Your Childbirth Experience
When women are pregnant and researching childbirth, they often begin a bit of soul-searching on their way to making their birth plans. You start to imagine your birth and how you want to experience this unbelievable phenomenon of bringing your child into the world. How you deliver may begin to feel important to you – and if you want to deliver vaginally, I have a great secret to share with you.
A peanut ball is your secret weapon to deliver your baby!
This tool that we can use during your labour may help you through your first (cervix opening up) or second stage of labour (pushing your baby out). This literal peanut-shaped ball was originally created to help us avoid a prolonged pushing phase of labour. There is limited research supporting its use (but the evidence is growing!) but there is some suggesting it can help! Let’s break it down!
Scientific Evidence Limitations
Firstly, I would like to discuss why there is limited evidence. The most recent review of studies looking at the benefits of the use of the peanut ball concludes that while there are lots of studies out there – the studies are not alike enough to give concrete protocols that will give us predictable results (this is often the purpose of scientific study). The studies are all very different from one another; they’re used at different times in labour and haven’t been looking for the same outcomes. When we have lots of studies that repeat the same thing over and over – that is what gives us confidence that we know EXACTLY how to use it the same way every time to get a predictable result. So, if you are using a peanut ball, it is unlikely that each nurse, midwife, or OB will use it the same way.
Benefits of Using a Peanut Ball
- High Level of Satisfaction
Studies show that women report HIGH levels of satisfaction when using a peanut ball in labour. If that’s not a benefit to making you feel in control and in a positive mindset about your labour and delivery journey then I don’t know what is!
- The peanut ball is believed to mimic upright positioning and widen the pelvis to help the baby descend through your pelvis
We want your baby to come down through your pelvis in the ideal position which is called the Occiput Anterior (OA) position. OA means your baby is coming down head first, with their face towards your spine.
Mikael Häggström, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
When babies are in a non-ideal position, we can help them try and get in the correct position by allowing more movement in your pelvis so they can turn around.
If your baby is presenting in the Occiput Posterior (OP) – which means their face and nose are facing your belly button, this is not an ideal position and can prolong your pushing phase. The OP position can also mean you are at a higher risk of needing an instrument like a vacuum or forceps to deliver.
Mikael Häggström, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Peanut ball positioning can open up certain parts of your pelvis – and allow your baby’s head to get in the right position.
Your provider may put you in different positions with the peanut ball depending on whether they want to open the top, the middle or the bottom of your pelvis.
- It may reduce the risk of using an instrument like a vacuum or forceps during delivery and decrease the rate of c-section, even if you have an epidural!
Peanut Balls and Epidurals
For all the reasons above, movement of your pelvis and allowing space for your baby during their journey through your pelvis and birth canal gives your baby the best opportunity to get in the right position for birth. Epidural analgesia is used in approximately 57.8% of births in Canada. Hospital policies often limit our movement once we have an epidural in place, but a peanut ball can be used with epidurals and help us widen our pelvis and give our babies that chance to move through the pelvis. There is research to support using a peanut ball with an epidural can decrease your chance of needing an operation or using an instrument like a forceps or vacuum in a vaginal delivery.
The loudest message I can give you if you are expecting is to be informed. The best way to prep for your delivery is to have knowledge about your body, and what the labour process looks like. Knowing you have options in labour is the best way to prepare to have you baby!
If you are looking for more evidence-based strategies to help you prepare for your labour and delivery journey – consider signing up for a group or private prenatal class with me. I am an experienced RN (former NICU nurse), and an International Childbirth Educator Candidate. My prenatal classes are packed with information about the third trimester, labour, delivery and the postpartum period. Check out my group class schedule here or my private prenatal classes here.
If you want more information on terms you should know in pregnancy, sign up for my free guide on Must Know – Red Flag Terms for pregnancy and labour and delivery.
References
Ahmadpour P, Mohammad-Alizadeh-Charandabi S, Doosti R, Mirghafourvand M. Use of the peanut ball during labour: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nurs Open. 2021 Sep;8(5):2345-2353. doi: 10.1002/nop2.844. Epub 2021 Mar 27. PMID: 33773071; PMCID: PMC8363404.
Government of Canada. Chapter 4 Infographic: Labour and birth in Canada. Accessed on December 5,2023. Last Modified, 2021-04-26. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/labour-birth-infographic.html
Lee L, Dy J, Azzam H. Management of Spontaneous Labour at Term in Healthy Women. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2016 Sep;38(9):843-865. doi: 10.1016/j.jogc.2016.04.093. Epub 2016 Jun 25. PMID: 27670710.
Macena de Almeida ME, Mendes SS, Maria de Vasconcelos Oliveira N, Vasconcelos Neto JA, Lopes LG, Moreira Vasconcelos CT. Peanut Ball Utilization Protocols in Women During Labour and Delivery: An Integrative Review. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2023 Nov;45(11):102185. doi: 10.1016/j.jogc.2023.07.005. Epub 2023 Jul 19. PMID: 37473916.
