They told you the baby is posterior, what exactly does that mean?
Posterior fetal position (OP), otherwise known as “sunny-side-up,” is a term used to determine how the baby’s head is presenting when inside mom’s belly. In the OP position, the back (occiput) of the fetal head is towards the woman’s back (posterior), and the baby is looking “sunny-side-up.”
Babies have many challenging tasks to accomplish when going from in-utero to mother’s arms. The majority of these efforts are done without mom having to do anything special to be successful in finding the optimal fetal position for birth. In a nutshell, babies are driven to find the correct way out of the water world.
Most munchkins settle into the optimal fetal position between the 32nd and 36th week of pregnancy. Eager to find their comfy spot while waiting for labor to begin, the little guy sometimes forgets the rules and gets into an awkward position; breech, transverse, posterior, etc.
Ideally, when labor begins, the baby is positioned head-down, facing your back, with the chin tucked to his chest and the back of the head ready to enter the pelvis. This is the cephalic presentation. The goal is to have the smallest part of the head enter the largest opening into the pelvis for an easier labor.
Medical Jargon
Each time you have an appointment during pregnancy, the caregiver will undoubtedly “palpate” your tummy to learn the position of your baby. Since they don’t have a crystal ball, her longevity of experience can prove helpful. A seasoned midwife or obstetrician should be able to get a good idea if your little one is cooperating. Be sure to ask your attendant what the prediction is. You may not have heard some of the terminology, so take a look at these:
- Occiput – This refers to the back of the baby’s head or the nape of the baby’s neck
- Transverse – Sideways, or laying horizontally across
- Left – The baby’s occiput (back of their head) is facing left
- Right – The baby’s occiput (back of their head) is facing right
- Anterior – The front of the mother
- Posterior – The back of the mother
- Breech– The baby’s head is up and his bottom is down
Even under the best of circumstances, head-down facing your hip or back, baby can change his mind and flip at the last minute. Getting your caregivers’ observation will help you to practice certain behaviors if the babe is in an awkward position ahead of time. If he flips during labor, you can still practice specific exercises with excellent support by your side. Many impossible situations can be remedied with a few small tricks.
20 Tips to Help Baby Rotate
You can practice any of these positions during pregnancy & labor unless told otherwise. Always check with the doctor or midwife if you are a “high risk” patient. If anything hurts- back off and adjust to your body signals!
Don’t be obsessive, just check them out before your next appointment. Sometimes doing nothing helps too, so I don’t want you to be concerned if you forget to do them here and there.
- Pelvic rock in a hands and knees position several times a day. Take a deep breath, tuck the chin in and arch your back up like an angry cat. Hold for 5 seconds. Then slowly breathe out while bringing your back to a flat position, bring your head up to face out over 5 seconds. Repeat ten times.
- Childs Pose will also help encourage a baby to roll more anterior.
- Taylor sitting helps to keep the woman’s pelvis rotated forward and encourages the baby to do the same.
- As another variation, try using a rebozo (or any large piece of fabric) in the above positions.
- When you sit on a chair, make sure your knees are lower than your pelvis, and your trunk should be tilted slightly forward.
- Sit on an exercise ball whenever possible, especially in labor.
- Watch TV while kneeling on the floor, over a beanbag or cushions, or sit on a straight back chair.
- Try sitting on a chair or toilet rear-facing.
- Sit on a wedge cushion in the car, so that your pelvis is tilted forwards. Keep the seatback upright. Don’t cross your legs! For proper positioning, the baby needs to have lots of space at the front of the pelvis.
- Don’t put your feet up! Lying back with your feet up encourages posterior presentation.
- Sleep on your side, not on your back. Preferably your left side.
- Avoid deep squatting. Squat on a low stool instead, and keep your spine upright, not leaning forward.
- Crawl on the floor.
- Walk upstairs two at a time.
- Lie on your back with a thick towel rolled in the small of your back for 5-10 minutes. When the baby is posterior, he will hyperextend his neck in the posture, which is uncomfortable and forces him to rotate.
- Swimming with your belly downwards (breast and crawl strokes-not back) is good practice for best positioning. Breaststroke, in particular, is thought to help with proper positioning, because the leg movements help open your pelvis and settle the baby downwards.
- Various exercises done on all fours can help, such as wiggling your hips from side to side.
- Lunge side to side and make hip circles while sitting on the birth ball.
- Use a peanut ball in labor. Research suggests this one device can make a big difference.
- Hire a doula. Have extra support for you and your partner to benefit from her knowledge.
Babies can come out in precarious positions despite all the plans, medical help, preparations, exercises, etc. These tips are to try to avoid prolonged labor or pushing, back pain, instrument delivery, and or cesarean birth. So if they tell you the baby is posterior, remember it doesn’t have to define your birth; your baby may change direction at any time and surprise you. Hang in there!
