CA2127619A1 - Natal chair - Google Patents

Abstract

The natal chair comprises an aluminium alloy frame, thigh support board (5), adjustable rubber sleeved chest bar (7), impervious-vinyl tension-adjustable body-sling (13), cloth forehead rest sling (15) and handgrips (11). The chair supports the mother's thighs, shoulders and forehead in one of six forward leaning elevations so that her complete vertebra is accessable for massage. In all of these elevations her feet may be comfortable under her centre of gravity (in line with the resultant force acting on her body), ready to take any proportion of her weight during contractions, or between contractions if she wishes to stand and ambulate. In any of these positions she may squat or sit upright if she so desires without any external pressure on the sacrum.

Description

~ W O 94/09740 2 ~ 2 7 61 9 PCT/AU93/00557 Invention Title: NATAL CHAIR
The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me:-The natal chair is an adjustable, forward-leaning, vinyl-cloth slung pregnancy chair used by expectant mothers for labour and delivery.
It is preferably aluminium alloy framed for strength, lightness and hygene considerations. The mother sits forward, leaning on the chair's 'front' as the chair has no 'back' the reinforced vinyl sling (13) ha~ a section cut away from the seat for access to the birth canal (Fig 1) The chair positions the mother in a forward-leaning aspect with her legs either side o~ the chair. She straddles the chair with her feet positioned comfortably under, or almost under, her centre of gravity (Figures 2, 5 & 6). The natal chair ergonomically supports the mother's weight~ mostly through the thighs, but also through the feet, shoulders and arms, buttocks and forehead. (No weight is transmitted through ~he sacrum which is allowed to pivot backwards to open the pelvic outlet to its full extent.) The chair consists of two parallel front support bars (1) bolted between two parallel seat bars (2) by a threaded-rod axis (4) The chair is adjustable about this central axis to six different elevations between a standing squat (fig 2) through to a sitting squat (Fig ~) or an almost kneeling squat (Fig ~) The bottom end of the vinyl body sling (13) is attached to the rounded ends of the seat bars. The top ends of the seat bars above the pivot point are bent downwards slightly and rubber sleeved for comfort. The top end of the sling is screwed to a rubber sleeved steel roller chest bar ~7) which is adjustable to five different heights on the chest bar height adjusters (8). The chest bar may also be rolled up or down to give different sling tensions per height position.
A cloth headrest sling (15) is attached by velcro (20) between the top ends of the front support bars and is angled forward slightly to allow the mother's forehead to slump forward comfortably into it. A
I removeable support board (5) is positioned on the seat bars above the central axis for added thigh support.
The frame is narrowed at the centre between the pivot points of the central axis (4) into a recess which provides for the mother's thighs and knees not to have to be spread to excess.
The mother may grip the elevation bars (3) or above the headrest (18) or the front support bars (1). A moveable rubber-sleeved handle bar (11) is positioned at variable heights between the elevation bars for extra grips.

SUBS~ E SHEET (RULE 26)

Claims (7)

The claims defining the invention are as follows:

1. A labour/delivery chair with front support having sufficient height for full vertical, gravity assisted delivery and positioning the mother in a forward leaning inclination with her posture adjustable between an almost standing squat (Fig 2) and a sitting squat (Fig 5 or 7) or an almost kneeling squat (Fig 6), comprising:
(a) two front support bars hinged between two seat bars, the angle therebetween being adjustable (b) a height adjustable rubber sleeved chest bar bridging the front support bars (c) a variable tension body sling with a section cut away for access to the birth canal attached between said chest bar and ends of said seat bars (d) a forehead rest sling between said front support bars (e) a thigh support board positioned on said seat bars under said body sling, wherein the mother's perineum, sacrum, lower back, upper back, neck and occiput are exposed enabling massage or these areas.

2. A labour/delivery chair as in Claim 1 positioning the mother so that most of her weight is applied through her thighs to the thigh support board; having the advantage of opening up the pelvic outlet, with no pressure on the sacrum or coccyx, effectively increasing the anterio-posterior and transverse diameters thus facilitating birth (as opposed to backward leaning devices which effectively close the sacrum by sitting or lying on it)

3. A labour/delivery chair as in Claim 1 having an impervious vinyl body-sling, conformable to the particular body shape of the mother for comport, the pressure provided by which can be reduced to zero by rotating the chest bar toward the mother, or increased by rotating in the opposite direction.

4. A labour/delivery chair as in Claim 1 having a washable cloth forehead-rest sling which is height and tension adjustable by means of velcro-fasteners between the tops of the front support bars.

5. A labour/delivery chair as in Claim 1 with moveable rubber sleeved handgrips for aiding bearing down efforts, able to be slid up or down according to mother's individual arm length and fixable to a set position by means of wing bolts.

6. A labour/delivery chair as in Claim 1 able to be folded into a lightweight compact state for transport by home birth midwives.

7. A labour/delivery chair as in Claim 1 with the horizontal elevation bar (6) extended to serve as footrests (Fig 7).
Omnibus Claim:
A labour/delivery chair substantially as herein described.