thread: Is it possible to turn a posterior bub once engaged?

  1. #1
    BellyBelly Life Subscriber. Love a friend xxx

    Sep 2008
    Melbourne
    1,424

    Is it possible to turn a posterior bub once engaged?

    Hi ladies. Looking for advice for a friend. She's 38 weeks and has just been told bub is posterior and engaged. After a pretty harrowing and painful 46-hour posterior labour with her fist bub, she's freaking out a bit about this news.

    Just wondering if any of you know if it's possible for baby to turn once engaged? I've directed her to spinning babies website and she's doing those exercises.

    Also, if it is possible, is this something that an osteo, accupuncturist or the like might be able to help with?

    TIA!

  2. #2
    BellyBelly Life Subscriber. Love a friend xxx

    Sep 2008
    Melbourne
    1,424

    anyone?

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Jan 2009
    pakenham, victoria
    3,660

    when i was pregnant with DD2 i asked the midwives if it were true that if u have an anterior placenta u have a higher chance of a posterior baby. she said that even if u labour posterior only a small percentage of babies are actually born posterior....i was one in that small percentage!
    she said that usually once baby is being born they tend to pivot as they exit.
    im really not much help here am i?!!! turning vibes for ur friend

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Dec 2007
    Victoria
    7,260

    I think APs can help with turning bubs, but not sure wrt to engagement etc.
    Bubs turns naturally during labour, so I wold suggest it is possible for them to move after engagement.

    Spinng Babies would be her best bet.

  5. #5
    BellyBelly Life Subscriber. Love a friend xxx

    Sep 2008
    Melbourne
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    Thanks girls. Her baby did turn during her last labour... albeit after 30 hours or so. We're just hoping we can persuade baby to turn before the main game!

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Mar 2007
    6,979

    Ouch, I hope bub turns for your friend, posterior is SO PAINFUL. My DD was posterior and never turned..... so very painful! Although it was my first birth I have nothing else to compare it too but I just know it was so painful!! LOL (and no drugs!!)
    Although it was only 9.5hrs.

    My advice to your friend, get onto that spinning babies website (google it) and read about it and that lots of babies DO turn during labour into the correct position.

    The best thing she can do is be as active as possible before and during the labour, standing up, swaying/rocking side to side, go with her body. I found it too painful to sit down and couldnt even sit to pee on the loo so I had no choice but to stand for the entire 9.5hrs of labour. But I think that helped me make it a shorter labour too!!!

    GL to your friend

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Jan 2011
    Perth, WA
    1,245

    DD1 was posterior up until 2 hours before she was born.
    The first 6 hrs of labour was all in my back and very painful as soon as she turned my ctx went to the front and I could rest
    So she was well and truly engaged when she turned.

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Dec 2005
    6,706

    Sam turned posterior when my waters broke. I credit that with us actually making it to the hospital! Once I was on my knees over the end of the bed, Sam flipped around again and I went from 5cm to pushing in about two contractions. Extremely intense and not something I'm in a particular hurry to do again!

    I'd imagine that even if she gets to labour and bub is still posterior, then there's a lot she can do to get them to turn then so she doesn't have to go through 30 or so hours before it happens!

    BW

  9. #9
    Registered User
    Add JennaJayen on Facebook

    Oct 2008
    Kallangur, QLD
    1,390

    With my DS he was posterior and engaged from 28wks onwards. I was induced at 41+3 and DS was born at 41+5, approx 41.5 hours after the gel was put in, and he only turned around with the help of the midwives the day before he was born as it was stopping me from becoming fully dilated.

    Unfortunately his head got stuck against my pelvis and I was given a diagnosis of suspected CPD (Cephalo-Pelvic Disproportion) where the pelvis is too small for the baby to fit out of - in my case they thought that the lower part of my pelvis was smaller than the upper part.
    I have since been told that there was a big chance that my DS had turned back around to posterior again which made him get stuck.

    The placenta was also anterior.

    With this pregnancy bub has been head down and posterior since 16wks, though not engaged yet, and the placenta is also anterior.

    Having said all of that, anything is definately possible and your friends bub may still turn around. Like her I am also doing the Spinning Babies exercises as well, so FXed it will work for both of us

    Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

  10. #10
    BellyBelly Life Subscriber

    Feb 2006
    South Eastern Suburbs, Vic
    6,054

    #1 was engaged and posterior at my appt the day before he was born, and while it was a waterbirth and hard to see, I don't think he was born posterior.

  11. #11

    Jul 2009
    Australia
    5,102

    My DD was born in the posterior postion and it was the most painful thing i have ever experienced and so i am not surprised that she is quite upset about hearing the news. I really hope she can get the baby to turn before she goes into labour.

  12. #12
    Registered User
    Follow Pandora On Twitter

    Jan 2005
    cowtown
    8,276

    Sort of. Mine did, but he kind of popped out, turned and then was engaged again.
    But lots tur naturally as they go thru the birth canal
    IT is a lot more likely in a second labour also as theres more room, also do you know how big her first baby was?
    I was told because my first bub was above average size, thered be even more room (midwife left me feeling like i could park a car in there lol)

  13. #13
    Registered User
    Add *TripleJ* on Facebook

    Jan 2009
    Diggers Rest VIC
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    DD turned posterior for about 2 hours in labour then turned back omg my back was killing me its was when they broke my waters then she turned back and i was pushing the pain was right down in my front that was weird

  14. #14
    Registered User

    Nov 2008
    Perth
    3,686

    DD was 2/5 engaged and posterior at my checkup a few days before I went into spontaneous labour. She changed her position A LOT during labour but chose posterior as her final position. She ended up getting stuck so my OB turned before a vacuum delivery.

    So to answer your question, a baby's position can change even during active labour and there really isn't much your friend can do but labouring on all fours may help

  15. #15
    BellyBelly Member
    Add Yeddi on Facebook

    Aug 2010
    In a library somewhere...
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    She can try the polar bear position, and there is a trick where you rub the tummy with long firm strokes to turn the baby, and then there is a trick where the women goes on all fours, have someone stand above her with a towel around her belly and rub it back and forth. Try googling them perhaps. They can all work, but I found that the monitoring during labour to be the worst thing. I was being put on for ten minutes every hour as a compromise (I was a VBAC) and I could feel bub turning possy to get away from the sensors and then he'd spend then next 50 minutes turning back around to only be assaulted with the monitors again. In the end I had to go hide in the shower to dilate with some choice words for the middies if they suggested I get out to be monitored.