2007-10-19 17:54:40 · 28 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
NO!
"Lack of Effect of Walking on Labor and Delivery
ABSTRACT
Background and Methods Walking during labor may reduce patients' discomfort and improve outcomes. We conducted a randomized trial of walking during active labor to determine whether it altered the duration of labor or other maternal or fetal outcomes. Women with uncomplicated pregnancies between 36 and 41 weeks' gestation and in active labor were randomly assigned either to walking or to no walking (usual care). Pedometers were used to quantify walking, and the time spent walking was recorded.
Results Of the 536 women assigned to the walking group, 380 actually walked. Their mean (±SD) walking time was 56±46 minutes. There were no significant differences between the women assigned to the walking group and the 531 women assigned to the usual-care group in the duration of the first stage of labor (6.1 hours in both groups, P=0.83), the need for labor augmentation with oxytocin (23 percent vs. 26 percent, P=0.25), and the use of analgesia (84 percent vs. 86 percent, P=0.59). Similarly, the percentages of women requiring delivery by forceps (4 percent vs. 3 percent, P=0.35) and cesarean section (4 percent vs. 6 percent, P=0.25) were not significantly different. These labor and delivery outcomes were unrelated to walking in both nulliparous and parous women. The infants' outcomes were also similar in the two study groups.
Conclusions Walking neither enhanced nor impaired active labor and was not harmful to the mothers or their infants."
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/339/2/76
2007-10-19 18:03:42 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
It was true for me. I refused an epidural at first because I wanted to keep walking to get things moving. The contractions actually were not as bad when I was walking then as when I was laying down. They were more constant, but not as bad. 7 women went into the doctors before I did that night and only one delivered before me because she had a C-section. I went in at 11:00 PM and had my baby by 7 AM. That seems long, but it really wasn't. I didn't get any pain killers in the end because things moved so fast. And it wasn't bad without pain killers. I wanted them for the contractions, but by the time they said I was 10 cm, I just wanted the baby out and the pushing wasn't that horrible, just annoying (I wanted that baby out.)
2007-10-19 19:09:57 · answer #2 · answered by Serena 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I walked a lot and had about 5 hours of ''real labor'' I was in labor for about 27 hours total but I only had 5 hours of labor that was intense I only had to push about 4 times and had a 7.7 20 3/4 in baby!
2007-10-19 17:59:52 · answer #3 · answered by tasha l 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would have to say i heard yes that walking helps deliver faster then driving:)
2007-10-19 17:57:44 · answer #4 · answered by b.tarah 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, the evening before I went into labor I walked around for about 2 hours, the next morning Iwas in labor and had delivered within 4 hours!!!
2007-10-19 17:58:30 · answer #5 · answered by ~Ava~ 2 · 2⤊ 2⤋
yes it works very well if you are at home go for a half an hour walk there and back or if you are in the hospital walk for a half an hour to an hour i did this with my 2nd baby the Dr told me i was dilated to 2cm and if i walked for awhile then i would have the baby in know time and i walked for an hour that night and had her the next day.good luck!
2007-10-23 17:44:35 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it helps if you walk LEADING up to your labor. It's silly to think that just because you walk right before your labor will go faster... I think that would just be a coincidence. I do believe that if you walk for the last few months, then yes, labor will go faster.
It did for all the women in my family anyways.
2007-10-19 19:10:48 · answer #7 · answered by babymama. 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
not for me...i ran 2 times a day til 6 months and then walk 3 times a day for 1 hour after 6 months and i was a week late.
2007-10-20 11:15:32 · answer #8 · answered by aubrey p 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes i was with my daughter and she was dilated to a 3 and the nurse told her to walk around the halls for about a 1/2 hour and when we came back from walking she had dilated 1/2 centimeter, so yea its true, she wasn't having any contractions until the doctor broke her water bag, but from the time we got to the hospital to the time she had her baby was within 3 hours.
2007-10-19 18:01:43 · answer #9 · answered by fallen_angel 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
yes that's why when you are high risk for preterm labor they put you on bed rest i have had 6 kids 2 was premie and one they nurse told to me walk so i could dialate faster and i just had a baby 3 months ago and i had to go on bed rest no walking because it does put you in labor
2007-10-19 21:20:54 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋