What you need is a ball that's 65cm (26in) or 75cm (30in) in height when inflated. Some gym balls come up much smaller than you expect when you get them home.
When Should You Start Using a Birthing Ball? Ideally, you should start many weeks or months before birth. You can use the birthing ball for exercise and practice balancing. When you use the birthing ball during labor, you will feel pain relief after 20 to 90 minutes.
Birth balls come in 55 CM, 65 CM and 75 CM sizes. To find the right size for you, when you sit on the ball fully inflated, your knees should be at a 90 degree angle. A ball too big or small will force you to overcompensate your posture, which is the opposite of the intention!
According to Brichter, sitting on an exercise or birthing ball in neutral wide-legged positions prepares the body for labor by increasing blood flow, opening the pelvis, and encouraging cervical dilation. You can also try birth ball exercises such as circular hip rotations, rocking, and gentle bouncing.
You may be wondering how to use a birthing ball to break your waters... Well, once your baby has moved into an optimal foetal position, simple techniques on the ball will ease your little one down the birth canal. The pressure of your baby's head will then help naturally break your water and dilate your cervix.
A birthing ball can provide a lot of comfort before and during labor. It can help relieve back pain, decrease pelvic pressure, and it might even shorten labor. The one thing it can't do, though, is induce labor. And the best thing about a birthing ball, you can use it after birth to sit comfortably or get into shape.
Gently bouncing on an exercise ball to induce labor not only encourages baby to move down and in turn assist with cervix dilation, but it can also soothe baby, Green says. Sit on the exercise ball, with your legs wide apart, and move your hips up and down.
Birthing balls and gym balls are basically the same thing. Both can be made from anti-burst materials. This means they deflate slowly rather than with a bang if punctured. Make sure your ball is anti-burst, but keep sharp objects away from it, just in case .
Essentially, a pregnancy ball is the same as an exercise ball used in gyms. The pregnancy ball's durable material makes them very difficult to puncture and tends to be larger than a standard exercise ball for additional comfort.
Alternatives: Stacked pillows can work well, but require more frequent adjustments. Tips: Inflate prior to birth. Size matters - a 50 cm ball will work for most people, but if you are taller or have short legs, you may want to go down or up in size accordingly.
Walking. Unless otherwise advised by your doctor, it's important to stay active during pregnancy—for you and the baby's health. Although staying fit during pregnancy won't induce labor, some studies have shown spending time upright can shorten labor.
Get a physio ball – 65cms (or 75cms if you are tall). Blow it up so that when you sit on it, knees apart with your feet flat on the floor, your hips are higher than your knees. From now on use instead of a chair. Do a little GENTLE bouncing a few times a day – this will encourage the head down.
Do these circles for 20 minutes, changing directions periodically. Alternate abdominal lifts with circles on the ball once contractions begin if the contractions are not yet 3-4 minutes apart and it's not time to sleep.
If your baby's in a posterior position (head down, with their back against your back), it usually means you'll feel kicks right at the front of your tummy, generally around the middle . You may also notice that your tummy looks as though it's flattened out, rather than being a rounded shape.
Gently bouncing on the ball will help your baby to move down the birth canal, and into that proper position.
Getting up and moving around may help speed dilation by increasing blood flow. Walking around the room, doing simple movements in bed or chair, or even changing positions may encourage dilation. This is because the weight of the baby applies pressure to the cervix.
Medical cervical ripening
Medications also can be given to help induce softening and dilatation of the cervix. Oral or vaginal suppository drugs, such as misoprostol and other prostaglandins, are also commonly used to ripen the cervix.
You may have read that eating a whole pineapple can start labor due to the enzyme bromelain, which is thought to help soften the cervix and trigger contractions.
Walking during pregnancy: Reduces the risk of complications during pregnancy and delivery. Studies show that women who exercise regularly have a lower risk of developing gestational diabetes or having unplanned cesarean sections. Helps you burn calories so you keep your weight in check.
Theoretically, the unequal walking pattern created by the curb causes the pelvis to open and allows the baby's head to descend. When the baby's head is deeper into the pelvis, there is more pressure on the cervix, causing dilation and effacement. This uneven walk should be done for about 10 minutes.
Squats, asymmetrical movements and low impact cardio can all help induce labor naturally.