[parsley]

<p>I'm a little obsessed with positioning.  DD was breech (I know I've mentioned this about a million times already) and this babe was transverse at my 20 week u/s.  Before the babe gets huge and you can feel it's body parts by poking at your own abdomen, how do you know the position? </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Are there patterns to the baby's movements?  With DD I mostly had movement on the sides and lower abdomen (which makes sense as her big skull was in my ribcage.  These days, I'm feeling movement all over but increasingly I've been feeling these sort of repetitive taps in my upper uterus, like swinging feet (?!?).  Makes me hope she's head down...  what do you all think?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Anyone else obsessed or concerned with position or anyone have tips on how to judge position? </p>

 

[atomicrocket]

<p>I'm pretty sure he's head up right now.  I feel most of the larger kicks really low down (he really enjoys kicking my bladder) and sometimes on the sides.  My doctor tried to feel where his head is at my appointment on Monday but couldn't tell.  Is it easy to tell what position the baby is in by feeling your own abdomen once you get further along?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I obviously don't have any tips because I am new at this but am looking forward to hearing the replies!</p>

 

[Adaline'sMama]

At my 22 week us, this babe was head down and I had been feeling tons of movement in my lower abdomen. DD was breech (turned with an external version) so Im a little obsessed. However, at this point, the baby could still be moving positions multiple times a day, so I have no idea where he is now, although Im still feeling most of my movement in the lower abdomen. I plan to start pelvic tilts in two weeks with the hope to help keep this baby head down.

 

[hildare]

<p>huh.  i thought they were all transverse or right side up at this point...  i didn't think they "flipped" till later on. </p>

 

[Adaline'sMama]

The way I understand it is that they can be in any position at this point, since they are still small enough to move all over the place. DD was head down at my 20 week us, and at my 32 week us. At 35 weeks I went in complaining that she was all up in my ribcage and they did a us and determined that she was breech with her ankles on either side of her cheeks. This babe was head down at the 22 week scan, but he has probably moved since then.<br><br>

 

[parsley]

<p>Yeah.  Most sources I've read suggest that it's way too early to worry about position.  But, since DD was breech EVERY single time we saw her on a scan (which ended up being quite frequent), it's also been suggested to me that there may be a reason why she was breech that might mean another breech baby (short torso, uterus shape, low lying placenta, etc...).  And, I've also read that you can do the most about baby position earlier than the conventions suggest so going to a chiro, doing tilts, and even an external version can be done earlier to help insure a well positioned baby. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>So, I guess I'm wondering if there are patterns to movement that can help me tell where she's at? </p>
<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>hildare</strong> <a href="/community/t/1333659/babys-position#post_16711635"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a><br><br><p>huh.  i thought they were all transverse or right side up at this point...  i didn't think they "flipped" till later on. </p>
</div>
</div>
<p><br><br>
When I was much further along, I found it easy to identify body parts through my belly.  But that was like 36 weeks, I think.<br>
 </p>
<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>atomicrocket</strong> <a href="/community/t/1333659/babys-position#post_16711586"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a><br><br><p> Is it easy to tell what position the baby is in by feeling your own abdomen once you get further along?</p>
</div>
</div>
<br><br><p> </p>

 

[Right of Passage]

<p>This is by far my most acrobating baby, but baby's back hangs out on my right side. The positions I'm sure baby hangs out from palpating and movement: right occiput anterior, right sacrum anterior (a favored position until recently), sacrum posterior. No time really spent transverse thankfully, mostly flips back and forth from breech to vertex and back again. Baby was favoring a breech position until the last week, now I feel kicks as high as my ribs. DS3 was breech until 34 weeks, we did webster, acupuncture, acupressure, and all kinds of funky positions to get him to move and he did when he was ready. I'm not concerned about what position baby ends up in, as long as he/she comes out!</p>

 

[Kaydove]

<p>Babes does those flips where it makes you nausous - like when you're in an old elevator and its reached the floor and it messes with your equlibrium, those stomach turning flips still happen all. the. time. It makes me feel so...off. I've been feeling kicks and jabs up high or down low, not usually on the sides. They're really strong though and hurt! I swear she's already bossy and starts kicking when I'm hungry. She's also almost always moves at the sound of DH's voice, which is pretty awesome.</p>
<p>I would love to be able to tell which position she's at, but not worried about breech quite yet.</p>

 

[hildare]

<p>my ob mentioned to me that movement wasn't as easy to feel if they were head down, if that helps. </p>

 

[Right of Passage]

<p>I have a handsy baby and that likes to pratice his/her hand model skills inutero, so I feel the hands doing their thing and then the legs doing their thing, and then the culimnation of the hands and feet meeting each other and likely getting shoved in a mouth. So no matter breech or vertex I feel a whole lot of jiggling! lol<br><br>
Simple info on palpation:<br><br>
Lay down on a flat surface, head propped, knees propped. This allows for relaxed abdominal muscles.<br>
Feel your belly, you should be able to feel the outline of your uterus. I find it easiest to palpate from my fundus down.<br>
If your baby is directly posterior you're going to feel a lot of little lumps but not much else<br>
If your baby is directly anterior you'll feel all back and no little lumps(unless someone has a foot or hand behind their head, possible!)<br>
If your baby is lying either left or right you should be able to feel baby's back, possible limps extended or feet/hands<br>
If you can feel baby's back you can follow to back to both ends and grasp each end<br>
Wiggle end one, then wiggle end two. The end that wiggles by itself is the head, the end where you feel the whole baby wiggle is the butt.<br><br>
I find it helps my baby to talk, just let him/her know what's going on.</p>

 

[Keria]

<p>Baby A is head down and baby B is breech, I feel baby B way more than A but they are equally active on u/s, so I guess it's true that you feel them more if they are breech. My doctor doesn't think baby B is going to flip he's been in that position forever but we'll see.</p>

 

[mamashannon]

<p>Have you felt your baby hiccup yet? That is always how I could tell where DD1 was (she was pretty much ALWAYS head down) and so far with this baby, I've been feeling her hiccup a couple of times a day and I've always felt them at the bottom, so I know she's head down as well. I also feel lots of movement on my sides, like halfway between my bellybutton and pelvis, so I'm assuming she's all curled up and those are feet I'm feeling. That's where I felt DD1 the most as well. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>At my 19 week scan, she was breech at the beginning of the appointment, and then halfway through she flipped and was head down for the rest of it <img alt="upsidedown.gif" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/upsidedown.gif"> It was pretty wild to feel her flip and know that's what she had done. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Right of Passage, thank you for the tips on palpation. I'm really looking forward to being able to feel for baby's position as she gets bigger. My MW said that she doesn't start palpating for position until around 24 weeks, but that she'll show me how to do it. </p>

 

[TeamGR]

<p>I pretty much only feel definite movement very low, that's where all the strong kicks and pushes come from.  But, I sometimes get whole shudders or strong pushes that seem to take up my entire uterus.  </p>
<p> </p>
<p>When do you want to start feeling for head down?  When do you start worrying? </p>

 

[kim.mpls]

<p>SpinningBabies.org if you don't know it.  You can also follow & message Gail on Facebook.  </p>

 

[atomicrocket]

<p>I wanted to revive this thread because my baby seems to like spending a lot of time transverse now which is extremely uncomfortable.  It's neat because when he is sideways I can palpitate and easily feel his butt and head, but it puts a lot of pressure on my lower abdomen and causes a lot of pelvic pain/discomfort.  I'm a little worried that my posture is affecting his position since I am spending a lot more time at my desk now.  When I get up in the morning he often seems to be head down, just based on where I feel most of his kicks, but he always turns sideways at some point in the day.  I've been trying out exercises from spinning babies to coax him to turn but haven't had any success yet.  He only seems to like to turn at night.  I'm hoping one night he just gets stuck head down, since transverse pretty much means a guaranteed c-section.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Anyone else notice changes in position lately?</p>

 

[parsley]

<p>The main thing I notice is that this baby moves around a lot.  I'm still not great at guessing what the position is but it's nice to know that she's moving around enough so that sometimes she's not breech or transverse!  Yesterday, I felt a lot of huge kicks at the top of my uterus... made me pretty sure the babe was head down! <br><br>
I'm having an ultrasound on Monday to check on my placenta.  I'm hoping that since the baby can sometimes be head down that is also a sign of some good news regarding my placenta previa.  (Placenta previa often prevents babies from being head down).  I'll have a check to measure growth at that point and also position.  I'm not actually worried about growth... I measured large at my last appt but I think that was due to a) me being overweight with lots of flab on my tummy; and b) that's often a symptom of placenta previa.  I am worried about both position and placenta location though. </p>

 

[OdinsMommy0409]

<p>My little guy is still all over the place. I feel like as soon as I can say he's head down during the day, he somersaults and is head up. I swear it felt like he was playing drums on my tailbone a couple days - weirdest but coolest feeling ever. He does some stretching that can be immensely uncomfortable, but I'm otherwise not concerned about his positioning since he's such a mover still (and small).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Now, I'm sure I'll feel differently when I have my u/s around 37 weeks to check my c/s scar and placenta location and will be high anxiety that he'll be breech. Hopefully, the chiro maintenance will ensure good positioning. </p>

 

[nannybutterfly]

<p>My little guy flips back and forth from breech to head down, all day! My DS never did this! The constant movement sometimes makes me feel sick. <span><img alt="grossedout.gif" height="20" id="user_yui_3_4_1_8_1321553759936_291" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/grossedout.gif" width="20"></span>I'm really nervous that this baby is going to be breech, but my chiro says it's still too early to worry yet and that he just has lots more room to move around thanks to his 10 lb big brother streching everything out for him.<span><img alt="eyesroll.gif" height="15" id="user_yui_3_4_1_8_1321553759936_151" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/eyesroll.gif" width="15"></span></p>

 

[jaimeemiaj]

<p>At my last appt, my Dr. told me the baby was transverse, with the head on my left side and feet on the right side, so I get a lot of kicking on my far side.   Since there is still room for the baby to move, he was not worried.  At the delivery of my daughter, she was postier, or "sunny side up".  My doctor told me not to push, and I had a big episiomoty and he manually turned her at the last minute.  I started to get worried that I was about to have a c-section because if got frantic in the room.  It was really scary when people in the room got nervous, and a big tray of scissors was brought over, and I could feel my daughter being twisted.  I hope that this time will be better for delivery!</p>

 

[Gunter]

<p>i am a huge fan of Optimal Fetal Positioning for things like breech babes or Posterior or Asynclitic.  What I like is that they talk about how to help the babe get into a great position at different points through the last trimester, early labor, etc so not all is lost if you go into labor with a OP or breech babe.  <a href="http://www.homebirth.org.uk/ofp.htm" target="_blank">http://www.homebirth.org.uk/ofp.htm</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>It's especially important to me personally b/c i did give birth to a babe who was posterior- she was born sunny-side up facing me.  I had a dream that she would be born like this in my bedroom and sure enough, she was.  But it was difficult for me to push or feel like any of my pushes were effective.  In labor, she was asynclintic and my midwife helped her turn and she turned posterior.  She had a big caput for the first 24 hours.  I am hoping to keep my body aligned in a way that prevents this babe from being posterior, too. </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>