31 weeks with deeply engaged, posterior baby - tips for helping baby to rotate?

[uwritegirl]

Hello friends - I read posts all the time but rarely post my own.  I am 31 weeks with my 4th baby, and am not yet "worried" about my posterior little bundle but I also don't want to ignore what might be helpful.  Any suggestions for helping baby assume a more labor-friendly position?  S/he is very deep in my pelvis, and definitely head-down.

I know my chiropractor will help make some adjustments in the next couple of weeks, but was wondering about other ideas to try to help the baby decide he or she wants to settle with her back flipped around the other way.  Also will make me more comfortable - the little fingers in the low uterus are getting me!

[LizD]

There's the usual positional things to help the baby move (hands-and-knees, lying on sides on the couch when reading or watching TV), and you'll be working with your chiropractor, and it's early; you have time for baby to move. But I wanted to point out that sometimes OP can be normal. Babies often seek the position they need to be born in, for reasons we don't always understand (like babies who flip to breech in labor). All my babies were born direct OP, even the 9-pounder (though this was not a cakewalk lol). Just make sure that what you do to help baby rotate is gentle, and don't fret if baby doesn't move; it may happen in labor or not at all. I know what you mean about those scrabbling little hands, though! :)

[nilatti]

My chiropractor was a great help in turning my son who was posterior at 37 weeks. I also used some tips from spinningbabies.com. One thing I did, which my husband thought was hilarious, was to hang off of the couch. It's hard to describe, but I would put my thighs on the couch and my face on the floor, so that my belly hung down. I would do this for about 5 minutes every few hours. This uses gravity to pull baby up out of the pelvis and allow him/her to turn. 

[iowaorganic]

I have had tow babies that waited a really long time to turn.  DD turned at 37 weeks on her own.  DS3 the midwife did that thing where she relaxes your uterus to get the baby to turn ( I can't remember what that is called though).  I also went to the chiro for the webster technique and played music way down on my uterus.  He finally turned at 38 weeks- but he was born at 43w.  Both of mine were breech though.

You still have lots of time!  

[CookAMH]

Chiro will be very good, so I'm glad you have that lined up.  Baby may be comfy being posterior so you might have a battle to keep him anterior. What worked for us (and sent me into labor a couple hours later as body was ready otherwise) was rebozo sifting from spinningbabies. Was amazed how quickly she switched from posterior to anterior. She had been back and forth for a couple of weeks but seemed to always settle OP. She was born right anterior.  I really didn't WANT a posterior baby going into labor, but I also knew she wouldn't necessarily stay that way if it happened.

[Faliciagayle]

http://spinningbabies.com/  is a very good resource

[uwritegirl]

Happy to report that baby has shifted to a more ideal birth position, still cooking away in there.  Still sitting VERY low though!  Wowsahs.