28 Mar The dangle
Here you can see a women being supported by her birth partner. The position is very similar to that of a squat. In birth you probably wouldn’t be holding this position for long, just during the tightening. Its more likely that you’d be mobile and moving around between tightenings, and then when your tightening starts your birth partner would help support you.
They can also do this by leaning against a wall, with you resting on them for the 50-90 seconds your tightening lasts for.
Some birthing centres and hospitals have special rails with material on them to help support you if you choose to give birth standing up.
Have a look again at the pelvis now in this position. You will see that all of these more upright positions allow for the pelvis to remain in its 45-degree angle and that this promotes an easier descent for baby through the birth canal.
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