A birth ball – Why though?!

A birth ball – Why though?!

There are often a lot of costs as you move through pregnancy and start to prepare for your baby to be earth-side, so if you’ve been wondering whether a birth ball is just another ‘fad’ or really worth the money read on…

A birth ball is basically a bit of a bigger version of a gym ball, that can be used throughout your pregnancy and can have many benefits particularly in regards to practising positions for labour, sitting comfortably and even in labour itself.
Research shows that a birth ball can actually help to reduce lower back pain in late pregnancy and labour. It can also support in taking some pressure off your knees and ankles. There’s also very little strain on your wrists if you are kneeling over the ball, a position a lot of women find comfortable in labour, some women can find they end up with sore wrists from leaning over onto hard surfaces.

It’s important to get comfortable with using a birth ball during pregnancy so you feel safe and confident in using it during labour. In labour it can be tricky to get comfortable in any position, but if you’re familiar with your ball positions you should be able to get some relief and comfort from this. During labour you may instinctively find yourself wanting to rock and sway/move in rhythm with your contractions and the birth ball allows great support for this. Using a birth ball also means that you naturally assume positions that are great for labour! It helps in opening the pelvis, allowing your baby lots of room to move down and get in a great position ready for pushing. If you need electronic monitoring during labour you can still use your birth ball to help with remaining in optimal positioning during labour.

There’s also a peanut-shaped birth ball that you may have seen, or will see in some birthing units, they are effectively the same thing, except peanut shaped! These are most often used during labour when the birthing person needs to stay in bed, for example following an epidural, helping to lift one leg and open up the pelvis. Some examples of how the peanut birth ball can be used are shown below.
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What do I need to consider when buying a birth ball?
-A birth ball needs to be the right size for your height; your knees should be 10cm lower than your hips when you sit on it.
If you’re up to 1.73m (5ft 8in) in height, get a 65cm ball.
-If you’re taller than 1.73cm (5ft 8in), get a 75cm ball.

How safe it is?
-Used correctly a birth ball is totally safe, but there are things you need to be mindful of;
-Always worth going barefoot or using non-slip socks or shoes to prevent slipping.
-Keep balls away from sharp objects (although most are made to deflate slowly if punctured rather than burst)
-Please go careful if your waters break that you don’t get the ball near liquids and slip.
-It’s always worth discussing with your midwife use of a birth ball before you use one.

In summary, they’re great! In the eyes of many birth workers they are a great tool in helping make all the difference in both pregnancy and labour.