Active Birth

Active birth is a yoga-based approach to birth preparation developed in the 70s by Janet Balaskas, a South African-born birth educator. The approach uses breathing and relaxation techniques, movement (such as rocking or swaying) and different postures (such as standing, squatting, forward leaning, sitting or kneeling) to help manage contractions and to help labour progress.

During active birth classes/sessions, movements and breathing patterns are practised in order that they may become automatic during labour. During the birth, women are encouraged to tune into their bodies and work with the contractions.

The phrase active birth is also, however, used in a general sense to describe a woman following her instincts and using movement and a range of different positions during labour.