During pregnancy, the developing infant moves into several different positions. As labor approaches, some positions are safer than others.

The ideal position for a fetus just before labor is the anterior position. In this position, the fetus's caput points toward the footing and they are facing the woman's back.

Most fetuses settle into this position by the last calendar month of pregnancy. The anterior position is besides known as a vertex, cephalic, or occiput anterior position.

The inductive position may reduce the chances of complications during pregnancy. Acquire more than most this and other fetal positions in the womb in this article.

Possible positions of a developing infant in the womb include:

Anterior position

The all-time position for the fetus to be in before childbirth is the anterior position. The majority of fetuses become into this position earlier labor begins.

This position means the fetus'due south head is down in the pelvis, facing the woman's back. The fetus's dorsum will be facing the woman's belly.

This position means the fetus's caput tin can be tucked in, allowing the superlative of it to printing down on the cervix, which encourages it to open during labor.

A dr. or midwife may depict a fetus that lies slightly to the left as left occiput inductive or LOA, and one that lies slightly to the correct as right occiput anterior or ROA.

Posterior position

The posterior position is also known as the dorsum-to-back position. This is where the fetus's head is pointing down, and their back is resting against the woman'southward back.

In this position, it can exist difficult for the fetus to tuck their head in, which can make passing through the smallest part of the pelvis more challenging. This can lead to a slower and longer labor than the anterior position, and may also crusade a backache.

A fetus may be more likely to end upwards in this position if the female parent spends a long time sitting or laying down, such as if she is on bed rest.

The back of a fetus's body is heavier than the front, and so a pregnant adult female tin can encourage the fetus to roll into the ideal position by leaning in the direction they want them to move.

Transverse lie position

A transverse prevarication position is when the fetus is lying horizontally in the uterus. About fetuses volition not remain in this position in the weeks and days leading upward to labor.

If a fetus is nonetheless in the transverse lie position just earlier birth, a cesarean delivery volition be necessary.

Without a cesarean delivery, at that place is a risk of a medical emergency known equally an umbilical cord prolapse.

When an umbilical string prolapse occurs, the adult female delivers the umbilical cord in the birth culvert before the infant.

Breech position

The breech position is when the fetus remains with the head up instead of downwards in the woman'due south pelvis. There are unlike types of breech position, including:

  • Frank breech: In this position, the fetus'south legs lie directly upwards in front of their body, so the feet are near the face.
  • Complete breech: In this position, the fetus "sits" with their legs crossed in front of the torso, so the feet are near their buttocks.
  • Footling breech: In this position, the fetus has either ane or both feet hanging beneath their bottom. If a woman gave birth vaginally, one or both feet would come out first.

Breech

Reasons why a fetus may remain in the breech position include:

  • too much or as well lilliputian amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus
  • uterine fibroids
  • an irregularly shaped uterus
  • multiple fetuses in the womb

If a woman is carrying twins, one fetus may exist in an anterior or posterior position while the other fetus is in a breech position.

It is condom for a fetus to be in whatsoever of the above breech positions while they are in the womb. All the same, there are some risks if the fetus is still in a breech position when labor begins.

The best way of finding out which position the fetus is in is by talking to a md or midwife.

At each date during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, a md or midwife should feel the woman's belly to check the position of the fetus.

At the 35–36 week appointment, they will check to ensure that the fetus has moved into an inductive or posterior position. If the doctor is unsure about whether the fetus is in the correct position after a physical examination, they may request an ultrasound scan.

It may too be possible for the woman to tell which position the fetus is in at habitation.

When the fetus is in the back-to-back or posterior position, the pregnancy crash-land may feel squishy. A adult female may likewise discover kicks around the middle of the abdomen, and some people may also see an indentation around their navel.

When the fetus is in the anterior position, a adult female may feel more kicks nether the ribs. Their omphalus may also "popular out."

Well-nigh fetuses plough into the caput-down position by 36 weeks. If a fetus is in a breech position at 36 weeks, a doctor or midwife may advise an external cephalic version (ECV).

An ECV is a procedure where a doc or midwife will effort to plow the fetus manually.

For this process, they volition get-go insert a modest needle into the adult female'south hand to relax the uterus.

Using their easily on the exterior of the meaning adult female's belly, a doctor or midwife will and so gently manipulate the fetus from a breech position into a transverse prevarication position, then into a head-down position.

Some fetuses turn by themselves afterward 36 weeks, and some fifty-fifty plow during labor.

Some people recommend moving into certain positions, taking herbal medicines, and doing particular exercises to help babies in breech turn to the more favorable birthing position. However, at that place is no reliable evidence to testify that whatever of these methods work.

If a person does wish to endeavour these medicines or techniques, information technology is vital to consult a doctor first.

A baby will move into many different positions throughout pregnancy. During the last few weeks of pregnancy, most babies move into an anterior position, which is the best position for vaginal nascence.

If a baby is still in a transverse prevarication or breech position just before labor, a doctor or midwife will make medical interventions to ensure the safety of the woman and infant during childbirth.