Fetus upside down

Baby Positions in Womb: What They Mean

As your baby grows during pregnancy, they may move around quite a bit in the womb. You might feel kicking or wiggling, or your baby may twist and turn.

During the last month of pregnancy, your baby is bigger and doesn’t have much wiggle room. The position of your baby becomes more important as your due date nears. This is because your baby needs to get into the best position to prepare for delivery.

Your doctor will continually assess the position of your baby in the womb, especially during the last month.

Read on to find out what it means when your doctor uses words like anterior, posterior, transverse, or breech to describe the position of your baby. You’ll also learn what to do if your baby isn’t in the best position before your due date.

The baby is head down, with their face facing your back. The baby’s chin is tucked into their chest and their head is ready to enter the pelvis.

The baby is able to flex their head and neck, and tuck their chin into their chest. This is usually referred to as occipito-anterior, or the cephalic presentation.

The narrowest part of the head can press on the cervix and help it to open during delivery. Most babies generally settle in the head-down position around the 33- to 36-week range. This is the ideal and safest position for delivery.

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The baby is facing head down, but their face is positioned toward your stomach instead of your back. This is typically called the occipito-posterior (OP) position.

In the first stage of labor, about one-tenth to one-third of babies are in this position. Most of these babies will spontaneously rotate themselves to face in the right direction before birth.

But a number of cases, the baby doesn’t rotate. A baby in this position increases your chances of having a prolonged delivery with severe back pain. An epidural might be needed to ease some of the pain during delivery.

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A breech baby is positioned with their buttocks or feet first. There are three variations of a breech presentation:

Complete breech. The buttocks are pointing toward the birth canal (downward), with the legs folded at the knees. The feet are near the buttocks.
Frank breech. The buttocks are toward the birth canal, but the baby’s legs are straight up in front of their body, and the feet are near the head.
Footling breech. One or both of the baby’s feet are pointing downward toward the birth canal.

A breech position is not ideal for delivery. Though the majority of breech babies are born healthy, they may have a higher risk of birth defects or trauma during delivery.

In a breech birth, the baby’s head is the last part of its body to emerge from the vagina, which makes it more difficult to get through the birth canal.

This position can also be problematic because it increases the risk of forming a loop in the umbilical cord that could cause injury to the baby if they’re delivered vaginally.

Your doctor will discuss options for trying to turn the baby into a head-down position before you enter into your final weeks. They might suggest a technique called an external cephalic version (ECV).

This procedure involves applying pressure to your abdomen. It may be uncomfortable for you, but it isn’t dangerous. The baby’s heartbeat will be monitored very closely and the procedure will be stopped immediately if a problem develops.

The ECV technique is successful about half of the time.

If ECV doesn’t work, you may need a cesarean delivery to safely give birth to a breech baby. This is especially true in the case of a footling breech.

In such cases, the umbilical cord may be squeezed as the baby moves toward the birth canal. This could cut off the baby’s supply of oxygen and blood.

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The baby is lying horizontally in the uterus. This position is known as transverse lie.

It’s extremely rare at delivery, since most babies will turn themselves to be head down prior to their due date. If not, babies in this position will require a cesarean delivery.

This is because there is a small risk of the umbilical cord prolapsing (coming out of the womb before the baby) when your water breaks. An umbilical cord prolapse is a medical emergency, and the baby must be delivered very quickly via cesarean if it happens.

Want to track your baby’s position prior to delivery? You can use a process known as “belly mapping” starting around month 8.

All you’ll need are a nontoxic washable marker or paint, and a doll for visualizing how your baby is positioned in the womb.

It’s best to do belly mapping right after a visit with your doctor, so you’ll know for sure if your baby’s head is facing up or down. Just follow these easy steps:

Lie down on your bed and put slight pressure around your pelvic area to feel around for the baby’s head. It’ll feel like a mini bowling ball. Mark it on your belly.
Use a fetoscope or during an ultrasound, locate your baby’s heartbeat and mark it on your belly.
Use the doll to start playing around with positions, based on the position of your baby’s head and heart.
Find your baby’s bum. It will be hard and round. Draw it on your belly.
Think of your baby’s movement. Where are they kicking? Use their kicks and wiggles as clues to their position. This will give you a good idea where their legs or knees are located. Mark it down on your belly.
Use the markings to draw your baby on your stomach. Some mothers get creative and paint their baby’s position on their stomach like a piece of art.

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Occasionally, a baby may not end up in the correct position for delivery. It’s important to know if your baby isn’t in the occipito-anterior position right before birth. The exact position of a baby could lead to complications during delivery.

There are some methods you can use to coax your baby into the right position.

You can try the following:

When you sit down, tilt your pelvis forward instead of backward.
Spend time sitting on a birth ball or exercise ball.
Make sure your hips are always higher than your knees when you sit.
If your job requires lots of sitting, take regular breaks to move around.
In your car, sit on a cushion to lift up and tilt your bottom forward.
Get on your hands and knees (like you’re scrubbing the floor) for a few minutes at a time. Try this a few times a day to help move your baby into the anterior position.

These tips don’t always work. If your baby stays in a posterior position when labor starts, it may be because of the shape of your pelvis rather than your posture. In some cases, a cesarean delivery will be necessary.

Toward the end of your pregnancy, it may feel like your baby has dropped lower into your abdomen. This is referred to as lightening.

The baby is settling deeper into your pelvis. This means less pressure on your diaphragm, which makes it easier to breathe and also brings fewer baby kicks to the ribs. Your baby dropping is one of the first signs that your body’s getting ready for labor.

Babies toss and turn frequently during pregnancy. You probably won’t feel their movement until the middle of the second trimester. They’ll eventually settle into a position for delivery — ideally head down, facing your back — by week 36.

Before that time, you shouldn’t worry too much about your baby’s position. It’s common for posterior babies to adjust their position themselves during delivery and before the pushing stage. Try to stay relaxed and positive during this time.

A baby who isn’t in the ideal position before your delivery date should always be delivered in a hospital setting for the best care.

Emergencies during this type of labor need to be handled by skilled medical staff. Be sure to talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about the position of your baby as your due date nears.

“In most cases of poor positioning in the womb, the baby will turn spontaneously before the start of labor. There are many things that a woman can do to help it along, though. Try positioning, acupuncture, and chiropractic care. Speak with your doctor about using some of these techniques during your pregnancy.” — Nicole Galan, RN

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Baby Positions in Womb: What They Mean

As your baby grows during pregnancy, they may move around quite a bit in the womb. You might feel kicking or wiggling, or your baby may twist and turn.

Your doctor will continually assess the position of your baby in the womb, especially during the last month.

The baby is head down, with their face facing your back. The baby’s chin is tucked into their chest and their head is ready to enter the pelvis.

The baby is able to flex their head and neck, and tuck their chin into their chest. This is usually referred to as occipito-anterior, or the cephalic presentation.

Share on Pinterest

The baby is facing head down, but their face is positioned toward your stomach instead of your back. This is typically called the occipito-posterior (OP) position.

In the first stage of labor, about one-tenth to one-third of babies are in this position. Most of these babies will spontaneously rotate themselves to face in the right direction before birth.

Share on Pinterest

A breech baby is positioned with their buttocks or feet first. There are three variations of a breech presentation:

Complete breech. The buttocks are pointing toward the birth canal (downward), with the legs folded at the knees. The feet are near the buttocks.
Frank breech. The buttocks are toward the birth canal, but the baby’s legs are straight up in front of their body, and the feet are near the head.
Footling breech. One or both of the baby’s feet are pointing downward toward the birth canal.

A breech position is not ideal for delivery. Though the majority of breech babies are born healthy, they may have a higher risk of birth defects or trauma during delivery.

In a breech birth, the baby’s head is the last part of its body to emerge from the vagina, which makes it more difficult to get through the birth canal.

This position can also be problematic because it increases the risk of forming a loop in the umbilical cord that could cause injury to the baby if they’re delivered vaginally.

The ECV technique is successful about half of the time.

If ECV doesn’t work, you may need a cesarean delivery to safely give birth to a breech baby. This is especially true in the case of a footling breech.

In such cases, the umbilical cord may be squeezed as the baby moves toward the birth canal. This could cut off the baby’s supply of oxygen and blood.

Share on Pinterest

The baby is lying horizontally in the uterus. This position is known as transverse lie.

It’s extremely rare at delivery, since most babies will turn themselves to be head down prior to their due date. If not, babies in this position will require a cesarean delivery.

Want to track your baby’s position prior to delivery? You can use a process known as “belly mapping” starting around month 8.

All you’ll need are a nontoxic washable marker or paint, and a doll for visualizing how your baby is positioned in the womb.

It’s best to do belly mapping right after a visit with your doctor, so you’ll know for sure if your baby’s head is facing up or down. Just follow these easy steps:

Lie down on your bed and put slight pressure around your pelvic area to feel around for the baby’s head. It’ll feel like a mini bowling ball. Mark it on your belly.
Use a fetoscope or during an ultrasound, locate your baby’s heartbeat and mark it on your belly.
Use the doll to start playing around with positions, based on the position of your baby’s head and heart.
Find your baby’s bum. It will be hard and round. Draw it on your belly.
Think of your baby’s movement. Where are they kicking? Use their kicks and wiggles as clues to their position. This will give you a good idea where their legs or knees are located. Mark it down on your belly.
Use the markings to draw your baby on your stomach. Some mothers get creative and paint their baby’s position on their stomach like a piece of art.

Share on Pinterest

There are some methods you can use to coax your baby into the right position.

You can try the following:

When you sit down, tilt your pelvis forward instead of backward.
Spend time sitting on a birth ball or exercise ball.
Make sure your hips are always higher than your knees when you sit.
If your job requires lots of sitting, take regular breaks to move around.
In your car, sit on a cushion to lift up and tilt your bottom forward.
Get on your hands and knees (like you’re scrubbing the floor) for a few minutes at a time. Try this a few times a day to help move your baby into the anterior position.

Toward the end of your pregnancy, it may feel like your baby has dropped lower into your abdomen. This is referred to as lightening.

A baby who isn’t in the ideal position before your delivery date should always be delivered in a hospital setting for the best care.

Emergencies during this type of labor need to be handled by skilled medical staff. Be sure to talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about the position of your baby as your due date nears.

Share on Pinterest

Breech presentation - how to turn the baby

Vatagina Maria Alexandrovna

Obstetrician-gynecologist

Lapino-1 Clinical Hospital "Mother and Child"

Do not worry and worry if a child under 36 weeks is "ass forward": this is completely normal and the crumbs still have time to roll over. By the way, it happens that the baby turns upside down and immediately before the birth, and even in the birth itself

Try to get the baby to turn into the desired position. Tell everything in detail: why he should turn around, what it will give both mother and child in childbirth. You can talk out loud, or you can talk to yourself, the main thing is to talk to the baby about it all the time

In the water, the mother’s body relaxes, which means that the muscles of the uterus relax, its volume increases somewhat, and as a result, the child has a little more space “for maneuvers ".

Talk to him

There is always a connection between a child and a mother. And mother is the first person whom the baby believes and obeys. Therefore, try to persuade the baby to turn into the desired position. Tell everything in detail: why he should turn around, what it will give both mother and child in childbirth. You can talk out loud, or you can talk to yourself, the main thing is to talk to your baby about it all the time. Be gentle and at the same time persistent. Be sure to connect the future dad to the conversation, children obey men even more. When you persuade the baby, additionally stroke the stomach, as if instructing the child how to turn around. Great option: dad talks and strokes his stomach with you.

Imagine

Visualization is a way in which a person imagines a picture he needs. So the expectant mother just needs to imagine the baby in the right position. If you don't know what it looks like or you just can't imagine a baby in your belly - find a beautiful photo from a magazine, book, Internet. Some kind of anatomical accuracy is not important here, just a pleasant and understandable picture is enough: the baby lies upside down inside the mother's belly. Look at the illustration more often and imagine that inside you the baby is also in the correct position. But you must not only look at someone else's photo, but imagine yourself and your child.

Lure him

Another way is to lure the baby. Children, especially small ones, are very curious, so make the baby turn around by showing him something interesting. But the baby is still in the stomach, how can he see something? We do not know exactly how the baby reacts to the world outside the mother's stomach, but it is believed that he, for example, can hear sounds. Place headphones with pleasant music in the lower abdomen, this can also encourage the child to turn towards the sound. Music should be calm, melodic and not loud so that the baby is not scared.

You can also turn on the flashlight and put it against the mother's stomach in the place where the baby's head is, and then, while talking, slowly move the flashlight to the side and down, dragging the baby along with you.

Swim and relax

Swimming also helps your baby get into head presentation. In the water, the mother’s body relaxes, which means that the muscles of the uterus also relax, its volume increases somewhat, and as a result, the child has a little more space “for maneuvers”. But swimming should be pleasant for mom, if a woman is afraid of water or she is not warm enough, then there will be no relaxation. Therefore, you must want to swim, plus the water must be at a comfortable temperature.

Do the exercises

There are very simple exercises , that will help the baby to fit correctly. But first, check with your doctor if you can do such exercises. Gymnastics to turn the baby into head presentation is not carried out if there is gestosis, the threat of termination of pregnancy, a scar on the uterus after a previous cesarean section, placenta previa.

Turns. Lying on the couch, turn from side to side 3-4 times in 10 minutes. Perform 3 times a day. The turn usually occurs within the first week.

Force of attraction. Lie on your back with a large pillow under your lower back and a small one under your head. Bend your knees, placing your feet on the floor. Lie like this for 10 minutes.

Knee-elbow position. Stand on your knees and elbows, at this time the pelvis is located above the head. Stay in this position for 15 minutes several times a day.

Consult a specialist

If exercises and psychological methods do not work, there is another way – prophylactic external rotation performed by an experienced obstetrician-gynecologist in the maternity hospital. First, the mother is injected with drugs that relax the uterus, then the doctor tries to turn the child with certain hand movements, acting on his head and pelvis through the belly of the expectant mother. All this takes place under the control of ultrasound, and usually a woman does not experience any discomfort during this manipulation.

True, external rotation is now rarely performed: firstly, not all obstetricians and gynecologists can do it, and not all doctors believe that it is needed; secondly, not every woman is psychologically tuned in to him, and, besides, there are not always indications for him.

Psychological methods may seem questionable, but they often help. And if you add gymnastics and swimming, then the likelihood that the baby will turn into the correct position only increases. So if you don’t want to do a cesarean section with a breech presentation or give birth “ass first”, then you should try all the methods that are suitable and allowed for you.

Make an appointment

to the doctor - Vatagina Maria Aleksandrovna

Lapino-1 Clinical Hospital "Mother and Child"

Gynecology

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consequences for the child in case of incorrect position

January 18, 2022

18.01

5 min.

45412

Breech presentation for most expectant mothers is a very disturbing moment - how the child will be born, whether cesarean delivery is always indicated in such cases, what complications are possible. Let's answer these and many other questions in this article.

Breech presentation of the fetus is one of the options for the location of the child in the uterus of the mother. If we could look into a woman's belly, we would see a child who seems to be "sitting" in the uterus, and his head is pointing up. Normally, breech presentation lasts up to 32 weeks, and then the baby, as a rule, turns over and directs the head to the birth canal.

Article content

Can a woman determine the presentation of the fetus?
What is breech presentation
Common causes of presentation
How to determine breech presentation
What to do to make the child roll over
1. What can a woman do
2. What can an obstetrician do
3. What can a doctor do
FAQ

Can a woman identify fetal presentation?

Only an experienced doctor who leads the pregnancy can determine the breech presentation, and the assumption is confirmed with the help of ultrasound.

In the event that the baby is positioned “incorrectly”, the doctor may recommend special exercises to turn the baby over into the optimal position for childbirth. This is important, because it is at 32-34 weeks that you need to undergo an examination and make sure that the baby has taken the right direction.

What is breech presentation

Doctors distinguish two types of breech presentation:

Gluteal	In such a situation, during childbirth at the birth of a baby, the buttocks are the first to be born. The legs are located along the body. This option is the most favorable, rarely gives complications, so childbirth is most often carried out naturally.
foot	At birth, the legs appear first, such a presentation.

Common causes of presentation

Of course, any expectant mother has a question - why does breech presentation occur. There are many reasons for this, the main ones are:

multiple pregnancy - when there are two or three babies in the uterus, it is difficult for them to move and turn over head down
polyhydramnios - in such a situation, the baby can move a lot and simply not take the correct position before childbirth
oligohydramnios - in a situation where there is little amniotic fluid, the child simply cannot take the correct position
cord entanglement
fibroids or other diseases of the uterus

How to determine breech presentation

It is impossible to independently determine the position of the child.

To understand what kind of presentation a child has, you can use:

Visual examination and palpation of the abdomen by an experienced specialist	So he determines where the head is and where the legs of the fetus are
Feeling the baby through the vagina	This method is used if a woman has entered an emergency delivery and is already in them.
ultrasound	The most reliable way to determine the position of the baby. The procedure is carried out at 32-34 weeks, when the baby takes its final position

Example

A pregnant woman at 38 weeks was diagnosed with breech presentation. The woman was advised certain exercises in order to delicately turn the fetus over. The task was unsuccessful, so the specialist tried to make an obstetric coup, however, this did not lead to the desired result. As a result, the doctor decided to carry out the delivery by surgery and perform a caesarean section. The operation was successful, mother and child are doing well.

How to make a child roll over

In this matter, three directions need to be considered: what the woman herself can do, what her obstetrician-gynecologist can do, and what the doctor in charge of childbirth can do.

What a woman can do

Let's figure out what may depend on the future mother herself, and what she can do.

First, tune in a positive way. The state of the child largely depends on the psychological state of the mother, so it is not recommended to be nervous and anxious.
Second, talk to your child and ask him to roll over. Skeptics may scoff at such advice, but experienced psychologists and obstetricians say that this method works.
And finally, do special exercises, for example, turns. Starting position - lying on your back, legs slightly bent at the knees. Gently and smoothly, without jerking, you need to turn on your right side and lie down in this position for 2 minutes. After that, roll over to your left side and also lie down. Repeat 5 times for each side. All movements should be as delicate as possible.

What a midwife can do

If mom did not succeed in stimulating the coup, this is absolutely normal. At a period of more than 35 weeks, an obstetrician takes over, who tries to make the so-called obstetric coup. During the procedure, with the help of special manipulations, he acts on the woman's stomach, trying to give the fetus the optimal position for childbirth. However, it is impossible not to notice that most of the babies "inverted by the midwife" will soon return to the breech presentation.

What a doctor can do

Quite often, in order to reduce the risks for both the mother and her baby, the doctor decides to perform a caesarean section. However, many women give birth naturally.

The choice of birth management is always personalized, taking into account the individual characteristics of the mother and her child. It is important to choose a good specialist at the initial stage of pregnancy.

FAQ

Breech presentation of the fetus at the 20th week of pregnancy - is it dangerous?

Absolutely not. We begin to talk about the fact that breech presentation is a conditional pathology no earlier than 32 weeks. Until this time, the child may roll over, and sometimes more than once. I will say even more - at this time the child is most often located with his legs down and this is absolutely normal.

Foot presentation - is it the wrong position of the fetus?

What gestational age are we talking about? Initially, the child “tumbles” in his mother’s stomach, then most often he is just the same in a foot or breech presentation, when his legs are down and his head is up. And only closer to childbirth, a coup usually occurs and the child is located head down - at the entrance to the birth canal. If this does not happen, we can talk about the breech / foot / breech presentation.

What are the consequences of breech presentation for a child?

In general, with the correct management of childbirth, there will be no negative consequences for the child. He can suffer only if the doctor chooses the wrong method of obstetric care. In all other respects, there are no problems, the fetus develops absolutely normally.

How to understand that the child turned upside down?

The position of the child in the womb can only be determined by a competent specialist. The most effective and reliable method is ultrasound.

And is there an unstable position of the fetus?

The fetus rotates many times during the entire pregnancy, at the end of the third trimester it usually turns head down and takes this position until delivery. However, it also happens that the child rolls over several times. In this case, we can talk about the unstable position of the fetus.

What is an obstetric revolution?

During the procedure, with the help of special manipulations, he acts on the woman's stomach, trying to give the fetus the optimal position for childbirth. However, it is impossible not to notice that most of the babies "inverted by the midwife" will soon return to the breech presentation.

Breech presentation of the fetus at 34 weeks of gestation - normal or pathological?

Breech presentation at this time is not a "final verdict. " the baby can still roll over. If this does not happen, the doctor will assess the size and position of the child closer to the MDD and decide on the tactics of childbirth.

How do you know if a baby has turned upside down?

You yourself will not be able to understand this, or at least be sure that the coup has happened. I would recommend that you do an ultrasound - with the help of this study it will become known in which presentation your baby is.

We publish only verified information

Article author

Menshikova Maria Viktorovna obstetrician-gynecologist

Experience 38 years

Consultations 1816

Art. 46

Specialist with extensive practical experience. He has a certificate of a mammologist, a certificate of professional certification. Participates in foreign business trips and individual training programs (Los Angeles).

1982 - 1986 NPO MONIIAG - obstetrician-gynecologist
1987 - 1989 VNITs OZMIR - obstetrician-gynecologist
1989 - 1992 departmental polyclinic st. Moscow - Kurskaya - obstetrician-gynecologist
1992 - 2001 NPO MONIIAG - obstetrician-gynecologist
2007 - 2008 NP KMIKM - doctor administrator
2009 - 2013 Pereslavl Central District Hospital, women's consultation - obstetrician-gynecologist
2020 to present Teledoctor24 LLC - doctor - consultant (gynecologist)

Sources

... Savelyeva G.M., Shalina R.I., Panina O.B. "Obstetrics" - M .: "GEOTAR - Media", 2010
... Chernukha E.A., Puchko T.K. "Pelvic presentation of the fetus", a guide for doctors - M .: "GEOTAR - Media", 2007
... Clinical protocol "Management of pregnancy and childbirth in breech presentation of the fetus" // Institute of Health and Family. Project "Mother and Child" - 2011

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