Labour positions that actually help (and when to use them)

Early labour: rest and rhythm

• Walking and stair-climbing (sideways, two at a time) to encourage descent.
• Side-lying with a pillow between the knees — for actual sleep, which you'll want later.
• Sitting on a birth ball with slow hip circles while you watch something distracting.

Active labour: upright and forward-leaning

Gravity is on your side when you are upright, and leaning forward gives the baby room to rotate into a good position.

• Standing and swaying, leaning on your partner or the bed.
• Hands and knees — excellent for back labour and posterior babies.
• Lunges with one foot on a chair, alternating sides, to open one side of the pelvis at a time.
• Leaning over a raised bed head or birth ball while someone applies counter-pressure to your sacrum.
• Sitting backwards on a chair or on the toilet — the "dilation station" for a reason: it relaxes the pelvic floor.

With an epidural or continuous monitoring

An epidural does not always mean lying flat on your back. With help from staff, you may be able to use a peanut ball, alternate sides and try supported upright positions in bed. Monitoring and mobility options differ, so ask in advance what your hospital can safely accommodate.

Pushing

Side-lying, hands and knees, and semi-upright supported squats all open the pelvic outlet more than flat-on-back pushing. Follow your body where you can, and let your team know in advance that you'd like to try positions other than lithotomy.