Upright position in second stage of labor without epidural may improve outcomes

Women who maintained an upright position, such as sitting, kneeling, and squatting with or without aid, experienced a nonsignificant decrease in the length of labor, the need for an episiotomy, and the need for an assisted delivery, as compared with women who adopted a supine position, according to a Cochrane meta-analysis of 22 trials.

The second stage of labor occurs once dilation of the cervix reaches 10 cm and involves bearing down to push the baby through the birth canal. An upright position during the second stage of labor is...