How can birth balls help childbearing women?
The Birth Ball is a physical therapy ball, usually about 29″ in diameter. The ball can be used in prenatal and postpartum fitness programs; used in late pregnancy can help encourage the baby to engage in the OA position; for positioning during childbirth and for comforting the baby after birth. Using a Birth Ball can make rhythmic movement, changing positions and remaining upright easier. Fatigue is decreased when a woman can rest part of her body on the ball. The ball provides support to hip joints, knees, and ankles so the woman can be mobile for longer periods of time. STANDING: Gravity helps the fetus to descend during the course of labor. The laboring woman can tolerate standing longer when she rests her upper body on a birth ball that is placed on a bed or stationary chair. KNEELING: Women often kneel to relieve the pain of back labor and to encourage the rotation of a posterior position baby. Kneeling over the birth ball and rocking or rotating the hips is more comfortable and c
