question about optimal foetal positioning

[Shanghaimum]

Hi there
I am 32 weeks pregnant with my second child. My son, 21 months old, was posterior and was a very nasty delivery. I started with a midwife, but ended up being delivered in a hospital with a massive episiotomy and vacuum extraction.

I am really concerned that baby is posterior again. My tummy feels almost hollow on the left side, my tummy button is concave and I feel a lot of pressure in my back. As well, everyone talks about what a "neat little bump" I have - the same thing I always heard when I was pregnant with my son.

I am now living in a community where there are no midwives so I am seeing a gp. I do pelvic rocks and am quite active. My gp doesn't seem concerned about positioning and just dismisses my concerns.

Is there anything any of you can suggest so that I can hopefully encourage baby to flip over - thank you.


Emma

[Golden]

Yeah Emma for thinking about this now!

Here are two websites that I like. One of them has some pencil drawings of positions to try.

Good luck!
Golden

spinning babies

OFP

[chiromommy]

My best suggestion would be to see a chiropractor. While it may be how your pelvis is shaped, it may just be that there is a misalignment that can be corrected. Chiropractic is great during pregnancy anyways (less back discomfort, shorter labor, easier postpartum) it is very important with a baby in a less than optimal position.
Try finding someone who does the Webster Breech (or In-Utero constraint) Technique (this also works for babies in other difficult positions). Be weary of any hard adjusting or twisting of your spine - less force is better especially in pregnancy.
The great thing about the chiropractic technique to turn the baby is that is relatively non invasive so if there is another structural reason baby is in that position, there is no danger - he just won't move!
If you need help finding someone please email me.
You can also try a knee chest position 3 times a day for 20 minutes each time. This is elbows under you, knees curled up under you with tush up in the air. The goal is to get baby up out of your pelvis and then he may be able to set back down in the other direction. Do this in addition to the pelvic rocks.
If the baby does persist in this position, it may be a long labor, but at least you know what to expect. Definitely try lots of different positions in labor to try and enable baby to turn - they usually do at some point. Listen to your body.
I hope that helps!

[Shanghaimum]

Thanks Chiromommy and Golden,

I saw a chiropractor last Friday - he said my sacrum was a bit tipped and he did some adjustments. I am going to see him on Thursday so I will ask him if he is familiar with the Webster Breech maneuver... I will try the knee-chest position - I just tried it and it was quite awkward - can I use some pillows for extra support? Thank you for suggesting the sites Golden - I have seen the opf site, but never the spinning babies site - it is excellent - many good suggestions.


THank you both so much

Emma

[Shanghaimum]

Just wanted to post an update... I saw my chiropractor today - good news! He has been trained in the Webster Breech maneuver, that Chiromummy suggested (thank you!)... Baby is still posterior, but I feel a bit more positive. I have been doing the knee to chest pose and it definately makes baby start moving.


Thanks again

Emma

[stayinghome]

Emma, i just had two clients who were in your same situation. They both read a book caled Optimal Foetal Postioning, and got on all fours, and knee chest, and chiropractic care as well. It sounds like you are doing everything you can to help guide baby into a better position! Good luck!

[Desdamona]

another thing you might want to try, emma, is to do pelvic rocks/tilts. It really helps encourage the little one to be in the OFP.

and if your little one is op when you go into labor, stay mobile!! lunging, doing the hula (anything that keeps your hips and pelvis moving), getting on all fours can help encourage the little one to rotate. and many babies 9in my experience) don't rotate until right before mom starts pushing or will into the pushing phase.

best wishes.

[EarthWind]

Hi,

I don't often post, but I thought I might have a couple of suggestions that may be of help. You may already be aware of this, but I thought it would be worthwhile to chime in.

If you are not already doing so, I would highly recommend sitting in the tailor sitting position - i.e. upright, with legs crossed in front of you so that your legs are 90 degrees to your torso. Sitting in an upright chair that forces you to use good posture is great or sitting cross-legged on the floor on cushions is also great. Some sitting positions that are less optimal are sitting on comfy couches/chairs that get you a semi-reclining position or even just slouching. I think that the tailor sitting position (cross-legged on floor) and upright sitting with thighs 90 degrees to torso lifts the uterus somewhat and gravity encourages the babe's heaviest body part (back) to be facing the front of the uterus - encouraging the baby to be in the anterior position. I recently sat in on a close-friend's Bradley class (I am studying to be a childbirth educator) and learned this information. I wish I had had the information before my son was born as I suspect it may have made the difference in getting him in an optimal position. As it was, he was asynclitic (a little off center) and labor was very long.

Hope this has been helpful and if any of it was not clear, feel free to contact me and I'm happy to contribute.

Peace,

Michelle

[Shanghaimum]

Thanks Desdamona and Michelle (Earthwind) ... Michelle as I read your post, I have shifted from a comfortable slouch to the tailor's pose! Thank you. I was away for the weekend and visited with a friend who is a doula - she also suggested that I spend some time crawling around on the floor... I tried it this evening - not at all comfortable.... but my son loved watching me crawl around! It is good to read that even if baby stays where he/she is at the present, that there is still the possibility that by doing lunges, stairs, etc., babe will move in labour.


I so appreciate all of your input - thanks again

EMma

[homebirthing]

Hi! I just wanted to add a couple of things! I have given birth to an OP baby too! And Gail Tully, from the Spinning Babies site, trained me as a doula and I took her Spinning Babies class...anyway! The biggest reason for so many OP babies nowadays is the postitions that we find ourselves in. Big comfy couches that we lay back into, slouching at work, with our back towards the ground instead of our bellys. If you can imagine your belly as a hammock and your baby resting with his/her head down and back out, and put yourself as much into that postition as possible, that is great! Sitting on your birthball (get one, if you don't have one) is one way to really help that. Legs and hips spread far apart and belly hanging forward, that will encourage OFP. As much as you can lay over the ball in hands and knees. If you think about Caroline Ingals from Little House on the Prarie...she never got a chance to lay back in the recliner! She was leaning forward kneading bread, scrubbing the floor, tilling the feilds, picking veggies. Always hammocking the babe forward, so that the heaviest part of your babes head, the occiput, was falling forward, towards your belly, instead of backwards towards your back. Make sense? It is hard to explain without showing you!! So, if you are on the computer or sitting all day, throw out that chair for now!! and bring in the ball. It really helps a lot and if, for some reason you go into labor with an OP babe, hve your doula use a rebozo to sift that baby around! Good luck.