Categories: Pain Relief Frequently Asked Questions For Parents Labor and Birth

The story, true or not, is that Louis XVI wanted to see the birth of his son, and asked the obstetrician if he could place the queen (Marie Antoinette) on her back with her legs extended so as to facilitate this. The obstetrician realized that this position made things much easier for him as well - he didn't have to stoop down and look up at the woman, which was not only difficult physically but socially demeaning. So he continued to use this position for delivering babies, and other obstetricians picked up the practice quickly. I don't think there was actually a law concerning this, but I could be wrong. In any case, this position has continued to be favoured by obstetricians and used in many hospitals. Midwives favour letting the woman assume whatever position works best for her.