Birth positions: the most suitable for reducing pain
Are there any birth positions that are more suitable than others? There are positions where you feel less pain during a natural birth, and the mother and baby have a "less stressful experience? Although there is a traditional and more common position, which is the supine one, every mother should be in able to choose the one in which it is most comfortable. Discover the various positions, with the advantages and disadvantages for each.
How to reduce the pains of childbirth?
In this video, Tata Simona anticipates what are, in addition to the birth positions, the various methods and techniques to reduce pain. The most common method, if you give birth in hospital, is epidural anesthesia, or alternatively laughing gas. Find out everything our expert has to tell you!
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Supine position: the most common
The supine position is preferred by both doctors and most mothers. The midwife, thanks to the mother lying on her back, can better monitor the situation and intervene if special maneuvers are needed. In the case of breech birth, for example, the supine position is essential to allow the obstetrician to proceed with maneuvers on the tummy to turn the baby around. A preference also to try to avoid until the very end of resorting to caesarean section. Often mothers in reality have no choice, and are directly placed on their backs to give birth, but there are advantages: standing on her back, the mother can take breaks during labor, and rest. A disadvantage of the supine position is a certain immobilization of the pelvis, which should be freer to accommodate the fetus' exit. Freedom of movement in the pelvis, for example, is one of the benefits of water birth.
Squatting position: easier for the baby to exit
The squatting position, with the mother squatting, resting on her feet, seems to be the easiest to allow the baby to come out. The pelvic area is freer to move, the birth canal is freer, and the fetus' exit should be more simple, thanks also to the action of gravity. The advantage, however, is more for the mother than for the midwife, who has more difficulty monitoring a birth canal facing downwards. In addition, the mother uses her legs alone, even if she leans on the bed, a chair or other supports with her arms. He may get tired soon and have to change his position.
The position on all fours
Giving birth on all fours, standing on the knees and not on the feet, does not tire the legs and therefore is a less tiring position than squatting. The weight shifted to the knees also lightens the mother's back a little, and at the same time facilitates the baby's exit. There are the same advantages of the squatting position, but also the same disadvantages: the midwife has less vision and less control over the birth canal, compared to a supine delivery.
The lateral position
The lateral position is one of the least used in obstetrics, yet it has some advantages that are not negligible. Mom's thrusts are favored by the fact that she can cling to a support, without putting too much weight on her back. The pelvis, as in the supine position, however, does not have much freedom of movement. For many mothers, it can be difficult to spread their legs in this position.
Giving birth standing: advantages and disadvantages
The standing position is the least used. In fact, only some structures allow mothers to give birth in this position, shifting all the weight on the feet or on supports to cling to with the hands, such as the rope. Gravity in this case is a great help, and the thrusts could be less painful, the pelvis is more free to move and in the breaks the mother can also stretch. However, clinging to the rope or supports can be tiring, and your back and legs can be severely affected.
