Optimal positions to encourage babe to go head down

[Threefold]

I'm almost 28 weeks and I am pretty sure that my babe spends most of her time in a transverse position. By this time ds was head own and stayed there.
I'm a tad worried that my fears of preterm labor may be keeping her from going head down. Everytime I try to send out "head down" vibes, I stop and think, "but stay high, or take your time!" b/c ds went head down around 25 weeks and was so low he never dropped. And I'm sure all that pressure on my cervix helped him towards his early birthday.
I'm going to work on this!
But, just wondering is anyone knows of any opitmal positions for me to encourage babe to go head down while she still has lots of room. Wondering about downward dog, all fours, sitting up straight vs slouching, that sort of thing.
TIA

[Foobar]

hmmm, not sure. Goo dropped head down at 33 weeks, but that's my only experience.... Up until she dropped she was all over the place. Moo's a mover and shaker too, so I never really thought about this...

[majazama]

You know, I've been wondering this myself. I'm on the UC thread and someone said that there is a little booklet that you can buy off the internet called "Optimal fetal positioning" but I'm not sure who wrote it. Someone did mention that these things can help the baby get in an "optimal" position...
-pushing a loaded shopping cart (or a stroller, I would assume)
-when lying on your side, putting the higher knee in front of the lower one (like resting your belly on the mattress) when your knees are bent
Those are the only ones I can think of right now. Maybe sex could get that baby in the right position? Good luck!

[Threefold]

I normally sleep that way lately, it's just more comfortable. So if that's an optimal position, I'm in luck.

I know I have lots of time, I guess I just need something to put my worries on.
Our doula said most babies start to "nose down" around 30 weeks.
I'd still love to learn about more positions!

[Jennifer H]

Dane was transverse until about 34 weeks. I went to gentlebirth.org and looked in the archives for a lot of tips on getting baby to move head down. Keeping the pelvis open is the key to giving them room. I spend a lot of time sitting at work (computer stuff mostly) and am really trying to watch my posture (the lower back being in a "c" shape encourages breech positions because the pelvis isn't open enough).

I also remember hearing to get on your hands and knees as much as possible (scrubbing floors, playing with the kids, and my head on a pillow, butt in the air while I watch TV are my favorites).

[jondee0]

As well as the gentlebirth site, spinningbabies.com has a lot of info on optimal fetal positioning. You might find something there .

Joni, due 7-17-ish

[butterflyma]

We've been talking A LOT about optimal fetal positioning in my CB classes. Mostly, we've discussed the things already mentioned. The instructor highly reccommended spinningbabies.com. Also, she reccomended:
sitting at the edge of your chair
sitting backwards in chairs and leaning forward
sitting with your legs folded on the ground BUT making sure you have a pillow under your bum to keep your pelvis open
NEVER sitting reclined after 34 weeks
and sleeping on your left side with your left leg straight and your right leg folded on top of pillow (like a flamingo)

[Liba]

It is sort of odd. I find I naturally do most of the things that you all listed to get a baby to be head down and mine is. I am not sure that having the baby head down so early is a good thing, is it? I can tell you that having a head on my cervix is causing me to dialate and efface and that is way more worrisome to me at 29 weeks than having the baby head down so early... Plus the pressure is so uncomfortable when I walk or have braxton hicks contractions and now there is way more bladder pressure as well. I am peeing ALL the time.

When is it ideal to have a baby head down?

[Soontobe3]

my ds was frank breech (feet down) and I ended up with a c-section.

My dd went head down around 20 weeks and stayed there. She came right on her due date. (we had a successful VBAC) *yippeeee*


this babe I am carrying now, at 22 weeks, is still head up. I talked to my MW last week and asked when I should start worrying about the babes position - and she said at 37 weeks! She also said that if we get close and babe is still head up, she will give me positions to try to flip. She also said that since this is not my first baby, the uterus is stretched out and the baby has much more room to do somersaults than the other two had. So keep that in mind, too.

I do remember when I was pgy with ds and tried to flip him, I was told to go down on all fours - like a dog - and rock my pelvis back and forth. Also told to lay on a hard board - with my head down, feet up - at an angle - like resting it on the bed and floor....


Good luck! Keep us posted on your little ones position!

[Threefold]

My NP says babe need to be head down by 35 weeks. My doula says most beging to "nose down" around 30 weeks. My babe is still all over, but is beginning to spend some time head down (that seems to be how she sleeps now), which is fine with me. I don't mind her going head down "early", as long as she stays high. My ds was also head down and very low, so low he never officially dropped and I had the cervical perssure and early ctx and dialation that Liba describes. This babe is still high. I more just wanted to have a set of positions at the ready, I'm not actively trying to send babe head down just yet.