Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Canadian Family Physician logoLink to Canadian Family Physician
. 1991 Feb;37:356–361.

Primitive Delivery Positions in Modern Obstetrics

Were the wise women wiser wiser than we?

JL Reynolds
PMCID: PMC2145244  PMID: 21228984

Abstract

Fifty patients of an academic family medicine unit tried standing and squalting in second stage. Almost all (84.0%) of the women were able to deliver in an upright posture. They rated the upright position as safer, more comfortable, and more effective than the recumbent position. When compared with 136 similar deliveries from the same population, the study group had significantly fewer episiotomies and showed a trend toward more spontaneous deliveries.

Full text

PDF
356

Images in this article

357Figures 1-2
on p.357

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Atwood R. J. Parturitional posture and related birth behavior. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand Suppl. 1976;57:1–25. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Borgatta L., Piening S. L., Cohen W. R. Association of episiotomy and delivery position with deep perineal laceration during spontaneous delivery in nulliparous women. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1989 Feb;160(2):294–297. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(89)90428-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Chen S. Z., Aisaka K., Mori H., Kigawa T. Effects of sitting position on uterine activity during labor. Obstet Gynecol. 1987 Jan;69(1):67–73. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Dundes L. The evolution of maternal birthing position. Am J Public Health. 1987 May;77(5):636–641. doi: 10.2105/ajph.77.5.636. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Johnstone F. D., Aboelmagd M. S., Harouny A. K. Maternal posture in second stage and fetal acid base status. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1987 Aug;94(8):753–757. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1987.tb03721.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Kinsella S. M., Spencer J. A., Whitwam J. G. Use of digital arterial pressure to detect aortic compression during labour. Lancet. 1989 Sep 23;2(8665):714–715. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(89)90773-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Marttila M., Kajanoja P., Ylikorkala O. Maternal half-sitting position in the second stage of labor. J Perinat Med. 1983;11(6):286–289. doi: 10.1515/jpme.1983.11.6.286. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. NAROLL F., NAROLL R., HOWARD F. H. Position of women in childbirth. A study in data quality control. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1961 Oct;82:943–954. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9378(16)36172-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Prendiville W. J., Harding J. E., Elbourne D. R., Stirrat G. M. The Bristol third stage trial: active versus physiological management of third stage of labour. BMJ. 1988 Nov 19;297(6659):1295–1300. doi: 10.1136/bmj.297.6659.1295. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Pöschl U. The vertical birthing position of the Trobrianders, Papua New Guinea. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 1987 May;27(2):120–125. doi: 10.1111/j.1479-828x.1987.tb00959.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Russell J. G. The rationale of primitive delivery positions. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1982 Sep;89(9):712–715. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1982.tb05096.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Stewart P., Hillan E., Calder A. A. A randomised trial to evaluate the use of a birth chair for delivery. Lancet. 1983 Jun 11;1(8337):1296–1298. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(83)92412-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Canadian Family Physician are provided here courtesy of College of Family Physicians of Canada

RESOURCES