A new option for new mothers
is called the "birthing sling."
Some experts hope it can cut
down on the number of C-sections.
Laura Harrison gave birth to
her daughter, Harper, three weeks ago at the University of Minnesota Masonic
Children's Hospital and was excited to try it out.
"I had seen on my
Facebook profile about this new sling they had," Harrison said. "It's
such an amazing thing."
Carrie Neerland, a certified
nurse midwife, says it makes contraction more effective and shortens labor.
"It gives them support
and offers them a way to be upright during their labor," Neerland said.
"This offers the opportunity for women to feel supported, yet it takes off
some of the pressure."
Harrison said the sling
helped her follow her plan for a natural delivery. She said she used the sling
in several different ways.
"I did a lot of hanging
from it, so putting my arms through it, wrapping around then just kind of
sinking in when I was having those contractions, squatting and moving side to
side," Harrison said. "That's the beauty of labor. There's right or
wrong way to do it as long as you get a healthy mom and a healthy baby out of
it, that's all that matters."
Neerland said the reason the
sling is effective is because it allows for different positions that help the
pelvis relax and open more easily for the baby to come out.
"In labor, the woman's
pelvis is opening, and so being upright helps the woman's pelvis to open and it
helps the baby to move more effectively, fit through the birth canal and come
down," Neerland said.
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