Peanut Balls For Labor
If you hear the term “peanut ball,” you may be thinking of the delicious popcorn treat consisting of popped corn, dry roasted peanuts, melted marshmallows and creamy peanut butter. While these are a wonderful treat any time of the year, these aren’t the kind of peanut balls we’re talking about!
What is a Peanut Ball?
The peanut ball is an exercise or therapy ball that is shaped like a peanut: oblong shaped, larger on each end and slightly narrower in the middle. Peanut balls can be used for a variety of strength training or physical therapy needs as well as by laboring women.
Peanut Ball as a Birth Tool
Peanut balls are the latest birth tool to hit the birthing world. Although they have been around awhile, they are really taking off. Andrea Lythgoe, LCCE and doula, in her Science and Sensibility article shares,
“The peanut ball is most commonly used when mom needs to remain in the bed, whether because of epidural use, complications, or simply because mom is exhausted” [i]. The peanut ball is placed between the laboring woman’s legs, opening the outlet to her pelvis while she relaxes. It can be used at a hospital or a home birth with or without an epidural.
Research on the Peanut Ball
While there is not much research on the peanut ball’s use in childbirth, one study offers compelling suggestions that the use of the peanut ball may significantly reduce labor length. According to Tussy and Botsios, “The use of the PB during labor for patient with an epidural, as compared with standard nursing intervention, did significantly reduce the length of labor, without adverse neonatal outcomes” [ii] Premier Birth Tools has a FREE research download.
How the Peanut Ball is Used
Peanut balls are typically used two ways primarily:
1. The laboring mother is in a semi-sitting lunge position, with one leg over the ball, and the other leg to the side of the ball. The doula, nurse, or other support person pushes the ball as close to the mother’s hips as is tolerable to her. Many feel this position promotes dilation and descent with the baby in the inlet.
2. While the mother is in a side-lying or tuck position, the peanut ball is used to lift the upper leg and open the pelvic outlet. Many feel this position helps rotate a baby in a less-favorable posterior position to a more favorable position for delivery. Also used for when the baby is in the midpelvis or during pushing.
There are now over 50 peanut ball positions.
Learn More
Premier Birth Tools has all your tools to use peanut balls effectively:
This book is an INSTRUCTIONAL guide on HOW to do the position.
The book The Peanut Ball: Basic and Advanced Techniques for Use During Labor and Delivery Grant RN, Cheri and Troy, Susan Prepare for a birth through the use of peanut balls, a proven tool used in labor and birth to decrease the Cesarean rate. In this comprehensive guide for nurses, physicians, doulas, midwives, childbirth educators, and expectant parents. Author, national speaker, nurse, doula, and childbirth educator. This book contains more than 50 basic and advanced positions to assist in labor and birth through more than 200 instructional images.
This set of 5 Peanut Ball charts is a VISUAL guide to SHOW the client the position with pictures.
A picture is worth more than words when trying to describe a position to a client. These Childbirth Charts help by showing pictures of peanut ball positions. This set of 5 Peanut Ball charts is a VISUAL guide to SHOW the client the position with pictures.
For even more tools:
- Peanut Balls – all sizes available
- Peanut Ball In-Service Packages – shows correct peanut ball information for nurses and doulas
Don’t forget to get your FREE 13-page PDF packet for doulas and nurses on peanut ball information by completing this contact form!
References:
[i] Science and Sensibility, Peanut Balls for Labor – A Valuable Tool for Promoting Progress?
[ii] Tussey, Botsios, Gerkin, Kelly, Gamez, Mensik, “Reducing Length of Labor and Cesarean Surgery Rate Using a Peanut Ball for Women Laboring with an Epidural” The Journal of Perinatal Education, 24(1), 16–24, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4748987/