Birth Balls

Birth balls are such a great support during pregnancy and labor! Let’s break down how they can support you and how to best benefit from this helpful labor tool.

A birth ball can help during pregnancy to reduce pain and discomfort by lessening spinal pressure and promoting good movement. Sitting on a birth ball throughout pregnancy helps baby get in an optimal position for birth by creating space and promoting good posture in mom’s body. They can also help strengthen your core and pelvic floor muscles.

A birth ball can help during labor to reduce labor intensity by providing movement opportunities through swaying and rocking on the birth ball. Research shows they can shorten the length of you labor and open pelvic outlet space to help baby descend. They are also super helpful in offering different labor position options. A supported squat, active sitting with hip movements, forward kneeling/leaning/lunging, and standing leaning are just a few labor position options with a birth ball.

Let’s end with some birth ball tips! It’s super important to know that birth balls are not a ‘one size fits all’. Following a sizing chart will help you find the correct birth ball size for you - 5’3” and under- 55 cm., 5’4”-5’9”- 65 cm., and 5’10” and above- 75 cm. Correct positioning when sitting on the ball will help you to get the birth ball’s full benefits! This means your hips should be slightly higher than you knees and your feet should be flat on the ground. One last tip is to search ‘exercise/yoga ball’ instead of ‘birth ball’ when buying. This will save you a couple of bucks!