When should baby be head down?

[Carlito's_wife]

Does anyone know when the baby is supposed to go head down? Everyone keeps telling me it is in the 8th month. And does it go head down because it is cramped or because it is prepairing for birth? I am 23 weeks right now and the baby is in postion for delivery. She is facing the correct postion as well as she is head down.

I really have a hard time believing that means anything right now. I am kind of thinking the only time the babies postion means anything is towards the end of preganancy and that is if she is breach.

Anyone else have a better in postion for take off?

[nolonger]

I don't think it really matters at this point. At 16 weeks, I could feel my litle one's head through my vaginal wall right undr my cervix where it will be before s/he is born, but now thre little golf-ball sized lump that wiggles back when I poke it is nowhere to be found and I feel rolls several times a day and kicks and punches all over the place.

[flapjack]

:

Mine has been LOA on occasion, but I know that means nothing: the final stint with my babies normally involves them lying laterally in my pelvis facing the left hip before rotating to the perfect birthing position during that last night of pregnancy.

[True Blue]

The positions vary right now. There is no need for concern about positioning until about 34 weeks or so (and even then is early, but it's a good idea to encourage proper positioning at this point if baby isn't there yet).

[jlc3333]

My babe has been transverse the whole time. I am also 23 weeks. I am a little concerned because s/he is only going to get bigger.: But I am not going to worry myself. It is still too early. Hopefully I won't be posting about a transverse baby a couple of months from now....Good luck hon.

[ScarletBegonias]

my babe has also been transverse. i have a feeling it'll be breech by the end. i just read (can't remember which book that second babies are often breech because of the mama still carrying around a toddler. the pressure of the toddler on the belly mimics the pressure the baby would feel on it's head from the pelvic floor.

with dd, she was transverse until about 25 wks, turned head down, and DROPPED at 28 wks. i felt her drop, the sensation was unmistakable, and she stayed head down for the rest of my pg. although i never felt that "i have a head between my legs" feeling that a lot of moms get after baby has dropped. becasue of my personal experience, i always have a hard time believing that moms don't know when/if their baby dropped, especially when they are expressing all the classic signs. pressure, more room around their ribs, less rolling movements and more kicking, etc.,

[nolonger]

Originally Posted by ScarletBegonias

my babe has also been transverse. i have a feeling it'll be breech by the end. i just read (can't remember which book that second babies are often breech because of the mama still carrying around a toddler. the pressure of the toddler on the belly mimics the pressure the baby would feel on it's head from the pelvic floor.

If it's any consolation at all, this absolutely did not prove true for me with ds, even though I was still carrying dd in a sling for most of the pregnancy and around the house a lot. I was car-free back then, so it was a significant percentage of my time that I was schlepping her around and she was pressing on my belly. She was also a fairly large toddler, although a small 2.9 year old when ds was born.

I know, the plural of anecdote is not data, but I am hoping that you will have a similar experience. ds' presentation was absolutely perfect and his birth was wonderful and my best ever...well, up until this bean's UC which hasn't happened yet.

[eilonwy]

Originally Posted by ScarletBegonias

my babe has also been transverse. i have a feeling it'll be breech by the end. i just read (can't remember which book that second babies are often breech because of the mama still carrying around a toddler. the pressure of the toddler on the belly mimics the pressure the baby would feel on it's head from the pelvic floor.

My second baby was breech... but not until two nights before she was delivered by emergency c-section. She was head down, LOA the whole time i was *actually* carrying a toddler around.

[Teenytoona]

What's LOA? Only thing I can think of is Little One Arriving, but I know that's not it...

[True Blue]

Left Occipital Anterior....baby positioning terms. I think www.spinningbabies.com has good explanations IIRC.

[applecore]

My baby is also transverse, and hasn't changed position at all from what I can tell. No worries yet, but during my midwifery studies, I was so freaked out when reading about transverse babies! I was having visions of a purple arm coming first..... YIKES!

[mama_nym]

At this point in time, position doesn't matter. When you go into labor, then it matters!

Most healthcare providers are happier if baby is in the proper position for birth from 32 weeks on.

I, however, do not have cooperative babies. My babies love to roll around and change position and freak my midwives out. C had his head on my left side, his back along the top of my belly, arms and legs hanging down at 38 weeks. At 39 weeks he was breech when I woke up the morning of my check-up, head down at my appointment, and transverse the next day. My mw's breathed a sigh of relief when he was once again head down during day 2 of labor and was STILL head down a few hours before birth (on day 3!). He was, however, still "floaty", turning from side to side, and basically dancing my entire labor until I had the urge to push. He didn't engage at all until my body started pushing and was born 7 minutes later.

[Avarie]

My first babe was wonderfully compliant in this regard. He was head-down by 30 weeks, with his body along my right side and feet to the left. Then he rolled over. Oy vey! That was an experience. He had his back against my left side and feet to the right from 32 weeks, and never rolled around again. In fact, by 38 weeks, my OB said the head was already right down at my pelvis. I DID feel like I was sitting on a baseball half the time.

At 23 weeks, this one's still all over the place ... but breech keeps coming to mind. Who knows - we'll figure it out eventually.

[zulupetalz]

Not until 32 or so weeks. Sometimes they don't settle to head down until later than that, though.