author: birth | Fort Worth doula, Amanda Wright

Most people have heard of using an exercise (birth) ball for labor, but a little newer on the scene is the Peanut Ball. This gourd-like bouncy ball started to be used in the birth room in the 1980’s in a straddle position. The peanut ball began being used in different positions in 2010 by Cheri Grant (The Peanut Ball Lady). Her work along with Gail Tully of Spinning Babies has changed the face of labor.

Studies have shown that the humble peanut ball boasts some pretty big results in reduction of labor time and prevention of cesarean surgery!

In trial studies, the peanut ball is shown to shorten labor in first stage by up to 90 minutes, in the 2nd stage (pushing) by 22 minutes, and shows a 12% reduction in cesarean risk drop.

In one study, Cesarean section rates were reduced in the first and second months of the study ranging from 8.2% to 6.76% - that’s a huge amount when it comes to preventing a major surgery!

Peanut Ball use is widely reported in different countries around the world and while there is reported use in all 50 states peanut balls are available  in every hospital so you may need to bring your own to labor with.

Peanut balls are a versatile tool that can help assist the body to getting into unique positions in order to help babies to move down and out through the pelvis. Different positions have been shown to work in different ways. As we change the position and shape of the pelvis, this allows space to open and allow baby to come down.

There are over 50 different positions but here are are a few popular positions to get started practicing with your peanut ball:

1.Side lying (exaggerated runner’s pose)

2. Flying Cowgirl

3. Reclined Lunge

4. Lying Tucked Squat

5. Internal Rotation

All of these positions are beneficial with or without an epidural.

So how do we know which position to use when?? 

Think about the shape that you will be making with your pelvis. When baby is higher in the pelvis (station -2 or greater ), we want to open up the top so baby can come on down. This will look like any position with your knees open or in a turned out position. 

This is a good time for side lying, flying cowgirl, or the reclining position.

Once baby has come further down (station -2 to +1 ) we will want a neutral position or parallel placement with the hips and knee. We see this demonstrated with the squat tuck image, however you can make any position neutral by bringing the knees to a more parallel placement. 

When you are starting to have that finish line in sight and “laboring down” those last couple of centimeters (station +2 or more), we will want to open the bottom of the pelvis. We will now be using the knees turned in together with feet out position. This is helped greatly by the internal rotation position, particularly since this is not a placement that comes naturally for most folks!!

Want to learn more? Check out these video demonstrations of peanut ball use.

*Please note that while these positions are widely used, there are a few contraindications, and this post does not replace the wisdom of your medical care team. This is meant to be an additional tool to add to the ever advancing learnings around reproductive care. 

References

https://evidencebasedbirth.com/how-do-peanut-balls-support-labor/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4748987/

Fraser Health Authority

https://premierbirthtools.com/

https://scholarworks.bellarmine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1013&context=tdc