What is a Birth Ball?

We call them birth balls, but you may have heard them called yoga balls or fitness balls.  It doesn’t matter what you call them…but no matter if you are planning a natural birth or desiring an epidural, you can rock your birth with the help of a birth ball. Check out these 3 easy ways to make your labor more comfortable and more efficient.

Relax

Using a birth ball in this way is a great position if labor is a pain in the back.  Leaning forward will take pressure off the lower back and will use gravity to encourage baby into a better position to hopefully help permanently ease that back pain by moving baby to a better position to move labor along.  The bed is a great place to put the ball on because it is soft on your knees and keeps the ball from rolling around.  Counter pressure or heat applied by your doula can be a big help too if back pain is an issue. Even if your back is not hurting, massage often feels nice during labor and this is a great position for receiving one.

Peanut Ball

Using a ball shaped like, you guessed it, a large peanut, allows you to do all kinds of fun things. Perhaps the peanut ball’s most common use is to be put between a laboring woman’s knees in order to OPEN her pelvis and allow the baby more room to descend and rotate. This can be used anytime a laboring woman is lying down and it comes in super handy when mom is in bed with an epidural.  Your doula will now how to put it in the perfect spot and how to move you around to get your baby out. I have heard nurses call this use of the peanut ball the “baby go fast” position.

Bouncing Baby

This use of the birth ball is even easier, simply sit on the ball and lean over something…the bed, your partner, a chair…whatever you want.  The forward lean will help align baby and is usually the most comfortable position during contractions.  The ball will ensure that your pelvis is open and supported.  This is a great position if a rest is needed.  As you can see, it is also another great position for your doula or partner to give a massage which is almost always appreciated.

The great thing is that birth balls are super easy and cheap to buy at any store that sells sports equipment and many hospitals already have them there for you to use.  Ask your careprovider or doula if the hospital or birth center where you are birthing has balls available for your use.  If they do great, if not go to Walmart and pick up a ball and plan on adding it to the things you bring to your birth.  A birth ball is a great thing to sit on late in pregnancy or in early labor, so you may want one in your home anyway.  Have more questions about using birth balls?  Ask your doula!!