The Study
Spontaneous Pushing in Lateral Position versus Valsalva Maneuver During Second Stage of Labor on Maternal and Fetal Outcomes: A Randomized Clinical Trial
This study compared two ways of pushing during birth and found that one way made moms feel less pain and tired. But it didn't prove one way is safer for babies — the babies were just as healthy either way. So we know it helps moms feel better, but we can't say it definitely changes baby outcomes.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
When moms push naturally while lying on their side instead of holding their breath and pushing hard while lying on their back, they feel less pain and tiredness, and the baby gets more oxygen — but the birth takes a little longer.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 549 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — moms feel much less pain and exhaustion, and babies get more oxygen, even though labor takes a bit longer — with no extra risk to the baby.
- 2Pain: 7.8 vs 9.05; Fatigue: 46.59 vs 123.36; Labor time: 76.3 vs 64.6 minutes; Baby's oxygen (pO2): 28.3 vs 18.8 mmHg; No difference in pH or Apgar scores.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal
Year
2016
Authors
F. Vaziri, Amene Arzhe, N. Asadi, S. Pourahmad, Z. Moshfeghy
Related Content
Claims (6)
When giving birth for the first time, whether a mom pushes naturally while lying on her side or uses a forceful breath-holding technique while lying on her back doesn't seem to change how likely she is to need a C-section.
When women are giving birth for the first time and pushing during labor, pushing naturally while lying on their side may hurt less and feel less tiring than pushing hard while lying on their back.
Doing the Valsalva maneuver—like holding your breath and bearing down—while lifting weights during pregnancy doesn’t reduce blood flow to the baby or lower the baby’s oxygen levels.
When first-time moms push naturally while lying on their side during childbirth, it takes about 12 minutes longer than pushing while lying on their back with forced breath-holding—but it doesn’t make C-sections or baby problems more likely.
When women push naturally while lying on their side during childbirth, their baby’s blood gets more oxygen compared to when they push while lying on their back using a forceful breath-holding technique—but it doesn’t change the baby’s blood acidity or Apgar score.
When women give birth for the first time, pushing naturally while lying on their side doesn't hurt the baby's health or oxygen levels any more than pushing hard while lying on their back.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.