The Power of Position: Move Your Body, Move Your Birth

By: Courtney Ferguson

I get asked by many different people, "If you can suggest only one thing that can help in labor, what would that be?". Obviously, this is a loaded question. There are so many things that go into what happens in your labor. What works for one person may not work for another. But lets just say my feet are being held to a fire and I HAVE to give an answer. The number one answer would be movement.

Why is movement so important? Here is a list:

• It is a comfort technique that helps decrease pain

• It help your pelvis and muscles move to make room for baby

• and its something you can do for yourself in labor.

Movement is a normal comfort technique you do on a regular basis. Think about if you are still to long and your butt starts to go numb. What is the first thing you do? Readjust or stand up. If you are standing for a long time and your calf starts to cramp up. What do you do? Move or stretch. We get to apply the same thing that you are already so good at to labor. Moving into different positions takes pressure off of certain areas and can help decrease tension in others. Research shows that changing positions can also decrease pain (Dekker, 2024). One example I see many people use (Including myself) is during labor, if they are having a lot of back pain, switching from sitting straight up in bed or on a chair to being hands and knees. This helps take pressure off the lower spine and can help with tension in that area.

Hands and knees is a great labor (and pushing) position

There is a saying that "motion is lotion". This is because movement and

positions help create space in different parts of your pelvis. With each position change, you help wiggle your baby on through your pelvis by releasing tension in tissues and allows the pelvic structure to move. More often then not, you will intuitively move in a way to help your baby move down. If you feel like you labor has stalled, try a different movement!You may have a labor team (doula, nurse, Midwife, OB) that is well versed on how different movements can help you progress in labor and can help support you by giving suggestions. Research also shows that movement can help shorten the length in labor (Lawrence et al., 2009).

One of the most important things about movement is that this is something that can help you be a part of your labor. During a process where controlling the variables of labor in not feasible, this can help create a sense of control and connection with your body. Discussing different movements and how it can help in your labor with your labor team will also help you feel more supported and a part of shared decision making. This can help increase your satisfaction in your birth experience (Alruwaili, Crawford, Jahanfar, Hampton, Fooladi).

Childbirth is such a beautiful time to learn how to trust yourself and your body. Using movement as a tool to help aide yourself in labor can be very powerful. It can be a small thing that can change the whole trajectory of your birth. Listen to your body and work with yourself to help you acheive the experience you want.

Love,

Courtney

If you would like to learn more about how to move with your body to help during pregnancy, birth, and into parenthood, check out Aligned at Birth.

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Disclaimer: This is to be used for educational purposes and is not medical advice. If you have any health concerns, please talk to your provider and discuss health care options with them

Citation:

Lawrence, A., Lewis, L., Hofmeyr, G. J., Dowswell, T., & Styles, C. (2009, April 15). Maternal positions and mobility during first stage labour - lawrence, A - 2009: Cochrane Library. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD003934.pub2/abstract

Dekker, R. (2024, December 8). Positions during labor and their effects on pain relief. Evidence Based Birth®. https://evidencebasedbirth.com/positions-during-labor-and-their-effects-on-pain-relief/

Alruwaili, Crawford, Jahanfar, Hampton, Fooladi, T. A., Kimberely, Shayesteh, Kerry, Ensieh. (2023, September). Pregnant persons and birth partners’ experiences of shared decision-making during pregnancy and childbirth: An umbrella review. Patient education and counseling. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37295043/