Movement During Labor: Why Stillness Isn’t Required

Traditional images of birth often show labor happening in one position, usually lying down. In reality, movement plays a crucial role in comfort, progress, and emotional regulation during labor.

How Movement Supports Labor

Movement offers both physical and neurological benefits:

It helps the baby find optimal positioning.
It improves circulation and oxygen flow.
It reduces pressure and discomfort.
It gives the person in labor a sense of agency.

Staying still can increase tension and discomfort, especially during long labors.

Intuitive Movement Patterns

Many people naturally feel drawn to certain movements:

Rocking, swaying, or leaning
Changing positions frequently
Standing, kneeling, or using gravity
Responding instinctively to sensations

These movements are often the body’s way of creating space and managing intensity.

Letting Go of Performance

Movement does not need to be choreographed:

There is no correct sequence.
Stillness is fine when it feels supportive.
Motion should follow sensation, not instruction.

Labor asks for responsiveness, not control.

Walking Beside You

As a holistic birth doula, I support movement that feels natural and empowering. I help create conditions where you feel free to listen to your body rather than restrict it.