A large search of the literature recently concluded that being upright and walking around during the first stages of labor makes the whole birthing process easier, and leads to less reliance on epidurals for delivery.  

Is this any surprise? 

When mothers allow gravity to assist in the birthing process, this allows the baby to shift itself into the lesser pelvis, into the pelvic inlet.  Then, because there is a rush of the hormone relaxin, the loose ligaments of the pelvic rim relax, and gives more room for the baby’s head to start crowning. 

Here’s a side view of a pelvis while standing.  There’s not a lot of room to start out!  Fortunately, there’s gravity and the relaxin hormone:

Side view of the pelvic inlet and outlet

 Looking down, this is a view of the trip out of the belly, through the pelvis.  We might need to loosen some of those ligaments to get through.  Chiropractic care will help keep the pelvis straight, with no torsion, no tight muscles. 

The pelvic inlet.

 Here’s the view from the bottom-up.  That pointy tailbone (coccyx) is actually pretty flexible, where there’s relaxin in the system.  With those cross-hairs, it kind of looks like it’s shaped like a baby’s skull. Do you want to push that out with the help of gravity and a loose pelvis, or would you like to be laying down?

the pelvic outlet

Oh no!  the mother is laying on her back, trying to push a large, roundish shape through the pelvic inlet and outlet. She’s got to push UP and over the sacrum because she’s on her back with legs in stirrups. Only she can’t push because they gave her an epidural.  Get the vacuum out!

Laying on your back, trying to push out a watermelon.

 As you can see, the mother has a mechanical advantage to push the baby out if she is somewhat upright, in a squat to help push out the baby. If she’s on her back, there’s a bumpy ride ahead for the baby with a pelvis that is squished down, making the pelvic inlet and outlet smaller.