Your baby’s position in the womb is very important because it will determine the kind of labor that you will have so that you could prepare for it. The best position is the anterior or posterior position or known in lay man’s term as the fetus’s head is down. Every pregnant woman wants to have an easy labor that is why it is important to have knowledge about the current position of your baby in your womb. There are two types of head-down position: The anterior and the posterior position.
You would now that your baby is in an anterior position if the baby’s head is down with their back towards the front of your tummy where they can easily move throughout the pelvis. While the posterior position is when the baby’s head is down while facing the front of your tummy. Your baby is in the anterior position when you can see their head pop out on your belly button and that you can feel their movement under your ribs. While the posterior position allows you to feel their kicks around the middle of your tummy, you would also notice that your tummy is flat rather than rounded.
Importance of head-down position
There are times when the position of your baby in the womb will determine if you will have a cesarean section or a normal delivery. There are pregnant women that would target to give birth via normal delivery to feel the essence of giving birth and to save money, normal delivery is way much cheaper than a cesarean section. During labor, doctors would wait for the baby to turn head down so that the delivery will be safer, in some cases wherein the baby does not turn, doctors would usually use forceps or a vacuum to force the baby out.
It is advisable for the baby to be in a head-down position so that the head of the baby will put the necessary pressure on the mother’s cervix. This pressure will help the cervix to widen during the contractions so that your baby can easily move during the pushing stage. There are some instances wherein the baby will still move a few hours before the delivery if this happens the doctors will advise the mother to do exercises such as walking or crawling position to let the baby go back to the head-down position.
Ways in determining the position of your baby
1. Personally observing what you notice
If you notice hard lumps into your belly, you’ll be able to distinguish where the baby is located. You may not be exact in determining the kind of position but at least you would know where the head or the bottom is. If you see a lump that is round, it may be the head or the bottom. You need to base it on how hard the lump is. If it is hard as a small ball, most likely it is the head and if it is a bit smaller and softer, it may be the bottom.
You would know that your baby’s position is head down if your baby’s body movements while you are pressing on the lump. Another way to know the position of your baby is through their kick, a kick above your belly button or around the middle of your belly would mean that the position is head down.
2. Through medical practices
If you would ask health from your doctor, they can do some tests to be accurate in knowing the exact position where your baby is. Your doctor will inform you about the position of your baby a few weeks before your delivery date, if the baby is badly positioned, you may need to do some exercises or techniques so that the baby will turn into the desired position. They can listen to the baby’s heartbeat or they can do an ultrasound.
3. Listening to the baby’s heartbeat
Listening to your baby’s heartbeat won’t tell you exactly the exact position where the baby is but their heartbeat can give some indication of how the baby is lying. When the heartbeat sounds loudly below the belly button, then there is positioned head down but when the sound is from above, the position of the baby is head up.
4. Through an ultrasound
The only way for you to be accurate in determining the position of your baby is through ultrasound. You can be able to see the position of your baby every time you would do your monthly checkup. Ultrasounds make use of soundwaves that allow you to see pictures of the womb. There is new ultrasound technology that can give you clearer pictures of the baby.
Tips on promoting a head-down position
Few weeks before your delivery, it is important to know the position of your baby so as to have a smooth and “not so painful” way of delivery. If you notice that the position of your baby is not in a head-down position, you may do these tips at least 6 weeks prior to giving birth so that there will be a higher chance that the baby’s position will be head down.
- Avoid stress or at least lessen your stress level. There is a tendency that your baby will be in a bad position if you are confronted with stressful situations.
- You can do some exercises that will let your baby stay or move in the right direction. However, you may need to ask your doctor first if she will allow you to do so depending on what kind of exercise you wish to do.
- You can do some Crawl on your hands and knees as an exercise.
- Avoid squatting positions, crossing your legs, leaning back in the chair and sitting with feet raised during pregnancy.
- Sleep on your side or on your stomach, not on your back.
- Make sure to be healthy during your pregnancy because if you have a deficiency in certain nutrients, it may affect the amniotic fluid that makes the fetus have a hard time moving. If your baby is positioned incorrectly and if the amniotic fluid is not sufficient, there is a possibility that the baby won’t move.
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