How to use a bed to support labour
I recently had the opportunity to attend the Australian College of Midwives national conference in Darwin with Linet (a medical product manufacturer). Whilst a partnership between a midwife and a hospital bed manufacturer was not on my bingo card for 2025, when offered this opportunity I came to realise the value of a midwifery perspective in the use of medical equipment, to optimise women’s labour & birth experiences and outcomes.
With the majority of Australia women birthing in a hospital where most birth rooms have a typical “birthing bed” - utilising this piece of equipment to work towards women’s birth goals is crucial. Thus, this blog post hopes to give you some tips & tricks to use a hospital bed to support you in your labour & birth goals (primarily focused on the goal of vaginal birth).
Firstly, my first trick is actually to stay away from the bed. Yep, you read that right. Most hospital beds are on wheels and can be moved within the limits of the room. I encourage you to discuss with your birth team about how you can use the ENTIRE room to promote “active birth” positions; that being positions that support your baby moving down into and through your pelvis with the use of gravity and movement to allow the pelvis to be fluid, mobile and open.
I adore this image (link HERE to purchase it as a poster for those interested) and as you’ll notice there is no bed-like structures in these images, just positions that support the pelvis with gravity. My first recommendations for positions and movement in labour and birth are these positions, and positions that feel instinctual. During labour, your baby and body are communicating with eachother, and so that unconscious urge to lunge forward during a contract - lean into that and do it!! because your baby is asking for space to descend down into your pelvis to support with the progress of labour.
Image credit - Birth International.
Secondly, using the same rationale, if the hospital bed in the birth space becomes a piece of equipment you use to support your birth, know that the bed is highly adjustable. Most hospital beds move up, down, bend, fold in half, head up, feet down, bars that can be added to support, etc. Please, do not assume that just because the bed is flat and at knee-level when you enter the room that it has to remain like that for the duration of labour & birth. Beds can be easily controlled by birthing women or their support team to be adjusted into a position that support and utilise gravity. Below are some images for inspiration of positions that can be adopted using common hospital birthing beds.
Whilst active birthing positions are highly supportive, labour can be a marathon and finding rest in intentional positions can be value to prevent fatigue. Also, whilst some practitioners will see and expect labour to progress in a linear pattern, from my observations in practice and the kowledge of many birthing women' I’ve had the privilege to serve, labour moves in ebs and flows and pauses to labour is not necessarily bad but rather your body & baby pacing itself. Troubleshooting these pauses can depend on the health and wellbeing of the woman and baby (and something that will be explored in a blog post to come!) but what I want to emphasis in this post is that rest is valuable in labour, especially when done in intentional positions that support the baby to descend into the pelvis.
Finally, consider using some targeted stretches and positioning called “The Three Balances” by Spinning Babies (TM) . These series of 3 exercises can be so valuable in pregnancy and birth to help with fetal positioning, soft tissue pain and tension and to help troubleshoot challenges in labour. Please follow the link HERE to explore how “The Three Balances” can be used to support your pregnancy, labour and birth.
Photo credit - Spinning Babies (TM). Please do not attend at home prior to consultation with a maternity health care provider.
I hope this has offered you some inspiration and support as you consider preparing for labour & birth. Whilst these positions are shown using hospital equipment, these are all transferrable to birthing at home.
How can Mum, Babe & Meg support you in birth?
Mum Babe & Meg has availability for full midwifery continuity of care packages for women expecting babies in 2026 (and beyond!). Choosing care with a Private Midwife ensures that the midwife supporting you in birth (whether that be in hospital or planned birth at home) is a skilled practitioner to support your body to physiologically birth your baby. Pregnancy care with a known midwife is demonstrated in research to increase women’s chances of a spontaneous vaginal birth.
Mum, Babe & Meg is a Spinning Babies (TM) AWARE Practitioner who offers Pregnancy Bodywork sessions which focuses on the practices of Spinning Babies (TM) to release tension, support maternal comfort and fetal position to support your body in pregnancy and in preparation for birth. Being proactive in your approach to pregnancy and birth is powerful, and optimising the functional space by supporting soft tissue of the pelvis and emotional preparation is key.
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All my midwifery love,
Mum, Babe & Meg