Guiding your baby into an optimal position for childbirth

Hello folks, I am happy to announce that the sun is shining and I didn't need to wear my coat when I took the dog for a walk this morning! Hooray! Following my last blog, my website is now live and available for you to visit at www.mama2b.com


Welcome to my third blog, I hope you enjoy reading my blog today. I have written about a subject that is dear to my heart as both myself and my daughter experienced labour and birth with a baby in a posterior position. Therefore, I want to spread the word so that others may avoid a long and difficult birth with this knowledge. 

I am passionate about teaching pregnant women about optimal fetal positioning, and the side effects of a posterior position of the baby on their experience of labour and birth. Having experienced a posterior position (baby lying with his/her back to your back) during labour and childbirth myself, and how it impacted on the outcome of my delivery, has motivated me to spread the word. Sadly, when I had my daughter many years ago no one really knew about the effects of a posterior position and how to prevent or change your baby’s position prior to, and during labour.  Thankfully, times have changed and we have the knowledge to help ourselves now.

During the latter weeks of pregnancy most babies will adopt a position with their back towards the front of their mothers abdomen. However, our 21st century lifestyle has encouraged an increase in the number of babies lying in a posterior position.

You can tell if your baby is lying in a posterior position if:

·      You feel the baby kicking at the front of your tummy, rather than at the side

·      You notice a dip in your abdomen over your belly button when you lie on your back

·      You may have backache in the last few weeks and your baby’s head does not engage into the pelvis

However, all is not lost! From 34 weeks onward your own postural awareness and habits can encourage your baby to lie with his/her back to your left front side of your abdomen. This position encourages the baby’s head to engage in the pelvic brim with the baby’s head in a flexed position. This has the potential to increase the likelihood of a normal birth, due to a smaller diameter of baby’s head and nice even pressure on the cervix (opening to uterus) during labour.

There are many techniques you can employ to encourage your baby into an optimal position during the latter weeks of your pregnancy:

·      Spend time every day on all fours (the uterus forms into a hammock and the baby naturally swings round to an optimal position as the spine is heavier and follows gravity)

·      Use forward leaning upward postures e.g. Leaning over a bean bag or birthing ball

·      Always sit with your knees lower than your hips

·      Spending time sitting on a birthing ball with your legs at a 90degree angle, rocking and swaying intermittently.

·      Leaning over the ball and swaying your hips helps ease your baby into an optimal position and also helps to ease backache.

·      Lie on your left side to rest with a pillow between your knees.

·      Swimming with the abdomen forward, but avoid breast- stroke movements with your legs as it stretches the ligaments.

·      Use the Rebozo technique to help the baby rotate into an anterior position 

A baby lying the other way round with his/her spine against your spine and facing forward looking ahead (like a soldier at attention) is often described by health professionals as being in a posterior position or OP position. It’s a good idea to ask your midwife or obstetrician at your clinic visits what position your baby is lying in from about 34 weeks.

The side effects of having a posterior position prior to, and during labour and birth are:

·      Baby not engaging in the pelvis prior to labour

·      A larger diameter of his head to descend through your birth canal

·      Uneven pressure on the cervix due to positioning

·      This may lead to a longer more complicated labour and birth

·      Early rupture of membranes (breaking of waters spontaneously)

 Jean Sutton pioneer of optimal fetal positioning suggests tips in early labour to encourage the baby to rotate in to an optimal position:

·      Walking up some stairs sideways bringing her second leg up beside the first on each stair

·      Rocking from side to side also lifts the hips

·      March on the spot

·      Lift one foot (your preference) on to a stool

·      Try lying on your left side initially with a pillow under the uterus to lift it to the midline.

Studies have shown that just spending 10 minutes a day in the hands and knees position can encourage the baby to lie in an optimal position.

There have been many medical advances in childbirth since I had my daughter, but I think this simple technique has the potential to save many women from a long and painful labour with medical intervention and assisted delivery. It is simple and easy to implement these simple techniques into daily life, but the benefits are enormous!

References:

Sutton J. and Scott P. 1995. Understanding and Teaching Optimal Foetal Positioning.  Birth Concepts, New Zealand.

Robertson A. 2004. The Midwife Companion: The art of support during birth. Birth International, Australia.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. Any comments much appreciated and if you would like to share your experience about a posterior baby, I would love to hear from you.

If you would like any further advice or to discuss optimal fetal positioning please don’t hesitate to contact me on: amanda@mama2b.com or alternatively call me on 0905 620 1241 (calls cost £1 a minute)