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A recent Swedish study on mother's position at birth was reported in the October issue of the British Journal of OB/GYN. They discovered that lying on your back doubled the rate of anal sphincter tears in birth. Squatting in first time mothers also doubled the rate of sphincter tears, although there was no increased risk in squatting for women in their second or later birth.

MAMA midwives encourage women to birth on their sides, or on hands and knees (if unmedicated). Many of our second time moms do birth in a squatting position, but have minimal or no tearing.