You may have heard of the “Birthing Ball” being used in hospitals and birthing suites to help women in labor, and you might be thinking: What is a birthing ball and how in the world do I use it?
A Birthing Ball, which is also called an exercise ball or yoga ball, is a large inflatable ball made of a heavy duty plastic that can be used in a variety of different ways for stretching, toning, and balancing exercises. We’ll focus on how this tool can be used in pregnancy and labor to help with stretching and relaxation. As with any exercise or positioning, you should check with your provider to make sure that these are safe in your particular situation.
Choosing a Birthing Ball
You can find a birthing ball in the sporting goods section of most department stores or online at any fitness-related website. It’s important to purchase the correct size. When you sit on the ball (as if sitting in a chair) your knees should bend at a right angle with your feet flat on the ground. The general rule is based on height: women less than 5’5” need a 55 cm ball; women taller than 5’5” need a 65 cm ball. Taller women may require an even larger ball. Also check the weight restriction for which your ball is rated and remember you’ll probably gain up to 35-40 lbs during your pregnancy. So, make sure it’s strong enough to support you.
Sitting Upright Once you purchase a birthing ball that is the correct size (and color, of course!) just practice sitting on it with your feet flat on the floor. Put a chair in front of you or use a spotter at first to make sure you don’t roll off and injure yourself. Once you feel comfortable that you can balance on the ball while sitting, try to do pelvic tilts and circles. Move your hips around but keep your feet planted on the ground. You may need to continue using that chair for support. These exercises can help relieve some of the tension and discomfort in your pelvis and hip bones. It also works your abdominal muscles while you try to keep your balance. Try using the ball at home as a chair while watching TV or surfing the internet in place of a traditional chair.
While in labor sitting upright on the birthing ball allows you to have freedom of movement in your hips, but supports you in the upright position, which allows gravity to help the baby come down farther in the pelvis. Of course, as expected the pelvic pressure will be quite intense when sitting in an upright position, but that’s how you know that it’s working to help the baby travel down the birth canal.
All - Fours
Another helpful position to use with the birthing ball is to kneel with a towel or blanket under your knees. Drape your chest across the ball and let your arms hang limp. Allow your back and hips to completely relax and let the ball support the weight of your upper body. Again, if you are comfortable with your balance you can roll the ball front to back and side to side for a greater stretch. This really helps release the tension in your lower back and hips. It’s also a great position during labor.
The “all-fours” position really allows the hips and pelvis to open up to give the baby more room to come down. Using the ball keeps you from having to support your weight with your arms, so you can actually stay in this position for quite a long time without getting tired. This also can help with the discomfort of early labor, especially in women who are experiencing a lot of back labor. When using this position in labor, your labor support person can massage your back or apply counter pressure to your lower back during contractions. Counter pressure is simply using the fist or heal of the hand to apply firm and constant pressure to the low back during a contraction. This has been shown to provide additional relief for ladies who have a lot of lower back pain during labor.
Squatting
Place the ball between your back and the wall. Lean against the ball and allow it to support you. Place your feet wide apart. Once you feel stable, move down into a deep squatting position, almost sitting on the ground. Continue to lean into the ball. Again you can rock side to side in this position, massaging your low and middle back with the ball. Like all-fours the squat position really opens the pelvis and helps the baby descend. It also allows you to get a deep stretch in the muscles of your hips and pelvis. Early in the pregnancy this exercise will help you maintain lower body strength that you will definitely need when the baby comes. During labor this position is especially helpful in creating more room for the baby and allowing gravity to help the process. You can even push in this position if you do not have an epidural. Pushing in an upright or squatting position has been shown to reduce the time spent pushing and tears in the perineum that often occur with a vaginal delivery.
Consider this…
Finding positions that are comfortable and relaxing can be very difficult during pregnancy. In my experience, I have found that using a tool like the birthing or exercise ball can be very helpful in allowing you to move in ways that might be difficult otherwise. The important things to remember are 1. Get the right size ball for your height and weight 2. Check with your provider to make sure that these positions are safe for you 3. Make sure to use another person or stationary object to maintain your balance, and 4. Be creative – try different positions, just remember if something hurts – don’t do it.
By: Allison Nissen, CNM
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