optimal fetal positioning

Which style's up?

When a midwife or doctor is examining your pregnant belly, you may hear them draw your baby's position. The position your babe is in is meaningful because information technology can affect your labour, and peradventure whether your infant tin be born safely vaginally.

Here are some explanations of the terms you might hear and how it can affect your birth:

Prevarication

  • The relation of the long axis (head to bottom) of the baby to that of its mother.
  • Prevarication is either longitudinal (the pink, greenish or blue babe in the picture below) or transverse (the other baby).
  • A longitudinal lie means that baby is either caput down or lesser downwardly.
  • Occasionally the baby and the maternal axis may cross at 45 degrees forming an oblique lie. This lie is unstable and must become longitudinal or transverse for a baby to exist built-in.
  • Babies cannot be born vaginally in the transverse or oblique. Oblique babies may adjust themselves with a little assistance. Transverse babies may need help (in the form of an External Cephalic Version) to reposition themselves or be born by caesarean department.

Presenting function

  • The portion of the babe that is either within or closest to the birth canal.
  • When the prevarication is longitudinal, the presentation volition be either cephalic (head down – pinkish or bluish baby) or breech (green baby).
  • In a transverse lie (the other baby) the presenting function will most probable exist the infant's shoulder.
  • A compound presentation is when more than than one part of the baby'south body is in the birth canal. Nearly of the time it is a hand upward beside infant's head.

Cephalic presentations are classified according to the baby'due south mental attitude (how tucked in the baby's head is to its breast). When the mentum is tucked in close to the breast (flexed) information technology is called a vertex presentation. This position is the ideal presentation for baby to be built-in in. Nevertheless, non all babies go themselves in this position. If the baby does non have its caput tucked in, we telephone call it deflexed.

Sometimes baby flexes its head during labour. Sometimes it does not. If the infant's head is midway betwixt full flexion and full extension, it is chosen a brow presentation. When baby's head is thrust back (fully extended), and the back of the babe's head is touching its dorsum, the face is in the birth culvert. Nosotros call this a confront presentation.

What about breech?

Breech presentations are classified according to the position of babe's legs – frank breech, complete breech and incomplete breech. A babe in frank breech position is flexed at the hips and extended at the knees. The baby'southward feet are upwards by its face. A consummate breech has both hips and knees flexed. An incomplete breech is when one or both hips are NOT flexed, and 1 or both feet lie beneath the infant'south bottom and so that it is a human foot or human knee presenting in the birth canal. If it is a foot presenting it is known every bit a footling breech.

Babies may be built-in vaginally in breech presentation under some circumstances. They may too be able to exist turned to a cephalic presentation by External Cephalic Version (ECV). If either of these options is not prophylactic for you, and so baby tin be born by caesarean section.

breech babies
Photo past Alila Medical Media used nether license from Shutterstock.com

Position

Refers to the relationship of the baby's presenting function (head or tail) to the mother'southward right or left side. Yous may hear your midwife referring to your baby equally OA or OP.

  • OA (Occiput – back of baby's caput, Anterior – to the forepart) is the ideal birth position for most babies (pinkish baby below). The occiput, and hence the baby's back, might be on the mothers' right- or left-hand side and rotated toward the mothers' front (ROA, LOA or direct OA).
  • OP (Occiput – back of baby's caput, Posterior – to the dorsum) babies are likewise known as spine to spine. We telephone call it this as the baby's back is rotated toward the mothers back (ROP, LOP or directly OP) (blue baby below).
postioning baby

Photo past bus109 used under license from Shutterstock.com

OP position

In the OP position, your babe's head presses against the nerves in your tailbone. This position tin can cause back hurting which can be worse in labour. There are some things you can do earlier your babe is born, which may assist your baby into a better position. From about 36 weeks you can attempt leaning forward whenever you tin.

These movements may aid your baby to turn, and then that babe's back is toward your front before its head engages in your pelvis in preparation for the birth. If the infant doesn't cooperate, don't worry too much. You lot tin also remain mobile during your labour which will encourage your babe to turn. If the infant doesn't want to plow, he or she is all the same able to be born, just confront instead of face down.

Asynclitic

Sometimes baby's head is tilted off to the side. When this happens, information technology is called asynclitic. It is more difficult for the infant to be built-in when their head tilts (if you have ever tried to get your head through the cervix of a jumper sideways, yous will sympathise). The best way to help your baby move his or her caput is to stay mobile. You can do this with the help of your midwife even if you have an epidural. Most babies will be able to straighten their head out and be born without further help.

To watch more videos on helping position your baby please meet the Spinning Babies website.

Dr Janelle McAlpine (PhD), Clinical Midwife
Prototype by szefei, used under license from Shutterstock.com


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