OBJECTIVE: To determine the advantages of vertical childbirth over supine confinement. DESIGN: Observational, comparative and cross sectional study. SETTING: Hospital Nacional Edgardo Rebagliati Martins, EsSalud, Lima, Peru, a medical residency hospital. Participants: Pregnant women who had either vertical or supine childbirth. INTERVENTIONS: We studied 160 women from June 2006 through June 2007; 80 had vertical delivery and 80 supine childbirth. Main outcome measures: Time of delivery, uterine bleeding volume, episiotomy need, complications, maternal perception. RESULTS: Time for third stage of labor was shorter in vertical versus supine confinement (11,39 versus 19,48 minutes respectively). Average bleeding volume was similar in both groups (300 mL and 296,74 mL respectively). Considering the use and non-use of post partum oxytocin, significant higher bleeding volume was encountered wh...

OBJECTIVE: To determine the advantages of vertical childbirth over supine confinement. DESIGN: Observational, comparative and cross sectional study. SETTING: Hospital Nacional Edgardo Rebagliati Martins, EsSalud, Lima, Peru, a medical residency hospital. Participants: Pregnant women who had either vertical or supine childbirth. INTERVENTIONS: We studied 160 women from June 2006 through June 2007; 80 had vertical delivery and 80 supine childbirth. Main outcome measures: Time of delivery, uterine bleeding volume, episiotomy need, complications, maternal perception. RESULTS: Time for third stage of labor was shorter in vertical versus supine confinement (11,39 versus 19,48 minutes respectively). Average bleeding volume was similar in both groups (300 mL and 296,74 mL respectively). Considering the use and non-use of post partum oxytocin, significant higher bleeding volume was encountered wh...