Bub is slightly posterior - How can I get her to move?

I am almost 39 weeks pregnant and had a check up with a hospital midwife last night. She said that our bub is positioned slightly posterior. She wasn't too concerned and said that some babies change to a better position before or during labour, but she suggested I sit leaning forward (including sitting facing the back of a computer chair and leaning forward) for 15 minutes a day to help encourage her to move.

I looked on the Spinning Babies website, but I found it hard to find the info and position suggestions I was after. Does anyone have any other suggestions for how to encourage bub to move? She is engaged so I'm not sure if this makes it harder?

TIA :)

My MW said as a general rule - keep your knees lower than your hips (just like when you sit backwards on a chair) - or lie on your side.
I used to sit on my knees on the floor with a cushion between my butt and my feet if that makes sense? Or all fours positions are good too :)
All the best hun :)

Trish, my bub, though not engaged yet, is also slightly posterior. In addition to what Sneakysparkle said, my MV suggested crawling on hands and knees for ten minutes morning and night ( I normally only manage 5 minutes at a time). She also suggested swimming on my front or floating on your front (we have a really big spa bath, so I use this). HTH

The book my MW gave me also says to keep your knees lower then your hips. It also suggests sitting forward over a beanbag when watching TV etc, sitting upright with the soles of your feet together knees out to the side, avoid squatting as it opens your pelvis and encourages baby to move down (wait until bub is in good position before doing this) and not crossing your legs as it reduces the space in the front of your pelvis and opens it up at the back.

I hope some of that helps.

Hi Trish,

I spent a lot of time in those last few weeks on all fours or leaning forward while sitting. It worked for me. Someone told me to clean the kitchen floor on all fours, that worked for them!

Good luck!

Don't recline when you are sitting, lean slightly forward if you can. If you think about it, when you recline it's more comfortable for bub to be posterior, so when you lean forward it's more comfortable to turn anterior.

If you are up for it swimming can be a good encouragement to turn too.

Use breaststroke arms and straight leg kicks, will get bub into a better position without engaging them. If they are too engaged, it gets harder to turn. Use frog leg kicks to open the pelvis once she has turned to get her to engage...

Thanks so much for your suggestions everyone! You have given me some great tips and I will be trying them out :D

SneakySparkle - Thanks for your suggestions, I'll have to try and consciously remember to keep my knees lower than my hips. Harder than you think isn't it?!

Ruth - I'll be trying the crawling on hands and knees tonight, thanks for that! I'll do it after my boys are in bed or else they'll want horsey rides :lol:. I hope your bub moves for you too :)

Ozstar - Some awesome tips, thanks so much :D. I wish I had a bean bag, I might try dig out my fitball and try that position on it.

Sarah - It's so hard NOT to recline LOL! I have a great spot on our couch that is the worst possible position for this bub!

Rufalina - Thanks so much for your suggestions too :). Unfortunately swimming is out, our local pool is so germy and I don't want to catch any nasties before the bub arrives. If it wasn't winter I'd be trying your tips out in MIL's pool!

SareBear - I think I'll give cleaning the floor a go LOL!

It is said that in days of old posterior births were unusual - probably due to the poor posture most of us have and use due to our furniture and lifestyle.

Childrens little chairs are excellent for optimal fetal positioning. Sit on them rather than a sofa. Sofas are your enemy right now! They encourage the baby to sit in a posterior position.

Hands and knees scrubbing the floor is what our grandmothers or great grandmothers did - and it does encourage great position... Don't scrub but use a bean bag under your belly for extra comfort on a hands and knees position.

No more sitting on the sofa - it's only for a few weeks!!!! :p

LOL Flowerchild, I'm feeling so guilty because I just sat down on our couch with a donut and read your post :rofl:. I'm gonna miss this seat! Thanks so much for your suggestions, great idea about the kids chairs. They're so uncomfortable though! Oh the things we do for our kids...

Hiya Trish,
Just a tip that if you do find a bean bag and try it, make sure DH is around to help you up and out of it. I did it the other night once the kids had gone to bed and got completely stuck!!! I didn't have enough arm strength to push myself up and I couldn't roll either one way or the other. It was funny once I was up but if DH was on a night shift I'd still have been there in the morning!. Takecare Missy

LOL missya

How are you going Trish? No sitting on the couch :nahnah:

Hopefully she turns for you Trish :hug: It's a good thing you know now so you may be able to change it.... I didn't know DD was posterior until she decided the day I went into labour to go posterior.... :lol:

All the best for your labour and birth, I can't wait to hear the news!!!! :dance:

:rofl: Missya! I will definitely remember that one LOL!

futuremum - I have just sat down in a very inappropriate arm-chair and you are making me feel very guilty :lol:. But I promise it's the first time I've sat down all day, I have spent the entire day washing all of our windows inside and out so I reckon I deserve a comfy chair for 5 minutes LOL!

Thanks Ren :hug:. Ouch at your DD being posterior :o

Hiya Trish,

I had my MW appt yesterday and bubs is also posterier so let me know if anything actually works to get them to move. I had a dreadful night last night and nearly went to the hospital due to the pain.
I was in bed and at 9pm I started having horrible pubic pains wrapping around to my back but it was all due to his movements not contracrions. He was absolutely crazy till about 1am and I lay in bed crying for hours as it was so painful. When I rang my MW this morning she asked me what I'd had for dinner..when I replied spaghetti on toast (I was knackered and couldn't be bothered cooking) she said that the (tinned) spaghetti sauce would have had alot of sugar in it and would have cause junior to have a sugar rush????. I don't know what to think but all I know is the pain felt worse than my past labours and all my confidence about being able to give birth pain relief free again this time has gone out the window. It's like a switch has been switched and I'm sooooooo over it. My hemroid problem is improving but now my butts bleeding for no reason, I just sick to death of everything to be honest and everything seems to make me cry. Now I'm almost too scared to go to bed tonight incase it all starts again.. silly I know but this pregnancy is just so different and more difficult than my others.
Sorry for the vent, it just all came pouring out.
I hope you are coping better with everything.. not long to go for you YAY!!!!
Takecare, thanks for listening
Cheers Missy

Oh Missy :hug:, you poor love. You sound like you're in agony :(. Last night must have been terrible. I hope tonight is much better for you. It's so hard when you're going through all of that and having to wait around for your bub to arrive :hug:. I hope your little one arrives really soon to give you a bit of relief.

I have another midwife appointment on Thursday night so it will be interesting to find out where bub is positioned. I feel kicks on either side all day long so I think she actually spins around a fair bit! I have been sitting forward as much as possible and trying the other positions suggested, hopefully they are helping :)

More hugs for you Missy :hug:.

Interesting thread and must say after having a posterior baby, it makes sense.

Every seat in my house meant my knees were higher than my hips and I always sat with my legs crossed.

I'll know better if there's a next time!!!

I just found out yesterday that our little darling is posterior :wall: My OB said it wasn't a big issue but would make for a 'longer, sh%ty labour'. Gee, thanks for that! I guess on a positive note, as it's my first I won't know any difference!!

I'm going to try a few things you girls have mentioned (currently sitting forward in my armchair and NOT using my footrest for a change) and I'm going to scrub our laundry floor one day this week. The middy at our antenatal class suggested that last night.

Fun and games....

I still have no idea where this bub is positioned!!

Fiona - The Spinning Babies website blames people's couches for posterior babies so it must be true. It's a shame they're so comfortable LOL!

Taurean - Grrr @ your OB's comments! There is still plenty of time for your bub to change positions! I hope the positions in this thread help you!

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Taurean - Grrr @ your OB's comments! There is still plenty of time for your bub to change positions! I hope the positions in this thread help you!

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Thanks Trish! I love my OB but found that comment a little annoying although I think he was trying to make me laugh more than worry. I fixed him up by saying 'well I guess it won't really matter as given it's my first baby, I won't know the difference!'.

Good luck with your upcoming birth. I'll be looking out for your announcement and birth story!

Here's a funny thing about my efforts to get bub to move. He was right posterior and now is sitting left poserior (apparently that is better than right posterior). But he has rotated the opposite way to what the exercises were meant to make him him! Midwife said to just keep going with the crawling etc and he'll get to anterior eventually, even if he is taking the long route! LOL.

My little darling is now right anterior - woohoo! I only did a day of crazy positions then gave up but either it worked or rug-rat just decided to make the move on its own. Either way, I'm so happy!! :dance: