Optimal Fetal Positioning and Fetal Movement

[~Quse~]

I'm 37 weeks pregnant. Around the time I was 32 weeks my MW told me the baby was completely posterior and that I would need to do pelvic tilts and lay on my left side to make sure he got into the correct position for labor. Since I've started doing that the baby is usually positioned with it's spine to my right but every now and then it moves to the center or the left.

I kind of feel like it's pointless to try and reposition the baby as it always moves around anyway. I also freaked myself out thinking that with all this shifting, the baby is getting tangled up in his cord. I've also seen a study that reports that most babies change positions throughout labor.

Any thoughts???

[mightymoo]

It's tricky because early on the baby can move very freely, so lots of folks don't think its worthwhile to go nuts with OFP at that point, but as the baby gets bigger and starts dropping in your pelvis, it will be harder for him to turn. My baby was turning every which way but now he's down in there posterior and is isn't easy like it was before to get him to go anterior.

And yes, babies turn in labor, that is often the work of early labor - turning the baby to the right position. A baby that is badly positioned at the beginning of labor is going to be harder to birth because its going to take a lot longer to turn him or he's in a position where his head circumfrence is larger. Some theorize the reason women have long early labors or prodromal labors is because the uterus is trying to turn the baby.

[NoraB]

I've heard that sitting on a birth ball and/or rotating your hips like a belly dancer can help turn a posterior baby. And yes, a baby can turn in labor too, so I wouldn't stress too much. Just remember that having a posterior baby in labor would mean you especially need to stay upright during labor and avoid laying down (especially on your back).