Ways to Move During Labor
Moving during labor can help decrease contraction pain, facilitate the labor process, and help your baby become more enganged into your pelvis. Read on to find out more ways to move during your labor.
WALKING
Simply walking during labor can help labor progess because you have gravity in your favor. Walking also moves your pelvis which helps your baby move down further into your pelvis. This will bring your baby’s head closer to your cervix where the head can apply pressure to encourage the opening (dilation) of the cervix.
While walking will certainly help keep things moving you can level up with doing something called curb walking. Curb walking is exactly like it sounds. You place one foot up on the curb of the sidewalk while you keep your other foot flat on the road. Then you walk down the street keeping one foot on the curb and one foot on the road. Turn around and walk back so the other foot is now on the curb. Curb walking can significantly change the shape of your pelvis and can help your baby more easily wiggle down into your pelvis. Curb walking can be help contractions become more consisten if your contraction pattern seems to be irregular.
DANCING
You’ve probably seen videos of laboring folks twerking or doing the salsa. Not only does this promote some fun, it helps your labor progress. If twerking isn’t really your speed, you can always have your partner lead you in a slow dance. You will still have gravity and movement on your side but now you have the bonus of feeling supported by your partner. This will help create those good vibes that cause the production of oxytocin-the body’s hormone that causes contractions.
THE BIRTH BALL
The birth ball is a great tool to use for movement. You can do big circles with your hips, lunge side to side, and even do figure-8s with your hips. Some people like to sit on the ball while they move their pelvis in a front and back motion. These movements help you literally move through a contraction while your baby continues to move down further into your pelvis.
THE PEANUT BALL
If you have an epidural, or if you are just feeling tired and need a break, the peanut ball can be used to facilitate movement within the bed. Placing a peanut ball between your legs while you lay on your side can help keep your pelvis open for baby’s descent. Changing sides every 15-30 minutes is key to help create movement. Other positions with the peanut ball include the fire hydrant, the flying cowgirl, and hands and knees. Changing up the positions you are in will also help keep that movement momentum moving forward. Ask you support team or your nurse to help you move within the bed if you have an epidural.
THE SQUAT AND HANG
Some labor and delivery units have squat bars that can be added to the bed. Many folks like to take a flat sheet and tie it onto the bar and then squat during contractions while holding onto the sheet. If your hospital doesn’t have a squat bar, you can also throw the sheet over the top of the bathroom door and hang from there. Your partner can sit in a chair and you can face away from them and then squat between their legs. You can place your arms on their legs as you hang and squat.
ROCKING CHAIR
If you have a rocking chair in your labor and delivery room, definitely sit in it and rock through a few contractions. This is also a great way to gently move during early labor-go sit in the baby’s nursery and rock for 30 minutes.
As you can see there are many ways to move during labor. There is really no wrong choice about how you want to move, as long as you feel like it is working for you and your baby. Remember to change up what you are doing at least every 30 minutes. We like to say that “change brings change” so any time you can do something different, your labor is likely to progress. As they say in the movie “Madagascar'“, we like to “move it move it” and doing it during your labor will help your labor go a little quicker and help you be more able to manage your contractions. So, remember to move it move it!