05/22/2026
💁🏽♀️What does research tell us about upright labor and birth?
According to the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group, a respected international organization that defines best practices based on research, the use of any upright or side-lying position, compared with supine or lithotomy positions (lying on back, legs supported by stirrups), is associated with the following results:
✅shorter second stage of labor;
✅a small reduction in vacuum or forceps-assisted birth;
✅fewer episiotomies;
✅less chance that the woman will report severe pain;
✅fewer abnormal fetal heart rate patterns;
✅a small increase in second-degree lacerations (in the upright group only); and
✅an increase in estimated blood loss, although there was no evidence of serious or long-term problems from the extra blood loss (Gupta, Hofmeyr, & Smyth, 2004).
⬆️Upright and gravity-neutral positions are safe during pushing and are often more comfortable than lying on your back.
➡️Following your own urge to push is less stressful for your baby than directed pushing.
⬇️Pushing when and how your natural urge tells you to gives you the best chance of preventing tears and muscle weakness in your pelvis after the birth.
📸:
Midwife:
www.thebirthimpact.com
