It's the latest tool making a buzz in the childbirth world, but is the peanut ball really something that you need for your hospital bag?
I say, YES!
Below you will find my favorite articles and videos on the subject of peanut balls.
Research on the Peanut Ball
Decrease the Length of Labor with the Use of a Labor Ball with Patients That Receive An Epidural
Great Articles on the Peanut Ball
Peanut Balls for Labor - A Valuable Tool for Promoting Progress
Peanut Balls Reducing C-section rate
Videos of the Peanut Ball in Action
McKee Medical Center in Loveland Colorado released this how-to
Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa released this how-to
I bring my peanut ball to every birth. Usually if my client is planning a low intervention birth and desiring to be active I leave the peanut ball in my car. It the client decides to get an epidural or spend time laboring in the bed then I run out to the car and retrieve the ball. If my client is planning on an epidural I go ahead bring the peanut ball with me. I definitely turn a few heads walking into the hospital with my doula bag, birth ball in a cover over one shoulder and peanut ball in a cover over the other shoulder.
Since adding a peanut ball to my doula tools, I have used it every time I have a client with an epidural. My clients find it fairly comfortable and it is so much easier than trying to prop mom's leg up with pillows, stirrups or even the bedside table. I think as I try more positions with the peanut ball, it will become a key item in my doula work.
As a childbirth educator, I have just started to introduce the peanut ball in class. As I see the success of the ball in my doula practice I feel more confident teaching about this option to my childbirth students. Birth balls have become more available in laboring rooms, but peanut balls are only available in a few hospitals. Until they are readily available, I recommend these for both doulas and moms packing their hospital bags.
Comments will be approved before showing up.
