How do you avoid a posterior baby?

[Isadora]

I experienced a posterior labour with my DD, it was excruciating and I am anxious about going through that again.

Can you tell at only 27 weeks what position the baby is in? What can I do starting now to help get the baby into a good position, or is it wayyyy too early for that?

This pregnancy was going so smoothly for me, but now that I've hit the third trimester I am starting to think about things too much!

[allycat06]

One thing my doula suggested was always sitting up with a straight back, both feet firmly on the floor. I'm a sloucher, unfortunately I was a bit slack with this advice, DS was very comfy in his posterior position!

[*LittleMissSummer*]

sitting up with a straight back, both feet firmly on the floor

:yeahthat: I'm a sloucher and i was told at around about 30 weeks that Miss K was in the posterior position and to do that but i just assumed she would turn herself but she didnt so i had an excruiating 24 hour back labour.

I was also told to stand up against a wall. When we slouch its too comfy for them so keeping our backs straight is meant to make them turn around.

Good luck

[*LittleMissSummer*]

double post

[Isadora]

Oh no I have terrible posture!!! Great haha

[*LittleMissSummer*]

Same!! and when the midwife had a go at me for DD still being in the posterior position at an appt i didnt understand what she meant by it will make for a harder labour. But since experiencing one i will make sure that next time i actually listen to whats been said to me!

[onthefly]

Google spinning babies - the site has heaps of info on optimal baby position and belly mapping (so you can figure out where baby is, though it's still a bit early for you to do that).

You want to sit upright/ leaning slightly forwards, with your hips slightly higher than your knees. Not slouching or leaning back. Sitting on a fitball is perfect, for eg. Your average chair/couch is all wrong as you tend to lean back and/or your knees are higher than your hips. Spending time on your hands and knees is good too. Sitting on your knees (with feet under bum) on the floor is also a good position, as is squatting.

Good luck!

[MrsFabuloso]

Have a look at the spinning babies website. They have info on optimal fetal positioning. I't s rather interesting!!

[appletree]

i third the spinning babies website! Take the info with a grain of salt though, i find the site to be extremely prescriptive (very american style) and preferred to pick and choose what suited me!

[luna moth]

Yep, I say spinning babies too. When you do sit on a couch, sit on a cushion so your knees are lower than your hips. If you're on a kitchen/dining chair, sit backwards. Fit ball is great, I always use mine.

The other advice I got was to get on a swing set and rock up a really good swing - works if you know the baby is posterior - the big swing action gives it a chance to lift out of your pelvis and turn a bit better. Get off carefully, watching your centre of gravity and balance as you get off, and then when you do, see if you can get into a forward kneeling position. The park where I did it has a table and bench, so I did it there, and it totally worked.

Also, swimming is really good, especially with tumble turns. I added a few extra somersaults - to be on the safe side and to have a bit of fun!

[onthefly]

I was just going to add - just pick and choose things that fit in with your lifestyle. There are no guarantees here - you don't want to stress yourself and put yourself out doing all sorts of weird and wonderful things and then have it not work, ykwim?
Swimming, that's a great one. I used to sit backwards on the dining chairs a lot too - quite comfy.

[Artechim]

I was told to sleep on my left side. I did it religiously with both and neither were posterior, but I am not sure if that is a fact or an old wife's tale lol

[human bean]

All great advice so far, one I was told was try and think of having a beam of light coming from my belly button, and it should at some point hit the floor. In other words, most of the time, try not to be too 'reclined'.

[Cassius2]

i vouch for what marcellus said. you'll be wanting to open up your pelvis and sit with a more forward possie. i did this as often as i could (so for example i sat on the fit ball with my legs to side of it and slightly back...kinda like when you ride a horse) at the dinner table. i also had a swedish ergonomic chair in the house so used that when i was at the computer).

for sleeping, we were told to lie on (preferably) left side and have the right leg swung over as high as it would go...i could almost sleep on my belly in that position. and towards the end of the pregnancy i would use a pillow to support the aching in the hips...

check out spinning babies too (as others have mentioned). it gives a great insight into 'baby mapping' which i followed and was able to use to see where this bubs was positioned.

HTH!

[Isadora]

Thanks so much ladies!! I must check out this spinning babies website.

So basically its all about posture....which is hard for me, I really do have terrible posture and I spend most nights hunched over the computer writing essays. Hmmmm. Going to have to make some changes I think, I just cant go through that again.

[human bean]

Perhaps if you sit on a fit ball when at the computer that could be an easy change to make. Make sure it's the right size ball for you - your knees should be lower then your hips.

[Yeddi]

Avoid monitoring during labour with anything other than a doppler only used for a minute at a time (if possible). I did all the "right" things, being very conscious of my posture and things that I did and had my baby in a LOT position when I went to the hospital but being a VBAC the hospital policy called for continuous monitoring. I knocked that back and "compromised" to allow ten minutes ever hour - big mistake. Every time they put on the sensors DS would move posterior to get away from the frequency. After they were taken off he would then spend the next 50 minutes turning back into the LOT position. After four times of this pattern repeating itself I realised what was happening, but because the staff on where "old school" in their thinking they would carry on with the emotional blackmail (just what you need when in labour with a possy baby) when I asked them to switch to the doppler, so I went and hid (having to hide - there's something wrong with that isn't there) in the shower instead which restricted their access to me and they were forced to use the doppler instead and when I felt him starting to move I would pull away. In the end they would let me go for a couple of hours before trying again because I was such a trouble maker and I was finally able to dilate.

[Isadora]

Yeddi that is so interesting! What a cheeky bub

Off to buy a fit ball today, I have been told they are excellent during labour too so it will have multiple uses