What position did you birth in?

[Fleur]

DD1 - I was on all fours, very comfy, and was made to lie on my back to slow her down a bit, they needed to cut the cord before she was born. I grazed.

DS1 - on all fours leaning into a beanbag again, very comfortable, no tears

DD2 - on my back Midwife wanted me reclined because she was worried about cord prolapse. In hindsight I could have moved after my waters broke & she descended, but it happened fairly quickly & I wasn't really thinking clearly
It all happened in the space of about 5 minutes and when it did she could have let me move onto all fours or something, instead she lay the bed flat & made me push like that. It's my one regret, that I wasn't more in a state of mind to say 'hey - no' to her
I had a second degree tear.

MamSpice, re the monitoring - you should still have a fair few positions you can try, I had monitoring with 3 of my 4 labours & moved around quite a bit (except for the last).
With DD1 I had monitoring due to epidural & I was on all fours, probably would have stayed like that if they didn't have to slow her a bit.

[Lily Dust]

With DD laboured mostly on the edge of one of those plastic chairs in the shower and also on all 4s on beanbags. Last few pushes standing upright leaning on the bath. I tried everything not to tear, including prenatal 'stuff' and had a 3rd degree.

Good luck hun, hope you get the birth you are after x

[TeniBear]

teni i actually got to grab DD under the arms and pull her onto my tummy by myself, im sure thats what mamaspice is refering to!

Oh, that's gorgeous! I'd love to be able to do that!

[JellyBean]

DS1- Semi reclined, on my back (in hospital) - 1 hr and 15 mins of pushing like buggery. 2nd degree tear and perenium haematoma (with 6pound 6oz baby)

DS2- On cushy birthing mat, down on left knee, right leg out to side, with the foot of my right leg firmly planted on the floor to assist pushing. Hands gripping DH! (at Birth Centre).
30 mins of 'birth breathing' - not heavy pushing, with essential oils = NO tear/stitches and a 7pound 15oz baby that I was able to pull up into my own arms!

What they say is TRUE - don't lie flat on your back! Gravity is your best friend!!

[Jellymaker]

I moved around alot but i finally delivered lying on my side holding up my knee, kinda like a dog peeing. Not very dignified but birth never is. Not the position i was expecting as i was planning for all 4's but i just didnt have the energy to hold myself up. I could push pretty effectivley though.

You'll probably find a position that works for you or simply be too tired to move and deliver in whatever position you happen to be in.

Good luck!

[GabberQueeN]

On my back and hated it

[Calluna]

on my back, on about a 120 degree angle. It was my choice and it worked well for me, only had a slight graze.

Good luck

[Jas]

I had my 1st on my back in the bed......never again!

my 2nd I was on all fours in the shower, I never thought I would be keen on that position but I was standing in the first place and the mw asked me to get onto all fours, the 2 mw's were worried about Spence getting stuck or something, not sure what it was, he was born in 5-10mins of pushing so not sure why but it was amazing in that position

[*Beema*]

In the living room leaning on a bar stool rocking for about 15 min, then in the car, one I got to L and D and after an internal, on my knees leaning over the end of the bed, then when they lost DD HB and she wasn't coming out, on my back legs on MW and DH's hips for an Epi after two tears...

Was really hoping to labour in the shower... but no time...

[SammyRo]

DD - mostly either standing, leaning on the bed or kneeling on all fours, but towards the end, the mw got me to sit up on the bed with my legs back (i think DH was behind me) so that I could see what was happening in a mirror - DD was posterior and her head would pop out and go back in, and I was getting disheartened because I didn't think I was getting anywhere - the mw did this so I could see my progress and it helped me keep going (it was 2.5hours of pushing in the end! Geez, my arms were sore the next day from leaning on them for so long!) At one point in the labour, I wanted to push at 6cm or so (common with posterior) so they midwife got me to lean forward on my arms, so my bum was up in the air, to take the pressure off I think. I didn't tear but had a couple of internal grazes that they stitched anyway because they were worried about their position and healing wrong.

DS - I laboured on my feet and once I got to the delivery room, found a worktop to lean on whilst standing as I didn't think I was fully dilated even though I had the pushing urge, once the mw told me I was ready to push, she asked if I wanted to get on the bed, but I was frozen - so DS came out with me standing up, in 8mins with no tears.

Both births were drug free

[kungfubecca]

on my knees both times, coincidentally at the same hospital in the same room against the same bed, on a crash mat.
#1 they got me up on the bed & leaning over a bean bag, I guess it was easier for them, was fine for me. 2nd I didn't leave the crash mat, don't think they would have had time to get me up on the bed
and only max 15 mins of pushing both times

second time round midwife is asking me what I want.

me:mat on the floor right there,
Middy:-would you prefer the mat over there so you can lean on the couch
me:no right there agains the bed (gotta be near the gas )
midy; are you sure?
me yep!

[Brotherly_Love <3]

I birthed my first flat on my back on the bed... I thought I had to do as the doctors said lol.

My second I was adament I wanted to use gravity to help. I was leaning over the birthball in the shower and felt the urge to push, so the middie wanted to check how far along I was, she checked and I was only 5... I ended up on the bed to just check on bubs heartrate and to give me pethodine (she was expecting me to go for about 4-5 hours and there ws already a fair bit of blood and bubs was posterior), got up on the bed slightly inclined, had the pethodine shot and within minutes had my show and was pushing him out! lol I much preferred the slightly inclined position, but still wish I'd managed to push him out in the shower :P

[black_rose]

On my back prob reclined a bit not sure noone knew I was ready to push, it was about 30 min after waters broke. All I know is that contractions on your back suck big time! My ob figured I would be ready much later like 6 hours, and the mid wife was walking out to fill out epidural paperwork as I said i could not handle this pain for that long then I just had the urge to push.

This thread has made me think about how I want to try it this time. Dd1 was an emergency c section and dd2 was fast so didn't think about it.

[natwantsababy]

I was so scAred about giving birth on my back in the bed so had written in my birth plan that under any circumstances I did not want this instead I wanted to be on all fours or in the shower or some other obscure position by when it came to it all I wanted to do was be on my back in the bed and get down to business, I was so incredibly tired and couldn't support my own weight so in the end I was happy and comfortable in the bed. Also if you can I had 2 trainee midwives and 1 senior midwife and had the trainees holding my legs and pushing them back and it was awesome gave me heaps of leverage to push DS out. Good luck babe! I'm sure you will love it! It's the beat thing I've ever done and can't wait to do it all again!! Xx

[stepmum1]

I got vertigo with both labour could not and would not even lift my legs to climb into the pool or bed. I birthed on all fours both times. Even lifting my hands and knees on to the pillows was enough to make me want to vomit. Weird.

I am definitely a land birther though I loved feeling the cold hard floor whilst I pushed.

[kungfubecca]

Black rose: I hope bub #3 gives you a little more time, 30 mins scary. If my last had come that quickly I would have had her in the halway, with my mum watching on.

[black_rose]

Kunfurebecca that could have been me but I was a bit more aware of what was happening the second time was clueless with dd1! Already thinking about staying close to home from 34 weeks no long trips where no hospital isn't nearby.

[ShootingStar]

DS - one arm around DH's neck, other around midwife and kinda standing. Id go from sitting on the bed to standing on a low table.
DD - lying down, my back raised.. as i had an epidural.