Can I just tell you how much I love this squat! It’s the only squat you can do for an extended period of time in comfort.
The brilliant thing about this squat is that it’s available to the vast majority of women during labor, no matter what your level of fitness or your fatigue level. This is a restful labor posture and can be used in the home, birth center or hospital.
Amy is supported by sitting backwards over the chair. She can lean on the back of the chair with a pillow for padding. This puts her in the ideal forward leaning position.
She can also rest her head when she doesn’t need to actively manage her contractions.
Her hips are scooted back to give her more space to bend forward.
Her feet are propped up to put her knees in line with her hips. That gives her more space in the pelvis. Knees higher than the hips are OK as well.
Josh is giving Amy a back massage. This posture gives him easy access to her back, neck, shoulders, glutes, thighs, etc. He could sit or stand behind her depending on his own comfort.
Pro Tip
Do this on the toilet!
A toilet is a supported squat with zero pressure on the perineum. If the toilet has a tank, then sitting backwards makes sense. If there is not tank, then sit forward facing and hug your partner to lean forward.
Check out the rest of the labor posture series with Josh and Amy:
- Rock Your Labor with these Birth Ball Pro-Tips
- Birth Ball Pro-Tips for Labor – Part 2
- Three Techniques to Keep You Calm During Labor
Want to know more?
In, Confident Birthing, my Lamaze class, we go over these labor postures and a host of others to make you more comfortable, speed labor along and teach your partner how to best support you during birth.
Can’t make a group class? Private childbirth classes are available either in-person or via Skype to get you ready for baby.
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