Whether lying on their back, all-fours position, sitting upright or squatting – women adopt different birthing positions during childbirth. What has not yet been researched is how the respective final birthing position affects the satisfaction of the woman giving birth.
Researchers from the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), the University of Bonn and the University of Cologne have now investigated precisely this. In particular, they also took into account whether the choice of birthing position was voluntary. The results showed that it was precisely when this was chosen voluntarily that women were more satisfied. Around three quarters of those surveyed were lying during the birth and were particularly dissatisfied if they felt that they had not made this choice themselves. However, if the expectant mothers had chosen the supine or lateral supine position themselves, the position actually tended to make them more satisfied. The study has now been published in the journal “Archives of Gynecology”.
For a long time, the supine position was the most common birth position in Western countries – this gave obstetricians unhindered access to the woman and child. In various cultures, however, upright birthing positions, such as sitting or squatting, are also widespread. Which position is best for expectant mothers and the unborn child is controversial in the literature. “Until today, international guidelines usually only recommend that women should adopt their preferred birthing position,” explains Prof. Dr. Nadine Scholten, who recently became head of the UKB’s Research Unit for Health Communication and Health Services Research and holds a professorship in psychosomatic and psycho-oncological health services research at the University of Bonn. With regard to birthing positions, the German guideline also states that women should adopt the position that seems most comfortable to them. However, they should also be encouraged to adopt an upright position in the final phase of birth. “In reality, whether they ultimately lie, sit or squat depends on the wishes of the expectant mothers themselves, but also on the suggestions of the midwives, obstetricians and sometimes necessary medical measures,” explains Prof. Dr. Brigitte Strizek, Director of the Clinic for Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine at the UKB.
Focus on women’s satisfaction
A team led by first and corresponding author Prof. Scholten, who carried out the study at the Institute for Medical Sociology, Health Services Research and Rehabilitation Research (IMVR) at