Women no suppose give birth wen dem lie down wit dia back

E dey more dangerous for women to give birth when dem dey lie down,

So why dem dey do am?

Na sake of one Frenchman wey decide say e dey more convenient – for men.

Across di world for thousands of years, women dey give birth when dem dey upright position - whether dem bin dey kneel, to dey use birthing stools and chairs or to dey squat.

In fact, squatting fit make di pelvic diameter open by at least 2.5cm (1in) wey e dey work wit gravity to make am fast and easier to give birth.

So why so many women today dey give birth on dia back.

"Na general ignorance among professions and pregnant women about di way childbirth bin dey," Janet Balaskas, founder of di Active Birth Centre for di UK don tok.

For 1982, Balaskas bin publish one book wit di title "active birth manifesto" wey don become di main work of her organisation.

"Throughout di world, and for thousands of years, women don dey labour and give birth for di same way when dem bin dey upright or when dem squat," di manifesto bin read. "Whatever di race or culture… di same upright positions don dey dominate."

Most women for di post-industrial kontris wey dey go hospital bin dey rest on dia back, Balaskas tok.

"Dis practice no dey logical, e dey make di birth process complicated and expensive – dis dey turn di natural labour process into medical event," she bin argue.

"No oda species dey adopt dis kind disadvantage position for crucial time like during labour."

Oda experts bin agree. In fact, to dey give birth while lying down na "modern practice", according to Hannah Dahlen, professor of midwifery for di Australia Western Sydney University, she bin write inside one 2013 article for 'The Conversation'.

Pipo dey see pregnancy as 'illness'

Na only for di past 300 to 400 years when women bin dey lie on dia back to give birth.

Dem fit tank one Frenchman wey im name be Francois Mauriceau.

Im bin claim say to dey rest on dia back go dey comfortable for di pregnant woman and more convenient for di male physician wey dey attend to her.

Mauriceau bin see pregnancy as sickness.

Inside im 1668 book The diseases of women with child and in child-bed, Mauriceau bin advise: "Di best and sure way na to deliver di women on dia bed, so say dem go dey convenient."

However, some scholars don argue say di change for di birth position fit actually be sake of anoda Frenchman wey bin dey live di same time as Mauriceau – King Louis XIV.

"Since Louis XIV dey alleged to dey enjoy when im dey watch women as dem dey give birth, im bin vex say e no fit see well when di women dey use birth stool, na so im promote di new resting position," Lauren Dundes, one professor of sociology for McDaniel College for Maryland, US, don write inside her 1987 paper on 'di evolution of birthing positions.'

"Di influence of di king im policy dey unknown, altho di behaviour of royalty don affect di pipo somehow," she add. "Di change Louis XIV bin demand match wit di time dem don change position wey e fit be say dat bin influence pipo."

Di trend of women giving birth on dia back now don stay, against di experience wey di women bin dey go through.

"To dey give birth now become established wey oda options dey reduce; like home birth – wey be more conducive for many women especially those wey dey want 'natural' birth," Balaskas tok.

Science don prove am

Di main reason why women bin dey give birth for upright positions for so many thousands of years na sake of gravity.

Di baby gat to travel down thru di birth canal, wey gravity dey beneficial for dis process.

Science don show say if women dey on dia own, dem go stull lean forward during labour – not on dia back – and adopt positions like squatting, leaning forward on dia hands and knees, or leaning against furniture.

One study wey review about 23 works wey involve more than 5,200 women bin show say oda important outcome for women wey give birth upright and mobile rather dan lying down for bed bin include "reduction in di risk of Caesarean birth, less use of epidural as method of pain relief, and less chance of dia babies being admitted to di neonatal unit".

Di review show say more studies dey needed for women wey bin part of di high risk groups – some oda studies also show increase in blood loss for di upright birth positions.

Research also find say upright birth positions dey reduce di amount of time woman go dey in labour.

To dey Labour upright and give birth upright gat advantages for both di mother and baby – Hannah Dahlen bin write for 2013.

She bin list di number of benefits, wey include more efficient contractions, less maternal pain, fewer forceps, vacuum births and episiotomies, as well as beta oxygenation of di baby for di mama uterus, as di aorta no dey compressed by di uterus.

For 2011, Dahlen and her colleagues do anoda study on women for labour to understand whether di birth area affect di position women bin dey choose when dem dey give birth.

Dem check two settings – birth centres, wia supportive equipment such as balls, birth stools and bean bags dey available, and delivery wards, wia medical hospital bed na di only option.

Dem find say di women for birth centres bin dey far more likely to adopt upright positions during di first and second stage of labour compared to di delivery ward setting – 82% of women do am for di birth centres compared to 25% for di delivery wards.

Awareness now don full everywia for di Western kontris about di concept of active birth, Balaskas explain – dis style dey promote di ability of di mama to move freely during labour and choose upright positions, rather dan say she go lie on her back wia dem tie am to some machines.

However caesarean rate kontinu to dey rise sharperly. "For di UK active birth don influence change for maternity services such as di option of midwife-led birth centres," she add, wey she tok say dis dey usually happun for hospitals wey dem bin design di tin to give women freedom of movement and access to wetin dem call birth pool. "Dis neva dey bifor 50 years ago."

Guidelines from di UK national institute for health and care excellence (Nice) tok say women for labour "no suppose lie down on dia belle for di second stage of labour na so dem gatz choose oda position wey dey comfortable for dem."

"Public education about birth options go always dey useful," Eileen Hutton, one midwife wey now become scholar for Canada McMaster University.

"When you study di way dem dey show birth inside popular literature, television and film, fit demonstrate how di birth process dey misrepresented."