My sweet mother has offered to get me a birth ball package for Christmas... should I take her up on that offer? Do you think it will get used enough to make the purchase worth while? I would love to have one as part of my labor kit, and to have it handy when I have my second child... What do you think?????

amanda

-- Amanda Lopes (stbbrn1@hotmail.com), November 27, 2000

Answers

A birthing ball is a wonderful tool to use before during and after pregnancy. There are various exercises to do with the ball before and after pregnancy. There are a few hospitals who have them on hand but not all and typically they don't know how to use them. It is nice to have your own, I have even used 2 during labor one for me to sit on and one for the woman, it works great while giving massages. You can also use it for yourself while you are on the computer it keeps you in correct posture. Good Luck Carmen Hanson LPN. ICD

-- Carmen Hanson (mchanson@mnic.net), January 04, 2001.

I can honestly not say enough about how great my birth ball has been. I used it prenatally to do pelvic exercises, and I also used it as a chair. What a comfort!! It has become even more valuable since my little one has arrived. It is now a rocking chair, glider, bouncing seat all in one. I put him in his sling and sit on the ball - the movement puts him right to sleep. I bring my ball when I go visiting people too! This message is probably a little after-the-fact, so I hope you're bouncing away as I type. :)

-- Tara Egan (polarcub@klis.com), June 24, 2001.