When it comes to childbirth, many experts say you shouldn't take it lying down. For one thing, you're pushing the baby uphill. In early labor, says Mayer Eisenstein, M.D., an obstetrician in Chicago, standing helps gravity move the baby down into the pelvis, and the pressure of its head against the cervix encourages dilation. Standing also expands the pelvic inlet, the bony opening through which the head first passes. During the actual birth, several stances can help the process along.
Some experts believe squatting is one of the most effective positions for delivery.
One study, for instance, found a significantly lower rate of forceps deliveries among women who squatted and a much shorter second stage of labor than women in the supine position. Since a woman's muscles aren't always up to the task, some hospitals offer birthing chairs. Standing with her feet apart and her knees flexed, she held onto her husband and pushed while the nurse-midwife caught the baby. Copyright 2001, The Parenting Group.