs to do. Use your peanut ball to widen your pelvis and create plenty of room for your baby to make their journey into the world.