Getting baby in optimal position

[amitymama]

This entire pregnancy at every appointment the baby has been head down, lined up with my pelvis. Today, at my 38 week appointment, the baby is oblique (laying slightly diagonally) with its head to the left of my pelvis. I have to go back next week and the MW said if my water broke before then to go straight to the hospital to have a scan to check position as there is a greater chance of cord prolapse when the baby is oblique. She reassured me that they would just do a scan and then let me go back home for my planned homebirth if all was well but I don't want to have to go to the hospital at all as I'm scared they'll find a reason to keep me there and pressure other interventions on me, especially if the baby is still oblique when my water breaks.

Does anyone know what I can do to get the baby to shift back to the pelvis? Exercises, postures, etc..? And what are the risks/dangers (if any) of going into labor with an oblique baby?

[BeccaSue1029]

My babe still moves around quite a bit, in fact, I think he may be breech right now but I'm not 100% sure. I bet baby will be sticking its head back in your pelvis any time now!

[moderngal]

look at spinningbabies.com there is a ton of info there on optimal fetal positioning. do you have a birth ball? if so, get on it. make sure you aren't crossing your legs, do tailor sitting, etc. good luck, mama!!

[Montse]

My baby moves her head from one side of my pelvis to the other and is sunny side up. My midwife gave me exercises to do to encourage her to move into the labor friendly position. Get on your hands and knees and arch your back and relax. Repeat for 10 minutes. I've been really lazy about doing my exercises. Shame on me big time - sunny side up babies create difficult labor situations and often lead to c-sections because apparently, they're undeliverable.

[MAdams]

www.spinningbabies.com

[ssolberg99]

My babe turned occiput posterior on Friday (after lots of weed pulling and sweeping the driveway) and I've been trying the exercises and pelvic rocks. I just found this yesterday...

Diaphragmatic Release article by Judy Jones...it was printed in Midwifery Today E-News. Here's the link:

http://www.naturalchildbirth.org/nat...or/labor29.htm

I'm going to have the chiro try this tonight.

[MsHiss]

In addition to pelvic tilts described above, I've been doing "polar bear" position for 20 minute stratches. It looks like this, only on your knees:

http://blogs.chron.com/txpotomac/polar%20bear.jpg

Not terribly comfortable, but its supposed to help. My baby also decided 39 weeks was a great time to try sunny side up position instead of the optimal position she had been in for months...

[mommathea]

My baby keeps doing that to. My midwife told me whenever I feel the baby over on my 'hip'bone to lay down, and gently rub that area towards my pelvis. Has worked very quickly every time.

[mommathea]

Originally Posted by Montse

My baby moves her head from one side of my pelvis to the other and is sunny side up. My midwife gave me exercises to do to encourage her to move into the labor friendly position. Get on your hands and knees and arch your back and relax. Repeat for 10 minutes. I've been really lazy about doing my exercises. Shame on me big time - sunny side up babies create difficult labor situations and often lead to c-sections because apparently, they're undeliverable.

Please, please, don't get into the mindset of posterior babies being undeliverable. They may be more dificult from a ob laying flat on your back position, but they are still VERY deliverable.
It sometimes takes more time, energy, and focus but it can be done. Some have even gone through a posterior delivery and has been easier for them than an anterior delivery.
I myself delivered a posterior baby with my last baby with only 6hrs of pictocine induced labor, and was easier and less tearing than previous pregnancy.

[amitymama]

Thanks for all the links! So are the exercises they recommend for posterior babies good for oblique babies too? There's not a great deal about oblique, it's mostly posterior and breech.

I'm going to go swimming tomorrow and will make an effort to sit on my birth ball and do some exercises in the next week.

[daniturtle]

Here's what I do-- and The Wee is currently is a "good" position, so it's mostly an issue of getting head down into pelvis most efficiently, etc etc. This was recommended by my doula. I'm pretty sure they come from spinningbabies.com since she (my doula) took a workshop with Gail Tully (she is local to me! Yay for spinningbabies.com!!!).

1st- Shimmy-shimmy to loosen/soften pelvic ligaments (which if one or more are tight can impede "good" positioning as I understand it): we do what I call the shimmy-shimmy. We take a rebozo (long wide scarf thing) and but it around my belly. I get on all fours and my husband holds the ends up above me and he shifts the ends up and down in small motions (at least I *think* that's what he's doing!) which creates a shimmying sensation, back and forth across my belly.

2nd- Inversion to get baby out of & then into pelvis the right way- on an arm chair, I put my feet on the back cushion, knees on the seat cushion, and make my way down with my hands on the floor, arms outstretched (you may need spotting to do this!), head hanging down between arms, back nice & straight. I hold this position for 1 minute. Then I bring my knees down to the floor, still keeping my hands and head near the floor. Then I swing my torso upright. The idea being that the baby floats up out of the pelvic region, where there's not a lot of room for it to move around, during the inversion and then settles back in during the swing phase.

I also do lots and lots of pelvic figure eights, both standing, knees slightly bent, as well as on all fours. Mostly I do these cos it feels good and I think it does help with positioning too....

I don't know if this would help for an oblique position, since I am no where near an expert!!! But it sounds like it might! And you never know, baby might find it's way back all on its own. Good luck!!!!

[dimibella]

Originally Posted by Montse

My baby moves her head from one side of my pelvis to the other and is sunny side up. My midwife gave me exercises to do to encourage her to move into the labor friendly position. Get on your hands and knees and arch your back and relax. Repeat for 10 minutes. I've been really lazy about doing my exercises. Shame on me big time - sunny side up babies create difficult labor situations and often lead to c-sections because apparently, they're undeliverable.

My first was posterior through my entire labor, they kept threatening me with a c-section and when I finally convinced them to let me push hands and knees, it gave him just enough room to turn. It was definitely a harder labor than DD, but totally do-able mama. Don't let others negative opinions about it get to you.