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The amazing Active
Birth Ball provides
In an active birth it is essential to have comfortable support in upright positions. The birth ball makes this easily possible in any birthing environment. We discovered birth balls when the prominent American childbirth educator and author, Penny Simkin, visited the Active Birth Centre for a series of workshops. She brought a ball with her and showed us just how simple they were to use. Penny told us that in her experience, the ball was an invaluable labour aid for mothers that really made a difference. We were so intrigued by Penny’s discovery of the ball, that we started experimenting with different large fitness balls in our yoga for pregnancy classes. The response of pregnant mothers was extremely positive. They told us that they found the balls easy to use and felt an almost immediate release of tension and pressure in the pelvis when using a ball to sit on instead of a chair. From these early tests we realised that the optimum diameter the ball should be is 65cm. This size can be made to suit most women perfectly whether they are short or tall, by simply adjusting the volume of air in the ball slightly to increase or decrease the height. The world’s leading manufacturer of fitness balls in Italy helped us to design and produce our own ball. It took us over four months and six different prototypes until we finally discovered what has become the now famous Active Birth Ball. Why the Active Birth Ball is different The Active Birth Ball is a large (65cm diameter), air-filled ball. You can inflate it in minutes using the power pump provided. The soft, wipe clean, PVC material is tactile and warm to the touch. It doesn’t feel at all sticky like other balls we’ve tried. And it’s very strong. It safely takes up to 300 lbs in weight -- two to three times the weight of an average pregnant mother. The Active Birth Ball is different than other balls you may have seen. We insisted on using an extra-tough, highest quality, burst-proof, non-slip material to ensure that the mother is always safe and secure when on the ball. The ball is virtually 100% puncture-proof! Even if, by accident it does get punctured, it won’t burst like a balloon. The air seeps out slowly so it's always safe. We actually guarantee that unless pierced with a pin or knife, the Active Birth Ball will NEVER burst. It's that strong and safe. The Active Birth Ball is a most wonderful Given freedom and privacy in labour, the mother will probably follow her instincts and want to move her body and change positions to make herself as comfortable as possible both during contractions and while resting in between them. The soft rounded contour of the ball is amazingly comforting and easy to use. Using the ball helps the mother to move freely, change positions and go with the flow of her contractions - which improves the blood flow to the placenta and helps to prevent foetal distress. These positions also maximise the help of gravity, helping the baby to descend as easily as possible through the pelvis. The birth ball is much more comfortable than a chair, bed or the floor. Because there's no back rest to get in the way, it's ideal if the mother wants her partner to hold her or to massage her back. The freedom to move around in labour helps to release her breathing, allowing it to become more spontaneous and encouraging her to express herself freely. This helps her to let go to the natural rhythms of labour and to stay relaxed through the peak of the contractions. Gently swaying and rocking rhythmically on the Active Birth Ball will help the woman in labour to focus on the wave of her contractions. This will help to soothe, release and ease the pain so she is less likely to need painkilling drugs or an epidural. The widening of the pelvis in these positions encourages the baby's head to descend and ensures that it exerts even pressure on the cervix, stimulating more rapid dilation. Some women find sitting on the Active Birth Ball especially comfortable during labour. The Active Birth Ball can be also be used to alleviate pressure on the hands and wrists if the mother favours the kneeling positions. This can be a great asset for women who have a long "backache labour" when the baby remains in a persistent posterior position. The ball can also be used with a low dose or mobile epidural and with external or internal foetal monitoring. To summarise, here are 7 good reasons
In addition to providing welcome support in labour... here are some of the benefits mums can gain by using the Active Birth Ball in pregnancy One of the most important things mothers can do to have a healthy pregnancy and an active birth is gentle exercise combined with good postural awareness. Of course when the mother's posture is balanced there is the added benefit of naturally carrying and positioning her baby well too. The renowned New Zealand midwife, Jean Sutton, has called this 'optimal foetal positioning’. Sitting on the ball at a desk or table or while watching TV raises the mother's hips higher than her knees. This encourages the pelvis to tilt slightly forward at a favourable angle to encourage the baby to settle into an optimal position for birth and to engage in the pelvic brim. When sitting, the softness of the ball also absorbs the mother's weight and helps to prevent and relieve back strain. Kneeling over the ball takes the weight off her back, encouraging good circulation to the placenta and is also good practise for labour. Sitting on the ball is ideal for practising pelvic floor exercises. Rolling with the ball encourages rhythmic movement and pelvic mobility. Natural movements with the ball help to gently and effortlessly tone the internal and external pelvic muscles. The ball is ideal for massage and relaxation. Gentle exercise with the ball is particularly useful for gently strengthening the body's central core -- the deep muscles of the abdomen and pelvic floor Awareness and gentle exercise of the core muscles is increasingly being recognised by fitness and health professionals as the foundation of a strong, healthy body. In pregnancy weak core muscles can cause the pelvis to tilt forward giving a hollow back posture where the spine arches excessively, the belly protrudes and the lower back tenses, leading to the classic "waddling duck" gait. On the other hand, well toned core muscles help to protect the spine, improve balance and posture, aid stability, ease tension and lower the risk of back pain. One of the main advantages of the birth ball is that there is no need for the pregnant woman to do anything exceptional. Just sitting and gently moving around on the ball while at a desk or as a comfy alternative to an armchair or sofa while watching TV will gently exercise the pelvic muscles, improve tone and increase pelvic mobility. The ball can also be used to safely prepare for supported squatting with or without a partner and gently strengthens the thighs and lower body in readiness for birth. Kneeling over a ball is much easier than being on hands and knees for an extended period and allows mothers to get used to using this position in pregnancy, so that it feels comfortable to use both during contractions in labour and for resting in-between them. In late pregnancy sitting on the Active Birth Ball can also help to ease the discomfort of piles (haemorrhoids), a common minor ailment in pregnancy. And, during the last few weeks, when the weight of the belly can make sitting and getting up from a conventional seat cumbersome, the Active Birth Ball makes a great alternative to a chair. You can encourage mums and After birth, the Active Birth Ball is supremely comfortable to sit on - and is a superb baby soother (gentle bouncing on the ball is much easier than walking and holding a fretful baby for hours and tends to calm and soothe them off to sleep within minutes). In the postnatal months the Active Birth Ball can be used as a fitness ball to help firm and tone the hips, buttocks, thighs and abdomen - not forgetting that all important pelvic floor. Babies appreciate the birth ball too! Mothers sometimes ease colic by laying the baby on his or her belly on the Active Birth Ball and rolling it gently so it exerts gentle pressure on the abdomen. This is also a useful exercise to encourage strengthening of the baby's spine - especially since these days babies are recommended to sleep on the back and often spend a lot of time in car seats. Thousands of women have benefited from the Active Birth ball. Here’s what just a few of them have said…
The Active Birth Ball and Power Pump are supplied free of charge with your water birth pool (portable & installed purchases). Active Birth Ball with FREE Power Pump
(worth £5.95) |
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active birth
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