Ins and Outs of Squatting Births

Squatting Birth Struggles

Although squatting can be empowering for many women, anatomy is not on your side when it comes to delivering in this position.

"If you try to deliver while in a squatting position, you push the baby's head right into the pelvic bone, rather than letting baby come from underneath," says Wilson-Stephens, who advises women to lie on their back and tilt their pelvis so the small of their back presses into the bed. That gives baby more room to make the almost 90-degree turn from the uterus through the birth canal. That's hard to do when standing.

It's also hard to stand after having an epidural, Dr. Schaffir says. Anesthesia can cause numbness and limit motor function in the legs. If you plan on having an epidural, don't plan on squatting after you get the goods.

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