PLEASE tell me about your baby's position!

[Lula's Mom]

So I'm having a UC and doing my own prenatal care. I'm 35 weeks, 2 days now. DP and I are pretty good at knowing the baby's position, and here's what we can tell:

It's head down, but its head is in my lower right quadrant, not directly over the cervix at all. It's lying on its side, so its back then lies along my right side and ends in that little round hip/butt above my belly button in my upper right quadrant. Then the legs go down diagonally and end with the feet in my lower left quadrant. It's basically lying there like a jack-knifed tractor-trailer.

If we bother the baby we can get it to roll around and move some, but it settles right back into that comfy place. It's VERY active with kicking, and I feel those pleasant little punches in my cervix a few times a day. But it likes where it is.

I'm more encouraged by this position than I was a couple of weeks ago, when it was transverse all the time : ... but I'm starting to get a little worried by how much it likes to lie this way. I know some of you in the December due date club have posted that your babies have dropped, and obviously in this position, mine hasn't dropped at all.

Is this something that can maybe be fixed with a visit to a chiropractor? I know there's great success with the Webster Technique for breech babies; though that's not exactly my problem, I wonder if it isn't being caused by some intra-uterine constraint that could be fixed by an alignment.

Help! Any suggestions or ideas welcome! I'm cross-posting on the UC thread.

[KittyKat]

You are only 35 weeks.

Leave that poor baby alone! The baby will find the exit when he or she is ready. Since the head IS in the lower area you are fine.

My 4th baby flipped ALL around during the last few weeks, breech, transverse, diagonal, you name it. He was born at 40w6d headfirst, no problems!

Kathryn

[DalaiMama]

hey there... my baby is head down, engaged in my pelvis, with his body along the right side of my uterus. That being said, if he (she?) weren't engaged yet, I'd do my best not to worry. We still have a month, for the most part, and I think that's plenty of time for baby to "assume the position," especially since your baby is head down, at least.

[rainy32]

Wyatt is head-down and has dropped (but not "engaged") -- and he's not in perfect position yet. he lays with his head and butt in line, but instead of curling his legs up in fetal position, he extends his legs, crosses his ankles, and sticks them in my right mid-section. For the longest time, I thought he was transverse -- head down, butt swung over to the right, but its actually just his legs. He's got long legs. I have been worried that he won't "fold up" when its time to labor, but my nurse doesnt' seem concerned (I'm 35 weeks). If he doesnt' fold up, it won't be good -- but she thinks he will.

I did notice that after a reiki treatment, he was completely in line with his little legs tucked up. I plan to do reiki and massage once a week from 37 weeks on.

dh says "trust the baby!" I'm tryin' to. I also have felt like I could "go early" with him, and I think part of the cross legged trick is his way of stayin' in!

good luck!

[nikirj]

I saw your post on the UC thread but I'll respond here.

My baby is in the same position. My midwife thinks it looks just fine. I wouldn't worry too much.

My daughter was in a breech position until 38 weeks. A week before she was born, she turned herself and it was somewhat painful for me (lots of shoving and pushing and such) but she came out in ideal position.

My son was properly head-down from 30 weeks on...and he was posterior, horrid back labor.

I totally wouldn't worry about it.

[Lula's Mom]

Thanks, ladies! You're the best.

I am not too, too worried about it, because that goes against everything I'm practicing with this UP/UC. But it helps to hear that some other babies are still messing around- especially that yours likes the same position, Niki.

I do think I'm going to go to the chiropractor though. I found one who's trained in the Webster technique, so she must do a lot of pregnant women. Can't hurt and might help- I have chronic lower back and hip misalignment, so I've been saying I needed to go just for that. If it can open me up and give this baby more space, so much the better.

Who else wants to tell me how their baby is lying right now?

[laurata]

Kristi, I am pretty sure this babe is in a nice heads down position, though it's really, really hard to tell this time. More padding, maybe? Placental positioning, perhaps? Regardless, I had the same sort of positioning issues with Nova. I will assure you that she did eventually settle down into my pelvis, and was born just one day past her due date, head down and anterior. You might try doing some cat stretches at night. I remember feeling her shift one night shortly before she was born (maybe a week prior). I wasn't trying to move her, just stretching my back, but the shifting was pretty significant, and really surprised me, which is why I remember.

[Kundalini-Mama]

I responded on the UC thread, but my baby is in the exact same position too. I was getting worried that the baby might be really small or something, so it is really heartening to find out that others (3 UCers--weird) have babies in the same position.

I go to the chiropractor monthly anyway, and baby is still in this position. My next chiro appt is on Monday, so I'll let you know if anything changes.

Amy

[Patrice#1]

I only know my baby is head down because I have had ultrasounds, lol. I have absolutely NO idea to tell on my own! He does most of his kicking and stretching (pain, pain, pain for me, lol) on my right side. How do you tell if your baby is engaged or not???

[DalaiMama]

Patrice, if I try to feel my baby's position, I can feel his head in my pelvis, and the top of his head presses down on my cervix. It's like... his head has settled down into my pelvis instead of floating above it. Does that make sense?

[Kristeen]

All I've been told is that the baby is head down. That being said, I think it's dropped recently because every day I get painful little twinges in my cervix area. I also feel a long hard bulge on the right side of my belly (a back perhaps?).

[Patrice#1]

Thanks for the info. Rachel! I think that I am 'challenged' in that area though, lol. Maybe if I lay down and try to do it, like when the Dr. does it. When the Dr. does it, I can feel from the inside that she has felt the head, know what I mean? Like I know that she has just touched the baby's head and I felt it although I am not the one touching my belly...I will try a bit later.

[Oregonicmama]

Patrice,

It is a lot easier to feel the baby if you lay down to do it. One thing that is for sure is the head is HARD, way harder than any other part of the body. And it is distinctly round in shape. Its kind of hard to tell the back from the butt (except the back is a lot bigger), and I can never tell legs from arms.

My baby finally decided to try out the vertex position. Now I think it is going back and forth a lot. It is also always sitting posterior. DD was posterior too, so I'm not that concerned about that, but it would be nice if it turned around.

Check out www.spinningbabies.com for some info on helping the baby move into a good position.