What Is The Birth Sling?
The Birth Sling is a new take on an ancient birthing tool designed to support upright and active movement throughout pregnancy and birth. From 20 weeks pregnant, it can be used to support daily movement, help create space through the maternal body and pelvis, and encourage optimal fetal positioning as your baby grows. Developed by Osteopath and mum of two Dr Jess Michaels®, it offers gentle, secure support so women can move freely and intuitively, staying comfortable and connected to their bodies.
Why Is It Beneficial for Labor and Birth?
Research shows that upright positions in labor can reduce the need for interventions, shorten the overall duration of labour, and promote more efficient uterine contractions. The Birth Sling encourages mobility, eases pressure on the lower back and pelvis, and enhances your body’s ability to work with your baby’s descent. By supporting spontaneous movement, it helps create more space in the pelvis and supports baby into a more optimal position for birth.
Whether you’re labouring on land or in water, The Birth Sling provides grounded, stable support so you can follow your instincts, stay mobile, and work with your body’s physiology.
A Modern Tool with Ancient Roots
The Birth Sling by Dr Jess Michaels® revolutionises the birthing experience with a groundbreaking yet intuitive design. Inspired by ancient practices and reimagined through a modern, evidence-aligned lens, it offers unparalleled support for upright birth. This unique tool helps minimise unnecessary interventions by supporting natural alignment, instinctive movement, and physiological birth pathways.
Why Use The Birth Sling During Pregnancy?
Birth preparation starts before labour begins. From around 20 weeks of pregnancy, The Birth Sling can be incorporated into your daily prenatal movement to help you stay mobile, comfortable and connected to your changing body.
As your baby grows, your posture, centre of gravity and the way you move naturally change. The Birth Sling provides gentle support so you can explore movement with less effort, including supported squats, forward leaning positions, pelvic movements, stretches and asymmetrical positions.
Regular movement during pregnancy can help:
• Maintain mobility through the pelvis and hips as your body adapts to pregnancy
• Create space for movement and balance through the pelvis, abdomen and surrounding tissues
• Relieve pressure and tension through the lower back, hips and pelvis
• Support comfortable prenatal stretching and movement with less load through the body
• Encourage varied maternal positions, giving baby opportunities to move and find their optimal position within the pelvis in preparation for labour and birth
• Build familiarity with upright birth positions such as kneeling, squatting, forward leaning and asymmetrical positions.
• Prepare your body for the physical demands of labour by practising movement, mobility and supported positions before birth begins
Prepare Now, So It Feels Familiar in Labour
Labour isn’t the ideal time to learn a completely new way of moving.
Using The Birth Sling throughout pregnancy gives you time to discover which movements and positions feel good in your body. You can practise leaning, rocking, swaying, squatting, kneeling and changing positions while you’re calm and comfortable.
Then, when labour begins, The Birth Sling isn’t something new. It’s already familiar.
Your hands know where to hold. Your body knows how to lean into it. You already have a collection of movements and positions you can instinctively return to.
Supporting Baby’s Positioning
Your baby’s position is influenced by many factors, and no exercise or device can guarantee a particular fetal position. However, staying mobile and regularly varying your position during pregnancy may provide more opportunities for your baby to move and adapt within the space available.
The Birth Sling makes it easier to explore forward leaning, upright, asymmetrical and pelvic mobility exercises throughout pregnancy, while providing additional support and stability.
Rather than trying to force your baby into a particular position, the focus is on supporting maternal movement, creating opportunities for space and allowing you and your baby to move together.
