How to turn a posterior baby???

PostDoula · 08-08-2006, 10:25 PM

In search of how to get a posterior baby to turn....
So far, have heard Pelvic tilts....Avoid Reclining positions...Also chiropractic adjustments.
Anyone have any additional information or experiences they could share?
Thanks!!!!!

SarahMcKay · 08-08-2006, 10:33 PM

I've always heard that putting mom on all fours, or any position that causes baby to 'hang' will help turn him/her the right direction. Also, I recently read about using heat pack on the back and cold pack on the front will cause baby to turn toward the heat, which means he/she would be facing mom's back - just where they're supposed to be.

Jilian · 08-08-2006, 10:48 PM

www.spinningbabies.com has some great suggestions!

teachinmamaof4 · 08-08-2006, 11:03 PM

Another great site:

http://www.homebirth.org.uk/ofp.htm

MsDoula · 08-08-2006, 11:30 PM

I have found pelvic tilts to be very successful, as long as they are faithful about it! Many of them and daily!

Kim Trower · 08-08-2006, 11:48 PM

using a rebozo (or any long fabric)...put under mom's belly while she is on all fours...basically pulling up on one side and then another, working up speed..you are essentially wiggling baby out of pelvis so he can turn and come back in the right position. Lots of pelvic tilts, many times during the day and 40 at night. Do not sit with feet up..either sit cross legged with straight back on the floor or with pillow behind back on couch so you have a straight back...while driving do the same...exaggerate the seat by bringing the back forward so you are very straight up. The back of the baby is the heaviest so you want to be in positions that will encourage the back to swing back towards the belly.

Kalamazoo Doula · 08-09-2006, 01:18 AM

All of these suggestions are great! Taylor sitting, pelvic tilts, no reclining, these are all great. I truley believe the best way to deal with an OP baby, is to completely advoid it all together! So, getting mom to do these positions and exercises BEFORE there is an issue can really PREVENT an issue. OP is no fun! There was this technique that I used once on a client that really worked great, but I'll have to try to look it up again. If I find it I'll post it. This is a technique that you use in labor. But basically it goes on the theory that babies, just like everything else in the world goes around in a natural clockwise direction. So if you could determine which way baby is facing, LOP or ROP or even center OP this could help. Having mom get into positions like hands and knees until she feels baby moving, which is felt by pressuer on one side, and if you actually looked at mom from behind, you see where one of her sides bulges out more than the other. Then you would move mom to lay on her side, until she feels a change. And then keep moving her in an actual circle of positions. It does help to have a lot of pillows or a bean bag for support. I'll try to find it!

Luv2bemommy · 08-09-2006, 01:21 AM

Prayer!

Seriously, some mothers are made to have posterior babies.. I am one of them.. My midwife told me it must be the shape of my pelvis or something.. I would do whatever you can do to get the baby to turn but good luck!! I seemed to stay on my hands and knee's and Meghan wasnt moving. lol

ETA: I am amazed how they said face presentation is only ONE in 500!!! That can't be true!! All 3 of mine were facing up.. :O

Luv2bemommy · 08-09-2006, 01:30 AM

Isnt face presentation the same thing as the baby being born sunny side up? Like the baby facing the ceiling when the mother pushes.. I'm confused now I read some sites. lol

Kim Trower · 08-09-2006, 02:06 AM

no...sunny side up is just another term for OP....so the front of the skull would be presenting instead of the occiput...face presentation is just that...the face is what you will see before anything else...

doula Michele · 08-09-2006, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kim Trower

using a rebozo (or any long fabric)...put under mom's belly while she is on all fours...basically pulling up on one side and then another, working up speed..you are essentially wiggling baby out of pelvis so he can turn and come back in the right position. Lots of pelvic tilts, many times during the day and 40 at night. Do not sit with feet up..either sit cross legged with straight back on the floor or with pillow behind back on couch so you have a straight back...while driving do the same...exaggerate the seat by bringing the back forward so you are very straight up. The back of the baby is the heaviest so you want to be in positions that will encourage the back to swing back towards the belly.

I would be scared to use the rebozo, or do anything physical on a mom to try to turn the baby...is that out of a doulas scope of practice?
Michele

Jilian · 08-09-2006, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doula Michele

I would be scared to use the rebozo, or do anything physical on a mom to try to turn the baby...is that out of a doulas scope of practice?
Michele

You could send a link to the mom describing how to do it and have her partner do it. I am cautious about doing anything like that too, but if the partner was doing it and you were helping him/her then it is different. I try to gently point my clients in the right direction through links and books/magazines and let them come up with the idea on their own. Then it is mom's idea and I'm just helping

Luv2bemommy · 08-09-2006, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kim Trower

no...sunny side up is just another term for OP....so the front of the skull would be presenting instead of the occiput...face presentation is just that...the face is what you will see before anything else...

Ohhhh Gotcha!! Thanks!!

newbirth · 08-09-2006, 01:21 PM

If she has a birth ball (or you have one to loan her) have her lean over it with her knees on the floor for an hour or so, like when she's watching TV. It's easier to spend significant amount of time on your "hands" and knees while leaning over a ball instead of putting all that weight on your wrists.

Also, sleeping on your left side can help baby move to that position, because the back is heavier so gravity pulls the baby in that direction.

During labor, have mama stay in a knee/chest position until baby rotates (unless labor is progressing normally, in which case her pelvis may just facilitate a OP baby). Keeping baby out of the pelvis is sometimes necessary to allow full rotation.

Don't have mom practice squats until baby is in a good position, because it *may* allow the baby to come down malpositioned and make rotating more difficult.

RosyDoula · 08-09-2006, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jilian

www.spinningbabies.com has some great suggestions!

Yeah, that.

I use Gail Tully's advice with my clients.