Birthing Ball

I went out and bough a yoga ball from walmart (instead of paying the extra money for a true birthing ball), and I found that when I was progressing my labor at home, I liked to throw my upper body over the ball while I was kneeling on the floor. I was able to rest my weight on the ball and still move around freely.

Yes, so helpful and really helps widen the hips and bring the baby down so much quicker! Helps with contractions and your husband can support you from behind and press on your hips to help with back labor and contraction pain. GL

M

My first pregnancy: no way, I refused to try it. It looked scary. What if it rolled and I fell? I was scared of it. Then at a class for the 2nd pregnancy, there was all this stuff to test and try out. One was a birthing ball, and I was like "oooooh, no thanks" but someone encouraged me to sit on it. I made my husband hold my hands while I eased onto it because I was scared. DUDE! It was the BEST thing EVER! SO SO SO comfortable! I liked it better than a chair, much more comfortable. And it didn't roll, it was weighted and, well, made for pregnant people to sit on without rolling. It felt really nice and we bought one for my house. I'd sit on it and do little squat movements to help my legs, and it was supposed to help your body but I don't remember how or why exactly. But, I liked it a lot and would definately recommend it. I didn't use it during labor because my bloodpressure was high and they were monitoring all kinds of stupid stuff, but I used it to prepare for a month or two before, (that and a water exercise class at the local fitness center). They both helped tremendously.
After the baby and you heal up properly, you can lay on it and do crunches like you would with an exercise ball (actually there's a lot of exercises you can do with them once you're all healed up and ready to work out). Then your toddler can hold on to it and roll it around to practice walking. My 5 yr old and 2 year old love playing with it still, to this day, so definately worth the money----it's had a lot of uses and a lot of life.
ONE VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: do not sit on it until you heal. (LOL) That may sound obvious, but it wasn't to me. The day I came home from the hospital, my mom, dad, brother, son, husband, everyone was just sitting around and there wasn't anything left to sit on in the room except the ball that just happened to still be in the room. Noone moved to get up (I don't think they thought I was going to sit) so I just walked over and sat on that. YOUCH! Jer had to run pull me up because I couldn't move. Don't sit on squishy things that help you spread the day you come home from having a baby. Not nice.

My sis used it with her first. She said the ball helped greatly through her beginning phases of active labor, as well as dealing with pregnancy pains in general. As the labor progressed, the ball wasn't much help... but she had an unusually long and difficult labor!

I labored on the ball w/ both my babies.
It really helped me cope w/ back labor.
If I ever get pregnant again...I will make sure my ball is ready and waiting. Lol. :)

Yes! It was the only thing that made me feel comfortable during labor. I don't know about inducing labor, as I only used it during active labor, but man, I loved that thing. I sat on it and put my head on the bed to get a bit of rest. Also good for rocking/swaying during contractions.

As a birth doula, I can say that the birth ball is great for some women in some labors. Every labor is different, and every woman is different. There are lots of great ways to use the birth ball in labor. During my first labor, I hated it. During my second it was good for a while, but not after that. My third labor was so fast that I never even got to look at a birth ball (I gave birth in the front seat of my car in an empty parking lot on the way to the birth center after about 75 min of labor) But, I can say that most women find the birth ball very comfortable during pregnancy, and it's wonderful to sit on and gently bounce with the baby in your arms after birth. My older kids love playing with the birth ball.

I always make sure that there is a birth ball available to my laboring clients. If there isn't one at their birth place, I bring one myself.

I tried to use a ball with my first, but I couldn't do it. I had such bad back labor that my butt cramped, and the ball was worthless. I love the tub.

Birth balls are great, I had one when I was pregnant/gave birth to my youngest, 12 years ago. It doesn't induce labor, but using that position can help labor that's already well established to progress and can help mom's comfort level.