Optimum
Foetal Positioning
by Samantha Thurlby-Brooks
The easiest way for your baby
to come down through your pelvis during birth
is with their chin on their chest and facing your
bum. Not all babies will do this which, according
to New Zealand midwife Jean Sutton, is caused
by the mothers posture during pregnancy.
According to Jean, sitting with
your knees in line with or higher than your bum
will not create enough space for your baby to
comfortably nestle down into your pelvis. Babies
who are not chin to chest and facing your bum
may have tremendous difficulty in getting through
your pelvis and so may require forceps or cesarean
to be born. The easiest way to avoid this from
happening is to not sit on a sofa or arm chair
in the final few weeks of your pregnancy (I know
it sucks... but it's way more comfortable for
you both in the long run).
Sitting on the edge of your chair
and pushing your feet out infront of you so your
knees are lower than your bum will ensure your
baby has enough space to be comfortably aligned.
Keep your back straight and try not to lean back
or forwards when sitting. Swiss balls are ideal
for keeping your posture nice and are very useful
when you bounce on them to help your cervix become
thin ready for labour. Only bounce on the swiss
ball when you know your baby is comfortably aligned
otherwise you may push him or her down into your
pelvis before they can comfortably rotate into
a more optimal position.
Below is a useful list of things
you can do to help your baby to align with your
pelvis comfortably;
- Watch TV while
kneeling on the floor, over a beanbag or cushions,
or sit on a dining chair. Try sitting on a dining
chair facing (leaning on) the back as well.
- Use yoga positions
while resting, reading or watching TV - for
example, tailor pose (sitting with your back
upright and soles of the feet together, knees
out to the sides)
- Sit on a wedge
cushion in the car, so that your pelvis is tilted
forwards. Keep the seat back upright.
- Don't cross
your legs! This reduces the space at the front
of the pelvis, and opens it up at the back.
For good positioning, the baby needs to have
lots of space at the front
- Don't put your
feet up! Lying back with your feet up encourages
posterior presentation.
Sleep on your side, not on your back.
- Avoid deep
squatting, which opens up the pelvis and encourages
the baby to move down, until you know he/she
is the right way round. Jean Sutton recommends
squatting on a low stool instead, and keeping
your spine upright, not leaning forwards.
- Swimming with
your belly downwards is said to be very good
for positioning babies- not backstroke, but
lots of breaststroke and front crawl. Breaststroke
in particular is thought to help with good positioning,
because all those leg movements help open your
pelvis and settle the baby downwards.
- A Birth Ball
can encourage good positioning, both before
and during labour.
- Various exercises
done on all fours can help, eg wiggling your
hips from side to side, or arching your back
like a cat, followed by dropping the spine down.
This list was taken from www.homebirth.org.uk (follow the link for more information).
You might be interested
in the Joyful Childbirth 3
hour Antenatal Class for Natural Pain Relief |
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