Primitive Delivery Positions in Modern Obstetrics: Were the wise women wiser wiser than we?

Fifty patients of an academic family medicine unit tried standing and squalting in second stage. Almost all (84.0%) of the women were able to deliver in an upright posture. They rated the upright position as safer, more comfortable, and more effective than the recumbent position. When compared with 136 similar deliveries from the same population, the study group had significantly fewer episiotomies and showed a trend toward more spontaneous deliveries.