Any hospital delivery not on your back?

Question

I keep seeing stories and videos of women that weren’t comfortable to switch to their back but their OB basically pushed them into doing it and delivering that way for the OBs convenience. 
Has anyone had an OB that delivered your baby while you were standing, on all fours, squatting? How did it go?

Answer

Have a conversation with your OB, if they aren’t agreeable to letting you labor and deliver how you want, get a new one

Answer

1 - on my back
2- half on the bed half squatting off the end of the bed 
3- on my side
4- on my hands and knees 
I was very firm about being in the position I was comfortable in after pushing on my back for 2 hours with my first and breaking my tailbone because I couldn’t get my pelvis opened properly while on my back.  All my other kids were 1-2 pushes and out

Answer

I planned on delivering in another position other than my back. I let them know when I arrived for induction and they were okay with that. I ended up needing a c-section, but I let them know upfront with my birth plan.

Answer

Here’s the thing. They truly cannot stop you unless you have an epidural and need assistance getting into position. 
They didn’t like it but I pushed on all fours as well as my side and would’ve probably delivered that way if my son and I didn’t go into distress (wound up with a crash c).

Answer

I birthed on my back first time and I hated it. Already informed them I will be on all 4s or my side this time.

Answer

With my first, I delivered flat on my back on an operating room table because all the labor & delivery rooms were full. My daughter wasn't big and I wasn't medicated, but I had to push for nearly an hour. It was pretty grueling. 
With my second, there was a L&D room available (thank God), so I was able to deliver in, like, a kind of squatting position at the end of the bed. My OB was just fine with me moving around, and she was also trying to coach me on other positions that might be comfortable (all fours) when I started to fatigue. My son was a full 1.5 lbs bigger than my daughter but his delivery was SO MUCH easier since I got to be in a better position. 
Have the conversation with your OB in advance, as part of the discussion of your birth plan. My OB is kinda pushy and was convinced I'd get an epidural, so I had to be very very clear with her that my preference was natural, and I needed to be able to move. 
Once she realized that I'm more stubborn than she is pushy, she worked with me to make it happen. The nurses were also really supportive and worked very closely with me to facilitate a non-medicated delivery in whatever position I wound up in.

Answer

You can push how you like in many cases. Most OB’s will be open to side lying as it doesn’t impede their vision and is easy to support even if you do have an epidural. Hands and knees or squatting is great for free labor as gravity can assist, but it increases your risk of pelvic floor tearing sometimes! It’s very hard to do if you’re medicated but not impossible you’ll just need to be very firm and have a great support person to help you. If you do have to be on your back for any reason, putting a rolled up towel in a C shape under your hips is a good way to allow your tailbone more free range and make back pushing much easier so you’re in a more gravity neutral position instead of going against gravity. That’s also an easy modification if people feel uncomfortable advocating for themselves to whoever is delivering. Some women like being on their back anyways! There’s no wrong position and you always have options even if they’re just simple modifications

Answer

Three planned home births. My first two were born at home, in whatever position I wanted. My third ended up being a hospital both, so I didn’t know any of the docs. There were a lot of things o wasn’t happy about with my hospital birth, but I did goose my position when I started feeling the urge to push. I basically recreated my position with my second birth that went very well (water birth). I put uh e back of the bed up and faced it, leaning on it a bit (like I did the wall do the pool). I got on my knees with them apart, then put one leg up so that my foot was flat on the bed, kind of a half squat, to help open my pelvis a bit. No one said anything if or discouraged it in anyway. The only regrets I have about that position is that I couldn’t see the staff to communicate more effectively (when I told them I wanted hands off, I was ignored) and I couldn’t see my baby immediately because he was behind me while they unwrapped his very long cord so they could hand him to me (I tried to get turned around and they stopped me until he was unwrapped). Most docs these days will allow you to choose your position to some degree, but not many will let you birth in just any position, at least without some discouragement. The ideal is to communicate it beforehand and try to choose a position that allows them decent access AND opens your pelvis and uses gravity to your advantage.

Answer

I delivered squatting.

Answer

Our hospital let's you labour and push however you like.

Any hospital delivery not on your back?

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