TRANSCRIPT OF ANSWER
There are all kinds of different positions that you can be in. One of the thing to keep in mind is sometimes we don’t know what will work best for you until we’re in that situation. So we may try one thing and see how it’s working for you and then we need to switch it up a little bit. I think most women kind of think about having a baby on their back, and their legs up because that’s kind of the typical thing we have in our mind. It’s the position that’s depicted in the movies and sometimes for some women it works, but for other women, they may not be able to get the power they need to push the baby out. It may make them at risk for a little bit more tearing.
So a great thing to consider is trying out different positions. So sideline is a great one to help preserve your bottom, prevent tearing, and help you push a little more effectively. Some women do awesome squatting or in a birth chair. If you think about it, it helps you really get the force, especially if you’re having to work to push your baby down. Some women end up on hands and knees, which can be another great one, especially grabbing a pillow to help give you a little bit of relief from being standing up. So during your labor, you might end up changing into all kinds of different positions, especially depending on what stage and phase of labor that you are in. So maybe when you start pushing one position that’s going to work really well. So maybe on your side works great. Well then we want to get that baby down a little bit more. So maybe it’s time for you to get up on your knees in a squatting position, or on a birth stool that helps get you a little bit more force, but just be open to trying different things to see what you respond best to and what works best for you and best for the baby.
