best baby position for labour

[suzzi]

i know back to back is the worse, does anyone know which is best for easiest labour???

 

[ange34]

with my first few i was on the monitor alot and couldnt move around much which was frustratin and with kian my last 1 i didnt have chance to think about positions coz he came so quick but this time id like to try and do it standing coz gravity is meant to be best and i watched my sister have her daughter like this and she did great.xxx

 

[suzzi]

ooh think my legs might give out lol xxx

 

[ange34]

sorry suzzi ive just realised i read your thread wrong lol what an idiot...i thought it said best positions for us in labour and u meant babys position..whoops!xxx

 

[suzzi]

lol its ok i like you answer, never thought of our position as i was laying down both times x x x

 

[Dollie]

Ange, how do you do it standing up? Im assuming you dont just stand in the middle of the room, lol. But how does midwife see what is going on?

Suzzi, the usual position for baby would be head first and they come out facing your bum, nice first glimpse of the outside world i always think, lol x

 

[suzzi]

lol does it make a difference as to which side they lay on left or right?

 

[Dollie]

I dont think so as they have to be in the middle to move down the birth canal, back to back isnt good because the baby cant tuck its head in the same as it would if it was facing down so its harder to push the LO out x

 

[suzzi]

ah thanks x x x

 

[Dollie]

This will probably explain it better than me....


Labour is nearly always shorter and easier if your baby is in a head-down position, with the back of his head slightly towards the front of your tummy. This is called an anterior position. Most babies get into this position by the end of a pregnancy.


In an anterior position, your baby fits snugly into the curve of your pelvis. During labour, your baby will curl his back over and tuck his chin into his chest. Your labour and birth should progress easily if your baby is in this position because:

The top of your baby's head puts rounded, even pressure on the neck of your uterus (cervix) during contractions. This helps your cervix to widen and helps to produce the hormones you need for labour.


At the pushing stage, your baby moves through your pelvis at an angle so that the smallest area of his head comes first. Try putting on a tight polo-neck top without tucking in your chin and you'll understand how this works!


When your baby gets to the bottom of your pelvis, he turns his head slightly so that the widest part of his head is in the widest part of your pelvis. The back of his head can then slip underneath your pubic bone. As he is born, his face sweeps across the area between your vagina and back passage (the perineum).
What's a posterior position?


A posterior position is where your baby has his head down, but the back of his head is against your spine. By the time labour starts, about one baby in 10 is in this back-to-back or posterior position.


Most back-to-back babies are born vaginally, but this position can make labour more difficult for you, particularly if your baby's chin is pushed up rather than tucked in. As a result:

you may have backache as your baby's skull is pushing against your spine
your waters may break in early labour
your labour may be long and slow
you may feel like pushing before your cervix is fully dilated

When your baby gets to the bottom of your pelvis, he'll need to turn through almost 180 degrees to get into the best position to be born.

This can take quite a while, or your baby may decide he's not going to turn at all! In this case, he will be born with his face looking up at you as he emerges. He might need forceps or ventouse to help him out.

 

[jomc]

during ur pregnancy, baby should be lying to your left handside, accordng to my ante natal classes!


Occiput Anterior

Occiput is the back of baby's head. Known as occiput anterior or OA for short, this is the ideal position for baby to pass through the pelvis. In other words there is a good chance of labor being straightforward. Baby will be facing the mother's back with his back to one side of the mother's abdomen. Babies mostly assume this position. If baby's back is more on the right side his position is said to be right occipital anterior or ROA. It is said to be LOA if baby's back is more on the left.

 

[ange34]

Ange, how do you do it standing up? Im assuming you dont just stand in the middle of the room, lol. But how does midwife see what is going on?

Suzzi, the usual position for baby would be head first and they come out facing your bum, nice first glimpse of the outside world i always think, lol x

hi dollie,my sister did it stood up holdin onto the hospital bed and was rockin her pelvis back and forward,the midwife just kept havin a quick look under the nightie at the back of her and when she saw the head comin she was holdin a towel underneath and caught the baby then my sister reached down and lifted her up into her arms...it was lovely xxx

 

[suzzi]

omg wasnt the MW scared shes drop baby x thats a good MW i dont think i could do it standing up x x