Birth Ball question?

SmilingBluEyes · Apr 22, 2003

they remind me of the old "Hippity Hops" kids played on long ago. It's a thick-rubber-skin ball that a person may sit, squat, lean over, rock on, to enhance comfort in labor. They can be inflated to differing sizes, usually like 3 feet in diameter I think (?).......Anyhow we have several of them, some love them, some would not try. They are worth a try if a person needs a change of position and are comfortable once figured out.

L&D.RN · Apr 22, 2003

Some people love them and say they are so helpful in labor, but others hate 'em. We can't use them once the patient has an epidural, so for the most part they are helpful with NCB patients.

kimtab · Apr 23, 2003

The VP at my office sits on one at his desk. He says it's good for posture! Sorry not labor related but I thought it was so kooky I had to share.

Kim

renerian, BSN, RN · Apr 23, 2003

Learn something new every day..................

renerian

sbic56, BSN, RN · Apr 23, 2003

I have seen women benenfit greatly from using the BB. The position along with the rocking motion opens up the pelvis and allows the baby to move down nicely while providing a forgiving surface to sit on at the same time. It can be a great tool in my experience.

layna · Apr 23, 2003

The birthing ball is great for someone who is having back pain. I place it at the end of the bed on the floor, have the mom lean over on some pillows placed on end of bed while she is sitting on the ball- then place the coach behind her so that he/she can massage her back. Patients tell me that it is very comfortable to sit on. I had one patient the other day who would rather sit on the ball than on the bed!

OB4ME · Apr 27, 2003

Hmmm...We were just talking about this at work the other night! :-)

We use birthing balls on our unit. The only problem is that ours are all really big (the 3ft ones). We get quite a few tiny moms, from areas like Guatamala, who are well under 5ft tall...so this tends to pose a challenge! I have this horrible mental picture of one of them trying to sit on our ball, and just rolling right up and over the back! LOL!

At another hospital I worked at, we had a "birthing peanut"...same concept as the birthing ball, only it is peanut shaped. So, the mom would straddle the ball in the middle of the peanut...making it difficult to fall off, and more accessible to smaller women.

OB4ME · Apr 27, 2003

Hmmm...We were just talking about this at work the other night! :-)

We use birthing balls on our unit. The only problem is that ours are all really big (the 3ft ones). We get quite a few tiny moms, from areas like Guatamala, who are well under 5ft tall...so this tends to pose a challenge! I have this horrible mental picture of one of them trying to sit on our ball, and just rolling right up and over the back! LOL!

At another hospital I worked at, we had a "birthing peanut"...same concept as the birthing ball, only it is peanut shaped. So, the mom would straddle the ball in the middle of the peanut...making it difficult to fall off, and more accessible to smaller women.

mother/babyRN, RN · May 5, 2003

We use them but I have to admit I am a little afraid of them . I am always fearful my patient is going to fall off of one....

nursenatalie, ADN, RN · May 24, 2003

Neat, I saw one that had a "stabilizer" of sorts that it sat in with a back of some sort. Kinda prevents falling over but also the rolling from side to side

NurseyNursey · May 24, 2003

They are the same thing as exercise balls. I saw a more tube shaped one at WalMart the other day. That would provide all of the same benefits without the fear of falling off.