Movement during labor: Positions to Discuss With Your Team

Movement during labour is about finding support and comfort as your needs change. You do not need to stay upright throughout birth or practise a demanding sequence of positions. Ask your midwife which options fit the stage of labour, your mobility and any care you are receiving.

Start with positions that feel manageable

Walking, standing with support, sitting, kneeling and resting on your side are possibilities. Leaning forward or being on hands and knees may feel useful when discomfort is concentrated in your back. Our back pain during labour guide explains this without promising that a position will turn the baby.

You can change your mind after trying something. A position that felt helpful earlier may become tiring, and resting is a reasonable choice. Ask for pillows, a stable chair or help adjusting the bed rather than struggling to maintain a pose.

Make the space work for you

Tell staff about joint pain, disability, dizziness or limits on movement before trying a new position. Describe what support you normally use and what makes moving easier. Your birth companion can bring a cushion or offer encouragement, but staff should guide transfers when there is a risk of falling.

Ask how much space is available beside the bed and whether equipment such as a birth ball is suitable for you. You do not have to use every item in the room. Comfort and safe support matter more than following a picture from a class.

Discuss monitoring and pain relief

An infusion or monitoring equipment may change how you move. Ask staff to help with leads and explain which positions remain possible. Do not disconnect equipment yourself. A recommendation to change position should come with an explanation when circumstances allow.

With an epidural, your legs may be numb or weak. Walking is only appropriate after staff check strength and sensation and provide assistance. Even when walking is unsuitable, supported changes of position in bed may be possible.

Reconsider positions when pushing begins

Lying completely flat on your back can lower blood pressure and reduce blood flow through the placenta. Your team can help you find another comfortable position. Side lying can be useful with an epidural; without one, upright positions or movement may offer benefits. No position guarantees an uncomplicated birth.

The pushing guide explains why advice may change with the baby’s progress and wellbeing. If you need an examination or assisted birth, ask what position is required and how staff will support your comfort. Your role is to communicate what you are feeling, not to achieve a perfect birth posture.