A Birth Ball Can Make Pregnancy and Birth More Comfortable
by by Maurenne Griese, RNC, BSN0 Comments
More than likely, most people you talk to do not know what a birth ball is or what it is used for. A birth ball is a physical therapy ball that helps women get into positions that help labor progress. It's also great to sit on one while you're pregnant or to soothe a fussy baby.
If you suffer from backache or pelvis pressure while pregnant, a birth ball is for you. I found it a lot more comfortable to get on and off the birth ball than getting in and out of a chair or couch. I had a very mobile pelvis that got even more mobile the more babies I had. It was easy to do the pelvic rock as I leaned forward on the ball. The ball helps keep your pelvis mobile too. That's important when you give birth as this also helps labor to progress.
With my last labor, the birth ball helped me get into upright or forward kneeling positions that would have been a lot less comfortable had I not used the ball to support my body. I even used it postpartum to to help firm and tone my lower muscles.
Think a birth ball might be for you? Check with your local childbirth educator, doula, hospital or birth center to see if they have a birth ball available for patients to use. If they don't, you may want to consider purchasing your own birth ball. You can purchase one on the Web from doula teacher and trainer Polly Perez. Check out her web site at http://www.childbirth.org/CEP.html for more information about how a birth ball can help you have a positive birth experience.
My name is Maurenne Griese. I am a certified childbirth and breastfeeding educator and have a bachelor of science degree in Nursing. I am also a Registered Nurse and am board certified in Inpatient Obstetrical Nursing. I have been a writer for as long as I have been able to write! From essays in grade school to articles in professional journals and parenting magazines, writing has been a passion of mine for most of my life. Of course, I like to write about what I am passionate about, that being pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding. I have my own website for my home-based company, Birth and Breastfeeding Resources, at http://www.networksplus.net/griese. I sell baby slings and breastpumps from this site.
.Further Reading
A Birth Ball Can Make Pregnancy and Birth More Comfortable
Make Your Own Birth Announcements
Q&A: What can I do to make having a natural birth easier?
Placenta Complications in Pregnancy and Birth
Caffeine Intake During Pregnancy Linked to Low Birth Weight
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