Birth positions and staying mobile

You don’t have to labour and give birth flat on your back — in fact, staying upright and mobile, and choosing positions that work for your body, can make labour more comfortable and may help it progress. Here’s a guide to moving through labour and the positions worth knowing.

Why movement helps. Staying active and upright uses gravity to help your baby move down, can make contractions feel more manageable, helps your baby get into a good position, and gives you a sense of control. Lying flat on your back for long stretches is generally the least helpful position, as it works against gravity and can be more uncomfortable — so move, sway and change position as often as you like.

Positions for early and active labour. In the earlier and active stages, try:

Walking and swaying — rocking your hips, slow dancing with your partner, walking the corridor
Leaning forward — over a bed, birth ball, wall or your partner, which takes pressure off and can ease back pain
On a birth (exercise) ball — sitting and circling your hips, or leaning over it
Hands and knees — great for back labour and to help reposition your baby
Warm water — a shower or bath (or birth pool) to relax and stay mobile with support

Positions for pushing and birth. When it comes to birthing your baby, upright and forward-leaning positions often help:

Kneeling, hands and knees, or leaning forward over the bed
Squatting or supported squatting, which opens the pelvis
Side-lying, useful if you’re tired or have an epidural
Standing or using a birth stool

There’s no single “right” position — the best one is the one that feels right for you in the moment, and you may use several.

If you have an epidural. An epidural limits how much you can move, but you can still change position with help — side-lying, supported sitting, and being turned regularly all help, and some units offer “mobile” epidurals. Your midwife will help you shift positions to keep things progressing and stay comfortable.

Using props and support. Birth balls, bean bags, a partner to lean on, the bed raised up, pillows, a birth stool, or a rope/bar to hold can all support different positions. Ask what’s available where you’re giving birth, and don’t be shy about using the room — it’s yours for the duration.

Follow your instincts. Your body often knows what it needs — many people instinctively find positions that help. Listen to those urges, and let your midwife guide you too; they can suggest positions to ease pain, help a slow labour, or reposition a baby. Staying flexible and trying different things is the name of the game.

Put it in your birth plan (loosely). It’s worth noting that you’d like to stay mobile and use upright positions in your birth preferences, and to check your birth setting supports it (most do). Hold it loosely, though — you might feel completely differently on the day, and that’s fine.

Practise beforehand. It can help to get comfortable with a few positions before labour, so they feel familiar on the day — try leaning over your birth ball, kneeling on a cushion, or the hands-and-knees position while you’re relaxed at home. Pregnancy yoga and antenatal classes often cover these too. You don’t need to memorise a routine — just knowing a handful of options exist means you’re less likely to default to lying on your back simply because you’re unsure what else to do.

Moving freely and choosing your own positions is one of the simplest, most effective things that can help labour along and keep you comfortable. Stay upright and active where you can, use the props and your support people, follow your instincts, and lean on your midwife’s suggestions. Your body and your baby will often find their way.