The effects of the upright position during childbirth

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to replicate an earlier study to clarify and verify its findings. The 68, term primigravidae married women between the ages of 18 and 25 years were assigned to three groups: (a) one group used a 30 degree upright position with no bearing down instructions during the second stage of labor (n = 24); (b) the second group used a 30 degree upright position with bearing down instructions given during the second stage of labor (n = 22); and (c) a control group used a zero degree recumbent position with bearing down instructions during the second stage of labor (n = 22). The upright position enhanced the descent of the fetal head with a shorter duration of labor in both the first and second stages. When mothers in an upright position were left alone to bear down in response to their own bodies' urges, the second stage of labor was of shorter duration.