Benefits of active birth positions

Research shows interventions such as instrumental births and caesarean sections are more likely to occur if women are laid back on a bed during labour. This is one of the reasons the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) advises midwives to encourage women to remain active in labour and birth. Plus, it can also reduce the length of the first stage of labour by up to an hour and reduce the need for an epidural.

Gravity works with you, when you choose upright and active birth positions, helping your baby move down the birth canal. Your midwife will work with you to find comfortable positions that help you during labour - but equally, not try to move you unless the position you are in becomes inadvisable for you or the baby. 

In this article we explore a few of the many positions you might like to try: 

A birth ball is a really versatile tool to support a range of birth positions during labour. Sitting on it, takes the weight off your legs but still allows you to be upright and gently sway your hips during labour. Plus, if you get bored with sitting on it, you can lean on your birthing ball from a kneeling position on the floor - or even place it onto a higher surface like the bed, and lean onto it from a standing position.  

Just make sure you choose the right size birth ball for your height! Your knees should be below your waist when you're sitting on the ball - as this tilts your pelvis forward. 

• Under 5ft 8in (173cm): 65cm ball
• Over 5ft 8in (17cm): 75cm ball

When you buy your ball, make sure it is made from an anti-burst material so that it deflates, rather than pops, if punctured!

A kneeling position allows gravity to help your labour to progress, whilst encouraging your baby into a good position for the birth. It also takes the weight off your legs when you get tired of standing. You can kneel and lean over the back of the bed, over a birthing ball or even onto your birth partner's lap.

An all fours kneeling position can alleviate pressure on your lower back, which is particularly useful if your baby is in a back-to-back position. It can also encourage the baby to rotate from this position. As well as reducing discomfort in your lower back, it can alleviate pressure on your perineum which women find helpful, particularly during the transition stage of labour.  

Standing upright can also relieve labour discomfort. It opens up your pelvis and gravity helps your baby descend. It's a good position for rocking, which relieves pain, particularly during a contraction.

From a standing position, you may choose to lean against something for additional support - a wall, furniture and your birth partner. Equally, your birth partner can offer both physical and emotional support in this position, depending on your needs.

Alternatively, some women prefer to move around the room during a contraction, rather than standing still.

Many women will use this position as they feel the need to actively push during labour. It opens your pelvis up and enables your baby to find a good position to be born. To sustain your energy levels, it may be beneficial to lean into a birth partner or sit on a birth stool in this position.  

Birth pools offer a great pain relief option for women during labour and childbirth. Plus, it has the added benefit of giving you a sense of weightlessness. Women can easily move between different birth positions, including:  

• Squatting using the side of the pool for support
• Kneeling against the side of the pool for support
• Floating on your back
• Sitting and leaning backwards onto the side of the pool for support

Plus, your partner can join you in the pool if you'd like the extra support.

Unless your maternity team have said differently, it is likely that you will spend early labour at home. With this in mind, we recommend you try out different birth positions to see what feels comfortable. Try out using different pieces of furniture in different rooms, so you can easily adapt to your environment when labour starts.

Get your birth partner involved too, so they can better understand how to support you in different birth positions - whether it's helping you get into position, offering emotional support, a massage or physically supporting you in the position. 

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article are not intended to amount to advice, and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article. New Life Classes disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article.