Birthing on all fours

[Danni]

What do you think about birthing all fours and not tearing?

Someone told me that if you birth on all fours with your bum in the air, you lessen the chance of tearing dramatically.

what are your experiences?

[Shanti]

Yeah i'm interested in hearing what others have to say about this too.....

[Lulu]

Wouldn't that be pushing uphill???

I labour on hands and knees but sit/stand right up to use gravity to birth. I have never had a tear, oh one graze.

[~Amy~]

I did it on all fours for a while....probably about 30-45mins. It was a comfy (as comfy as being in labour can be hehe) position for a little bit. I found when i tried to go to a different position it was really painful tho. Thats just me tho. As for tearing, i did tear a little bit, but as i said i did change to a different position & bodhi was a rather large babie

[Von]

I supported a lady who was in the position for the pushing stage and she did tear a little....using gravity is always the best option i say...

[PinkPalace]

i was on all fours for 2 hrs until i was ready to push bubs out. This was the both babies.
ON my back for both births... no tear #1 - 2degree tear #2... so not sure... Wanted to birth squatting or standing but couldnt muster the energy to stand!

[Kitt3n]

try reading "new active birth" - it gives some great info

[Heaven]

I'm just reading New Active Birth now and it says the best was to avoid tears and the most efficient way to birth is a supported squatting position. I'm gonna have to work on my leg muscles I think.

[Pretty Butterfly]

With #4 I was standing. Very easy pushing stage, and no tears, over 8 pound bub!!

With #5 I was on all fours, and they raised the bed head so I was really on my knees, holding the bed head, for pushing. Very easy pushing again, no tears, almost 9 pound bub.
I will definatly be getting a good gravity position this time too!!!

[Kitt3n]

me too sara jane!!

[satya]

I intended to birth that way or squatting but after a long labour it wasn't possible as I just didn't have the energy to be in that position. I laboured for hours on my knees next to the bed, then for hours on all fours on the bed, then on knees with arms over the bed head.

I tried pushing whilst in that last position but after a while I was too exhausted and ended up on my back. My 1st stage was 15 hours and 2nd stage was almost 2 hours so it got absolutely exhausting.

[Beatrix]

i laboured for 1st bub on knees holding the bed and delivered that way, i had grazing

baby 2.. was on back but sitting in a sense.. a had a graze there as well

baby 3 - standing up leaning in bed... no tear no graze... and omg so easy to push

[~Raven~]

I birthed bub No2 on all 4's and had a 2nd degree tear. It was along the scar from tearing the first bub and it was a very quick birth which nobody encouraged me to try to stop and let the perineum stretch. May have ben a different outcome if that was the case.

[feeb]

you cant gurantee in any position of no tearing as it depend on babies position, decent of baby and stretchyness of perineum and control during pushing.

Hands and knees and standing or sitting on loo do lessesn chance due to you positioning and way baby descends down birth cannal and peri.

Best way to facilitate as small a tear as possible is to:
1. suppoerive midwide
2. active birth and position changes
3. sit on loo, stand, or hand and knees for pushing
4 listen to guidance of midwife so that you allow perineum to stretch slowly.

good luck

[Tobily]

I think some positions make tearing less likely than others, and certainly reduce your risk of someone deciding you don't have enough room and cutting you themselves.

I think there's lots of things at play as far as tearing though - the position of the baby, being able to follow your own urge to push and being given enough time for it to kick in, and also plenty of time to let your pelvic floor, and your perineum stretch around the baby.

The number of times I've seen women being roared at to push like billy-o as soon as the baby's head is on view....it's really awful. Just because they can see the baby's head they then feel the mother has to push it out asap. THIS is the cause of alot of tears that might not happen otherwise.

[Trish]

D, I birthed Abbey on all 4's, she was my only one born that way. I had no tears at all, but then I have never teared with any of my births. I did find that the desire to push wasn't as great as it was in other positions, but I was able to let Abbey just sit there and stretch me, I did little tiny pant pushes to get her out and never did that huge push. My body worked with me and helped to ease her out gently.

Goodluck huni.

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE So excited that you are UTD again. So wish I could share it with you hun

[Ilithyia]

I birthed both girls on all fours.

Briley - She was found to be posterior. Had no back labour though oddly. When it came time to push I was pushing in the semi-sitting position for about 30 mins without my movement. Midwife suggested I turn around into the all fours position. I was'nt keen at first because of the "exposure" of it all but finally did. I pushed her out 30mins later. Did have some grazing but no tearing.

Colby - Knew as soon as I fell pregnant that I wanted to birth in an active position. Colby was anterior but had horrible back labour. Again thought that was odd. As soon as I felt the urge to push I immediately turned round onto all fours. It was an very instinctual moment where my body just took over. Colby was born 10 minutes later. No tearing. No grazing.

[DANNIIM]

I birthed DS on all fours on the floor, well actually i was on a gym mat the hospital had and i was leaning over a big bean bag to support my belly IYKWIM, so actually on all fours more of my upper body was supported which was great! I had been trying to push for 1.5 hrs and nothing was happening and just felt so unnatural being on my back with my hoohah there to show the world....had quite a few spectators at that point too, all medicos!
No tears just a slight graze i was told!