Teaching Tips: Birth Balls for Squatting in Labor

Hey Doula Sis - Here’s a squatting tip to teach your clients.

I love teaching these tips in our Prep4Birth™ Classes because I know that it makes my client’s labor easier. And when their labor is easier on them, it’s easier on me! (I’m all about helping me, too!)

I bet you have heard that squatting is great for labor. It is!

BUT! Did you know that HOW your client squats is just as important - maybe more important - as WHEN your client squats?

I think it is really important for Doulas to know the WHY and the HOW behind what we do. And to experience HOW things FEEL. It certainly helps when you are trying to teach your clients in prenatal appointments. So… Try this:

Find a mirror so that you can SEE what your body does. Now, Squat!

What do you observe? Do you squat flat-footed? Do you squat up on the balls of your feet? Are you able to squat flat footed? Is hard to balance on your balls of your feet? How long do you think that you can stay in that position?

The Key take-away is that HOW and WHEN you have your client squat in labor MATTERS.

Remember that squatting with a flat foot, tucks the pelvis under in a counter-nutated position that opens the INLET. Squatting on the balls of the feet opens the OUTLET because of the way the pelvis moves into Nutation.

Knowing how to open the levels of the pelvis can make the difference between a cesarean birth and a vaginal birth. That’s a big deal!!! So how do you know WHEN to squat? That’s all about Station of the fetus in the pelvis. You can learn more about that in this blog!

Better yet, become a Prep4Birth™ Instructor and level up your Doula Services!