The Benefits of Giving Birth Upright

The medical model of labour care has become so entrenched in society that it’s now become the norm for women to believe they should labour lying flat on a bed. But this was only because obstetricians and midwives wanted easier access for examinations and interventions, and this is how they were trained.

However, there is very little evidence to support the effects of this physiologically dysfunctional birthing position.

But what if women got up off the beds and used gravity and movement to help the baby out. This reduces the feelings of pain as well as the time it takes to coax the baby out. When upright, women can work with gravity and the body's natural functions in labour to help the baby’s descent.

There’s a lot more research supporting the benefits of the freedom of movement during labour. Here's a potted summary:

#1: Gravity

#2: Fewer Interventions

#3: More Efficient Contractions

#4: Less Pain

#5: Shorter Labour

#6: Improved Oxygen and Blood flow To the Baby

#7: Overall Satisfaction with the Birth

#8: Significantly Increases Pelvic Space

#9: Lying Down Means Pushing “Uphill”

Feel the fear and birth anyway

Fear = tension = pain

Knowledge breaks the cycle of pain.

Don’t judge the pain of contractions; it’s just the muscles around your uterus contracting to move your baby out of your body. Think of the waves as positive sensations bringing your baby to you.

Many women find that by simply accepting strong powerful sensations as a key part of moving the baby out and breathing with the squeezes, rather than tensing up and being scared, they are pleasantly surprised by how manageable labour can be.

Think of it as a process.

We all respond to pain differently, based on our own levels of fear and anxiety, which is also what controls our pain threshold.

Sighs and low sounds will help you let go of tension in your body. When you open your mouth and moan, you relax your birthing muscles, allowing them to open more easily. Humming, mooing, singing, but keep the sounds low to keep bringing down the pitch.

Using mind over matter and mindfulness the perception of negative can be reframed. 5 positives outweigh 1 negative. Keep telling yourself positive things.

The more positive messages you give yourself about any task, the easier it is. It helps if others around you remind you of your strength and the wonderful reason for labour—your baby!

What is pain?

P - purposeful

A - anticipated

I – intermittent

N – normal

Pain is created by the brain. There is no pain in the body unless the brain translates it as that. So if the mind is strong, the brain doesn’t translates pain into something overwhelming.

Breath is a natural pain reliever. Deep breathing can really help during contractions, concentrate on the breath and it might help. Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. In breath 4, out breath 8.

Several studies have shown that women who use no labour medication are the most satisfied with their birth experience.

And those who had epidurals were the least satisfied with their experiences birth (probably because of higher rates of intervention).

Giving birth can be a huge challenge but no two births are alike and no two women have the same degree of labour sensations so it mostly comes down to individual pain thresholds and a belief that you can do it! And the belief of a partner who believes in you and keeps saying: “You can do it!”

It's totally different for everybody, but knowing all the options gives women so much more control over the labour process.