Seems like a ridiculous title, right? "How to Use a Bed..." The truth is, a hospital bed, in labor and birth, can be used in so many helpful ways -- the least of which is lying in it!
Staying in more upright/vertical positions throughout labor and birth allows you to take advantage of the natural laws of gravity as well as how your body is designed.
If you think about how you get ketchup out of a squeeze bottle, it makes perfect sense. Baby needs to come down and out; contractions squeeze down and out; so, you should.... lay down flat?? Of course not! (Though laying down in labor certainly has its place.)
Today’s labor beds are designed to do much more than provide a place to rest. Modern hospital beds can support movement, upright positioning, comfort measures, and effective pushing positions. Even if mobility is limited by monitoring equipment or epidural anesthesia, many position options remain available with assistance from nurses, doulas, or support people.
Learning how to use the bed as a tool during labor can help you stay active, comfortable, and confident throughout the birth process.
Changing positions throughout labor can help promote comfort, encourage fetal descent, reduce pressure on specific muscles and joints, and allow labor to progress more efficiently. While no single position is best for everyone, frequent movement and position changes can help laboring families discover what feels most comfortable and effective for their unique labor experience.
Labor Positions to Use with a Hospital Bed
Sitting/Monitoring
Most simply, a hospital bed can be used to sit on. Lower the bed to its lowest setting where you can easily rest your feet on the floor. You can sit on the bed to take a break from standing, or for intermittent fetal monitoring. Sitting on a bed is considerably more comfortable than lying flat on your back while having contractions. Sitting on the bed can also be used with an epidural. You can also sit up "in" the bed, with your legs and feet out flat or sitting cross-legged.
Semi-sitting/Monitoring
Semi-sitting allows you to rest in an upright position that uses gravity to encourage baby to descend. Semi-sitting, which is also sometimes called "throne sitting" is done with the help of a nurse who can modify the bed to position it more like a chair This position also allows for easy monitoring. Opening your legs butterfly style will help keep your pelvis opening wide, giving baby more room to wiggle down. This position can also be used with an epidural. This position may not be ideal for those experiencing low back pain or "back labor."
Supported Standing/Leaning
For this position, raise the bed to its highest height and depending on your own height, you may need to add a pillow or two to comfortably rest your arms and head on the bed. Standing allows for optimal use of gravity to help baby descend. Leaning allows for more rest in between contractions, while still in a standing position. This position also allows a support person access to massage your back, perform a hip squeeze, or apply heat or ice to your lower back/sacrum. This is typically a good position for those experiencing back pain/"back labor." This position cannot be used with an epidural, as an epidural does not allow full use of leg muscles.
Standing/Leaning with Ball
Follow the directions above, but add a yoga/exercise ball to lean on or drape yourself over for support. The ball allows you to take a more upright stance,
which can relieve pressure on your back, and gives you the ability to sway/move back and forth if desired. It's also an ideal position to encourage hands-on support from all members of your team!
Squatting
Squatting during labor helps widen the opening of your pelvis which can encourage baby to move down and get into a more optimal position for birth. Lower or raise the bed to a height that will allow you to use it to support your squat by bracing onto the side. Your support persons can help make sure you're stable in your position by staying near by or offering hands-on support.
Hands and Knees / All Fours / Kneeling
Getting on your hands and knees can help relieve back pressure and allow baby to get into a more optimal position for birth. Hands-and-knees positioning remains one of the most frequently recommended positions for individuals experiencing back labor or discomfort from an occiput posterior ("sunny-side up") fetal position. The hospital bed provides the perfect surface for a hands-and-knees or "all fours" position. You can use a flattened bed for a traditional hands-and-knees position, or you can enlist the help of your nurse to adjust the bed by lowering the bottom, creating a shelf or raising the back of the bed to lean over while you kneel on the flat part of the bed. These positions can be used with an epidural.
Squatting for Pushing
Hospital beds come equipped with a particularly useful removable piece called a "squat bar." This metal bar attaches to the mid-section of the bed and provides helpful leverage to get into a deep squat, which can be very effective to help with pushing. Be sure to let the staff and your provider know you would like to try using the squat bar for pushing so they can make sure it's available (it may be in another room or tucked away). This position can most likely be used with an epidural.
Side Lying
If you're going to lay down in a hospital bed, it's ideal to lay on your side, as this is often more comfortable during contractions and allows you to keep your pelvic opening wide with the use of pillows or a peanut ball—a peanut-shaped exercise ball placed between the knees or ankles. This position works well with an epidural and can be used with monitors in place. This position also allows you to rest and gives access to your back for massage or counter pressure from a support person or doula. For those with epidural anesthesia, side-lying positions can be especially helpful. Many hospitals now use a peanut ball to help maintain pelvic opening and encourage fetal descent while allowing the laboring person to rest.
Recovery
If you're going to use a hospital bed for laying down on your back, it's best done after birth, during recovery. Upright positioning may improve comfort during breastfeeding, skin-to-skin contact, and early postpartum recovery. Adjusting the bed to support your arms, shoulders, and back can make feeding and newborn care more comfortable during the first hours after birth. The bed is the perfect place you can snuggle with your newborn skin-to-skin, feed baby, and of course, sleep.
Originally published: September 24, 2019
Revised June 2026
Published: June 17, 2026
Tags
BirthHospital BirthComfort measuresLabor PositionsLabor ProgressHospital bedLabor comfortSquat bar