Share your plan/experiences withoptimal fetal positioning! (a la Spinning babies)

[Mama Metis]

This idea of optimal fetal positioning is fascinating and makes a lot of sense to me. It's still early for me, but I'd like to know more about the practical side. What exactly did you do? Did you do specific exercises? When did you start? Did you seek any kind of help or care (chiropractic or otherwise)? What were your experiences? Do you feel it worked? Would you do it again?

Anybody working on this now, or planning to???

Thanks for sharing!

[Jayray]

My babe was posterior toward the end of my pregnancy and I did a lot of things to try to change that--lots of pelvic tilts, sitting on a birth ball, napping face down with my belly nestled in my pregnancy pillow, spent time in other "optimal" positions.  He didn't turn until I was in labor.

I know a lot of women on here think that there's something to it and I think that there probably is too, but for me, it's just something else to stress about, something else to add to the "to do" list.  I do some of the things when I think about them--good posture is always good!--but I don't put a lot of focus on it, because I'm not thoroughly convinced it's that important/effective.

[lsmama]

My first baby was born sunny side up.  My labor was all back, pretty intense, and she had significant shoulder dystocia (but escaped unscathed thank goodness!).  This time, I've been all other that site and have been trying to be proactive.  Like PP said, I'm not sure how much it matters, but I like feeling like I can help the situation.  I'm currently 29 weeks, and here's what I'm doing/what I plan to do.  Mind you, this is just one layperson who spends too much time online obsessing about such matters!

1)I've been seeing a physical therapist to help me with pelvic alignment, uterine balance etc.  I started this around 22 weeks.  I've gone 3 times so far.

2) I try to sleep on my side/stomach as much as possible using a body pillow and some soft feather pillows.

3) I sit on the floor tailor style or on my ball as much as I can.  When I do sit on my couch, I stick 3-4 pillows nehind me and sit cross-legged rather than sitting way back.

4) When I work out, I do a lot of ball squats and deep squats.  Also lots of pelvic rocking and rocking on hands and knees over the ball.  That said, I spent tons more time on the ball with my last pregnancy and spent my entire labor on hands and knees and she still came out posterior.

5)I'm thinking about doing some of those inversion moves with DH in a few weeks but need to discuss with my midwife first as I don't want to screw anything up.

6)I've located a Mayan abdominal massage practitioner in my neighborhood and also someone who does Webster technique for later on.  Not exactly sure at which point either of these would be most beneficial.  Need to get some more info.

Thanks for starting this thread.  I'm eager to hear others weigh in on this!