Posterior position?

[Munki'sMom]

My MW *thinks* my baby is semi-posterior. Still bounces around a lot in there and flip flops around. She said I have a lot of fluid too. Thing is I can feel the baby's back right against my belly. I just got a birthing ball and have been sitting on it, bouncing, and leaning on it. Any other ideas? Thanks

[miramom]

I'm worried about the same thing. My MW said if she doesn't settle by 36 weeks I can try pelvic rocking and knee-chest positions. I'm surprised this one still moves around as much as she does! DD1 settled a lot earlier, if memory serves me correctly.

When I was working in L&D and a woman was laboring with a posterior baby, we would have her lay far over on one side, almost on her belly (propped with pillows and such) and have her bend the knee she was facing up to her stomach. It was amazing how the babies would turn! Maybe you can try sleeping like this..?

[barefootpoetry]

www.spinningbabies.com has lots of good ideas for positioning. I had a posterior babe with my first birth so I worked extra-hard to make sure that didn't happen again! Sitting up straight, sleeping with one knee pulled up, doing lots of hands-and-knees, I did all of these and more.

[CarolBe]

I've had 3 posterior babies, kinda expect it again, never had a problem, is it a big deal if they come out this way?
Carol

[Munki'sMom]

Thanks. I don't think its a "big deal" so much but does make labor harder/longer. : Which I'd rather not have right? lol

[phatchristy]

Originally Posted by Munki'sMom

Thanks. I don't think its a "big deal" so much but does make labor harder/longer. : Which I'd rather not have right? lol

It makes more of a difference for the first from what I've read. My last kiddo (#3) was stubbon and decided to come out that way. Definitely back labor was not fun, but labor itself was still very quick, as was pushing. He did come out that way too! But, after he was out we discovered he had the cord wrapped 2x pretty tight around his neck, so he was likely trying not to tighten it up by staying where he was.

I'm about 35.5 here and the kiddo still rotates back and forth, hasn't decided which position it likes yet either!

[Munki'sMom]

That makes me feel better then. This will be #3 for me, so maybe it won't affect me too much. FINGERS CROSSED! lol

[Full Heart]

Some women just carry their babies that way too. Once labor starts the baby might turn right around. Mine always do that.

[Citykid]

My Bradley teacher said to avoid sitting leaning back too much in the 3rd tri because leaning back encourages them to be posterior. I found a really comfy position for sitting at home by piling up all the couch cushions on top of an ottoman, putting it right in front of my chair, and leaning my whole torso forward onto them. Also being on all fours a lot is supposed to be good, if you can find an excuse to do it. I give DS a lot of horsey rides lately.

[ee_lime]

my ds was posterior (hospital birth w/epi) the ob reached in and turned him right before they told me to start pushing..he was pulled out with forceps 2 1/2 hours later.

dd ( born at home) was posterior. i tried gentle methods to turn her in the weeks leading up to labor. i saw a chiro who loosened my ligaments and aligned my pelvis. i did hands and knees a lot but she never turned.

my midwife had commented at a prenatal on how she could hear the cord down low and also said that sometimes babies stay posterior for a reason. DD did have her cord looped her neck once when she came out. So i am assuming thats one of the reasons she didn't flip.

I didn't have any back labor with my posterior baby!

[Om Girl]

Love Spinning babies website! Our LO is also LOP/ROP/OP at each visit. MW is recommending hands/knees, pelvic rocking and supported over-lying for sleeping, but told me not to worry too much. My DD was also posterior and turned during labor.

I too avoid the couch, sitting straight upright on the floor or a chair with my legs crossed and belly leaning forward. I've done prenatal yoga 3x/week with this pregnancy and still have a LOP/ROP/OP baby, so sometimes babies just need to be in a certain position for a reason.

[srlpenny]

Originally Posted by barefootpoetry

www.spinningbabies.com has lots of good ideas for positioning.

:

My midwife also had a Rebozo scarf to help. We didn't end up using it though since he turned during my labor. Another encouraging thought.

[theretohere]

Both my babies have been born posterior. I don't have anything to compare it to, but it's totally doable.

[MamaSong]

I'm 37 weeks with a posterior LO. I am on a serious mission to get this baby to turn. Back labor just does not sound pleasant. My proticol is this: webster technique with a chiro, sitting on my birth ball only or laying on my left side, making sure my knees are always below my hips when sitting, trying to incorporate some hands and knees activities every day, walking once or twice a day. I will be happier if I know I tried everything I could to get this baby to turn....

[DahliaRW]

I would second seeing a chiro who is experienced in adjustments on pregnant women. My 2nd was posterior until after I went to the chiro 2x and she got my pelvis all aligned correctly.

[Juniperberry]

My #2 was posterior and despite all my efforts to turn him around (loved spinning babies!!) he didn't turn... didn't turn during labor until my water broke and then he slithered round and finally turned and was born a few minutes later

[rad]

DS4 was posterior. The back labor was killer but he still came out after only 3 hours of labor and 2 pushes. I plan to try the spinning babies with my next just to avoid that back labor.

[shelona]

My baby was posterior last Wednesday at 38 weeks 6 days and today is not at 39 weeks 4 days. It's possible it will still turn. I really focused on laying on my left side.

[Kim919]

My baby was posterior through my whole pregnancy. People told me about spinningbabies.com and different positions I could try to get her to turn the right way, and I did the stretches on hands and knees pretty much every day for awhile.

At about 36weeks I asked my midwife what I should do, and she said that some babies are just more comfortable that way, and that people make way too big of a deal out of delivering a posterier baby, and that I shouldn't worry about it at all. She said that delivery might take a little longer but it wasn't a big deal. Well, I had an aweful lot of respect and faith in her judgement so I relaxed and decided not to worry about it.

DD was born 7lbs 14oz 9 days early. 12 hours of labor total 3 1/2 hours of pushing, and came out with her head untucked and posterier. Did not turn one bit during delivery. I'm nervous she will always be that stubborn. She had quite the bruise to show for it and I did have a small tear, but this was my 1st baby and it wasnt anywhere near as painful as I was expecting. She was very alert and latched on well at about 5 minutes, perfectly healthy.

So my advice: don't worry about it. As long as your planning a home birth nobody will be rushing you.

Edited to add: I had no back labor at all. I had no pain or even minor discomfort in my back during delivery.

[Ophelia]

Originally Posted by Kim919

At about 36weeks I asked my midwife what I should do, and she said that some babies are just more comfortable that way, and that people make way too big of a deal out of delivering a posterier baby, and that I shouldn't worry about it at all. She said that delivery might take a little longer but it wasn't a big deal.

Yikes! She obviously wasn't at my son's birth...I didn't know he was going to be posterior until I was already in labor. I had the most horrific back labor (although being my first, I have nothing to compare it to), and it made my cervix swell and labor stalled. Nothing we tried worked (and we had TWO doulas), I even got in the tub at 6cm and it didn't help with the pain. After 18 hours of this, I finally ended up having a epidural at around 5am, pitocin cranked to the max all day, and he was Hoovered out at almost 11pm that evening. I was told by both attending midwife and the doctor that I was this close to a csection. I am definitely not going through that again if I can help it. I can see letting the baby stay that way as long as possible if it may be more comfortable for them, but there's no way to know if they are going to turn at the last minute or not. Just sayin', not all posterior births are the piece of cake she makes them sound to be, and it's best to try and be prepared for anything because you just don't know what will happen. My situation may have been better if things had been done differently, but I'll never know.