Lithotomy position

The Lithotomy position is the position of lying on the back with knees bent and elevated above the hips with the thighs apart. The position is often used for women to give birth in, also for anal and vaginal examinations, anal, rectal, and vaginal surgery, and anal or vaginal sex.

As a birth position, it has been very popular in the past with obstetricians. It allows a good view of the birth process. However, advocates of natural birth believe that the position is not conducive to a smooth labor. They claim it constricts the birth canal, and that other positions, such as a squat, are preferable.

The origin of the position, and hence the name, was in the earliest method of lithotomy, the surgical removal of a bladder stone, in which an incision was made in the perineum. The patient was placed in this posture to afford the surgeon access.

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