Birthing study backs kneeling position
Women have less pain than when they sit for delivery
MSNBC.COM SPECIAL REPORT
Updated: 6:33 p.m. ET March 7, 2006
First-time pregnant women who give birth in a kneeling position experience
less pain than those who deliver in a seated position, researchers in Sweden
report. However, the duration of the active phase of labor (the time spent
pushing) is similar with the two approaches, according to the study,
published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Several studies have already reported the advantages of an upright delivery
position compared to one lying down, such as less pain and more efficient
contractions. However, this is the first time researchers compared the two
most common upright delivery positions kneeling and sitting.
Lead by I. Ragnar, from the University of Malardalen in Vasteras, the team
followed 271 healthy first-time mothers, whom they randomly divided into two
groups: one that prepared for labor in a kneeling position, the other for a
seated position. After delivery the women filled out a questionnaire
describing their experiences. The results revealed no major differences
between the two groups in the duration of labor. The pushing phase lasted
48.5 minutes for women who kneeled and 41.0 minutes for women who sat.
On the other hand, the two groups reported significantly different labor
experiences. Women in a seated position reported a higher level of pain,
less comfort giving birth and more frequent feelings of vulnerability and
exposure than women in the kneeling position, the authors write. The
researchers also found no difference in the frequency of sphincter ruptures
between the two groups. However, women in the kneeling position reported
significantly less pain after delivery than those in the sitting position.
This might be explained by the kneeling position being more flexible when
it comes to moving the lower back, diverting some of the pressure toward the
lower spine, the authors suggest. In addition, the researchers detected no
adverse effects on the fetus for either delivery position.
Copyright 2006 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or
redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior
written consent of Reuters.
Leanne Wynne
Midwife in charge of "Women's Business"
Mildura Aboriginal Health Service Mob 0418 371862
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