Birth Ball for Pregnancy, Labor and Birth

Have you heard people talking about using a birth ball? Maybe you are curious what they are talking about!

It is basically a regular physiotherapy ball that is used all over the world in physical therapy departments. Many physical therapists seem to be drawn to the arena of labor and birth, and somehow someone had the idea of making pregnant women sit on the ball, and their use has extended to include labor and birth eventually.

These balls are perfect for relieving pregnancy pain. It provides a firm place to sit, but soft. It also improves good posture, allowing the muscles to be minimized by straining. This is also one of a pregnant person's most comfortable places to rest.

'I thought it looked dumb,' one mother said. "I can't believe I even got talked into trying it But after watching my co-worker for weeks, I did eventually try it I could believe the instant relief I felt sitting on it. I went out and got one to watch TV with. I even brought it with me to labor. The nurses laughed until they tried it With my second baby - the hospital provided it."

You'll want to make sure you have a birthing ball that's supposed to be seated on it. Weight limits can be tested, but they are usually greater than 300 lbs. Some birthing balls, some anti-burst balls, too. You can get some that have loops, or have sand in them, if you are concerned about rolling. If you can't find one before blowing it up, simply dump some sand into the hole to make it less likely to roll.

The birth ball will help them do this without the need for a partner while moms are learning to squat. You can learn to squat and gently ease into it simply by putting the birth ball on the wall and then leaning against your shoulder blades with it without fear of falling and no partner required!

The ball can be carried by the couple or doula for birth, or owned by the hospital or birth center for birth. The practitioner can have a birth ball in a home birth environment or they can be bought very easily and work well for the children as a play toy! My kids and I are battling for the ball constantly. They refuse to accept that it is linked to my employment.

When sitting on it during labor, you should be advised to cover the ball with a pad. This is mostly for your comfort as a bare bottom (even if it's just the backs of your legs), sticking to the plastic may feel very bad when you peel off the ball. A towel, blanket, or a sheet can be the pad. It may also be an in-hospital plastic-backed pad called a chux pad. It also helps make sure any leaked amniotic fluid is soaked up.

Many women use the birth ball to sit on and then lean on their bed over a stack of pillows in childbirth. This helps them to rock back and forth their hips and yet lie down at the same time. Several women spent a lot of hours like this. It also provides the partner and doula with space to rub their back or provide other measures of comfort.

It can be used in combination with fetal surveillance and when you are having back labor, it is perfect. Not only can they make the delivery more comfortable, they have been shown to help the baby turn because of the position that mom is in on the ball. This is often used by several hospitals in combination with mild epidural anesthesia.

The peanut ball is another form of ball. It's a peanut-shaped thing. For women who have epidural anesthesia, there have been a few reports on this ball while used in childbirth. There was a lower cesarean rate for females who used this ball to prop their legs in different positions.