Posts Tagged ‘labor’

What is the best position for them to come out? This is important to know because by “best position” we mean the easier and safer for him and for you.

The best position for your baby to be born is, first of all, when you are in labor and, second, when he is upside down, with the back of the head slightly toward the front of your womb.

In this position, the baby perfectly fits into the curve of your pelvis and it is easy for him to move gently down during labor.

When it comes to the lower part of your pelvis, the baby turns his head a little so that the widest part of the head is in the widest part of your pelvis.

Then, the back of his head can slip down from your pelvic bone; his little face will pass through the perineum, which is the tissue between the back of the vagina and anus.

When the baby shows up from the vagina, he has the back of his head facing toward the front of your abdomen. He is looking backwards compared do you.

In this position the labor is often shorter and easier.

Some babies go down to the pelvis with the back of the head turned toward the spine of the mother. That is the opposite of what they usually do, with their back towards their mother’s womb.

This is called a POSTERIOR position and can lead to a series of events:

• Your bag is broken at the start of labor
• You have a lot of pain during and in between contractions
• The labor is slower
• You may need forceps or vacuum (a suction apparatus) to help your baby to be born.

The close proximity between the bones of the baby’s skull and the mother’s spine can be very uncomfortable. In this case, the best position for the labor is all four, with hands and feet. In this way, the baby is away from his mother’s relieving the back pain.

When he reaches the lower part of the pelvis, he needs to rotate 180 degrees to be in the best position for birth. This may take a long time, or he may decide that he will not turn! In this case, it will be born with the little face looking at his mother. Or he may need external help.

Women instinctively know how to conduct their labor if they are left alone and at ease. However, giving birth in hospital sometimes means that it is harder to do what your body asks you to do because of lack of space in the delivery room or because you have to subdue to multiple procedures. Thus, it’s important to prepare your way by visiting the hospital and have a frank conversation with your doctor or midwife. Also writing a birth plan helps you, and the professional, to better know what you want and how you want it.

Even so, when in the hospital you will inevitably find some limitations. Here some tips to ease your time there and improve your baby position during labor:

- Maintain up straight as long as possible
- Avoid lying down in bed for any length of time
- Leaning forward during contractions
- Ask your birth companion to massage your back
- Balance your pelvis during contractions to help your baby to turn as it passes by the pelvis
- Avoid sitting in a chair or a bed in a reclined position back.

• Company during labor and delivery – Write who you want to be with you. Positions for labor and birth – Mention which position you would like to use and how active you’d like to be.
• Pain relief – Tell what kind of pain relief you want if any. Water – You may choose to use the shower or a bath tub during labor or delivery. Write it. Monitoring the heart of your baby. Write if you want the doctor hear the baby’s heart intermittently using a handset or if you want an electronic monitoring using a band strapped immobilizing your waist.
• Birth attended – You may want to express your preference for forceps or extractor if you need help with the delivery.
• Position for birth – Say if you want to give birth in bed, or kneeling, standing or squatting.
• Third stage (delivery of the placenta) – You can choose to take your placenta home. There are interesting uses for it.
• Feeding Baby – Be clear about breastfeeding. If you do not say anything, at the hospital they will probably give him the bottle.
• Unexpected situations – Some women write what they want to happen if their babies need special care. They may want to have permission to be with him as much as possible and to be transferred with him to another hospital if the transfer is necessary.
• Special Needs – If you have a disability, write that kind of help will need during childbirth. If you have special religious needs, be sure to include them. Or you may need some rituals or a special diet while in hospital. Write all.

A birth plan is a way to communicate with the midwives and doctors who take care of you during labor. It tells to these professionals about the type of delivery you would like to have, what you want to happen and what you definitely want to avoid. It is not written in stone because the best birth plans acknowledge that things may not go according to the plan.

Before you start writing get as much information as possible:

- Attend classes in prenatal care. A good pre-natal teacher will help you make the best choices for you.

- Talk to women who gave birth in hospital where you will give birth, or at home if you want a homebirth. Find out how easy or difficult it was for them to achieve the kind of experience they wanted.

- Talk with your partner or the person who will be with you during childbirth. Ask them how they see their role during your labor and check if they are the right people to accompany you.

- Finally, read good articles you can find in the web about birth. Tell your professional care the doubts you have and discuss your desire.