Why do women usually give birth lying down?

Perhaps it seems very normal to you that it is normal for women to give birth lying down. It has always been done this way, hasn’t it?

  • Well, not really. Until the 17th century, other positions were more normal at the time of giving birth, such as squatting or special chairs.

So… Why don’t women today usually conceive of any other idea than giving birth lying down? This cultural change was given, neither more nor less, than by the arbitrary design of a man… Do you want to know who?

The King’s Fetish

King Louis XIV of France (also known as the Sun King) had a particular taste for witnessing childbirth.

That is why, when his wife, Maria Theresa of Austria, was about to give birth, the Sun King ordered her to lie down. This basically gave her a better perspective to watch the birth.

Of course, he didn’t know that giving birth lying down causes women more pain, delays contractions and lengthens labor.

The reclining position was not only more comfortable for the observant king. At that time, the midwives lost space in front of the doctors (men), who also found it more comfortable to lie down to work.

Thus, the fetish of the King became widespread, and its influence was so great that the idea of ​​giving birth lying down reached our days.

Why look for other ways to give birth?

Of course, each woman and each case is different. There are women for whom giving birth lying down is more comfortable, as well as cases where their health is at risk and who need that position.

But in reality, giving birth in an upright position helps the baby to come out, and all the scientific and ancient evidence proves it.

On the one hand, to go outside, the child travels in the shape of a cylinder curved upwards, between the bones and muscles of the mother’s pelvis. If the woman is lying down, the journey is longer and against the force of gravity, which does not happen if she is squatting. Also, in that position her pelvic bones open up more.

Lying on your back also compresses your blood vessels, and less oxygen enters your body at the time of contraction. This does not usually affect healthy newborns, but it is not ideal for a baby who is less strong.

Finally, it has been shown that if the woman can move, childbirth hurts less.

Many believe that the tendency to look for new ways to give birth is simply a fad of the times. But in reality, it is just the opposite. To think of more natural ways of giving birth is to deconstruct a path that was founded on the whim of a man who, of course, was never pregnant or gave birth.

Respecting the body and wishes of women during labor means understanding that they know their bodies and know what to do. Therefore, childbirth must always be respected.