Hi all

There are breastfeeding stools that are used in some hospital in Australia.
Bascially the lactation consultant/nurse/midwife straddles the stool and can
move it in close to mother so she is at the right angle without hurting her
back. Base of spine need to be upright -  ergonomic chairs that put one
almost in a kneeling position also help because they keep the spine
straight. I believe there have been concerns regarding knee injury with
those.
As a "veteran of backache" I now use a birthing ball when I work with
breastfeeding mothers. Esentially is is a big soft physiotherapy type ball -
wonderful for labouring women to keep them comfortable and upright. The ball
needs to be slightly under-inflated and the person sitting on the ball needs
to keep their legs spread which gives them the necessary stability. It keeps
the spine upright and there is no pressure on the sacral bones. For me it
made a huge difference, I no longer wake up feeling crippled the next
morning if I have spent a lot of time sitting with breastfeeding women the
day before.

As a midwife I always have a ball ready for my labouring women to use,
especially when they are close to transition they find them very
comfortable.

Kind Regards

Mandy O'Reilly

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