What: A study looks at which birthing position (i.e. lying down, standing up) women prefer most in labor, measured in part by which women report the highest levels of satisfaction with their labor. Researchers surveyed over 700 new moms and found the majority gave birth lying down, and of that group 37% said they had no choice in the position. They were among the least satisfied, too.

Key line: “Particularly noteworthy is the high number of women who did not choose the birth position themselves and an associated lower level of satisfaction with birth. Despite the relevance of shared decision-making in the field of obstetrics, there still seems to be room for improvement, at least in terms of birth position.”

Source: Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics // https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00404-024-07770-1