Maternal positioning to prevent or alleviate dystocia in labor.

Women have always used different positions to make labor more comfortable and, when allowed, spontaneously change position numerous times during labor and birth. The positions they choose, while dictated by comfort, frequently prove to be beneficial in promoting labor progress. For 50 years, the value of mobility and position change received little attention, but recent research and advances in the design of birthing equipment indicate that maternal positioning provides a valuable, noninvasive, and acceptable intervention. This paper reviewed six mechanisms by which dystocia may be prevented or corrected through the use of maternal positioning.