Remember the hormone relaxin, this is where relaxin is very good! Laying in bed will actually flatten parts of your pelvis and make it less mobile. This makes it harder to make room for baby. By moving around you allow your pelvis more mobility and greater flexibility to allow the baby to descend into your pelvis.
Depending on the position of the baby and your comfort level here are some good positions to try in labor:
- Walking: This allows your pelvis freedom to move and provides you the benefit of gravity.
- Rocking: Either using a chair, ball or swaying back and forth, this position also moves the pelvis encouraging baby to descend. Can be used in conjunction with monitoring equipment.
- Squatting: While you wouldn't really use this position before later labor, this also uses gravity and opens the outlet of your pelvis up to 10%. Can be used in conjunction with monitoring equipment.
- Hands and Knees: This is a great position for backache! It allows the baby to come out of the pelvis slightly and encourages it to turn and assume a better position if it is posterior (or facing your front), it also provides some relief for contractions and removes gravity. Can be used in conjunction with monitoring equipment.
- Side Lying: It is gravity neutral and can help slow a fast birth or ease the pain of some contractions. It can be used in bed and in conjunction with monitoring equipment or may be requested if you're having complications with your blood pressure.
