Hi all
Redhelen all of the terms (ROA, LOA, ROP, LOP) all mean head down, bum up! (obviously much better than breach!).
The L or R refers to Left or Right. O refers to Occipit (baby's head). A = Anterior (baby's back to your tummy). P = Posterior (baby's back against your back).
So ROA and LOA mean that baby is anterior and either to the right (ROA) or left (LOA) of your uterus. These are great birthing positions.
ROP and LOP are posterior (with baby to the right (ROP) or left (LOP) of the uterus). LOP (posterior with baby to the left) is apparently the "worst" head down position. ROP (posterior with baby to the right) is not ideal but better than ROP as baby has better chance of turning to an anterior position prior to or during delivery.
Ceph (or Cephalic) simply refers to head down, bum up (as opposed to breach).
Posterior baby = potentially a longer more painful labour, with more risk of complications and intervention (esp if LOP). Of course, this is not true in all cases, but there is a higher risk of c/s in LOP births.
KiwiFruit - regarding exercises: You are doing the right things. Climbing stairs apparently helps too (and climbing stairs sideways has the best effect). Also, stepping up and down a little stool. Also, crawling on hands and knees, or rocking hips backwards and forwards while on hands and knees. When sitting on the Swiss ball/birthing ball, doing big circles with your hips (ensuring that your knees are lower than your hips). Avoid crossing your legs, avoid lying on your back, avoid any backwards angle with your back (eg slouching back in an arm chair or on the couch), avoid trips in cars with bucket seats (or place cushions on the seat so that you are angled with your shoulders either at right angles to your hips, or slightly forward of your hips). Try and sit very upright or (preferably) leaning forwards whenever you are sitting eg, sitting on a dining room chair facing the backrest (which you can lean on). Swimming on your tummy is very good. Or even just relaxing in the pool/bath with your tummy hanging down. For sleeping, we all know about sleeping on our sides. Even better for baby position is sleeping in the "rescue position" (top leg bent over and touching the bed, or on a cushion if more comfortable). So you are sleeping either with your belly button at right angles to the bed, or preferably facing down towards the bed. If you can manage to sleep on your tummy (with a nest of pillows around you so that your weight is on the pillows, not on your baby), then that is optimal. I am only bothering with the sleeping on my tummy thing (with slightly more weight on my right than my left hand side) now because I know that baby is already posterior. There are also yoga poses that are helpful. Generally any position where your tummy hangs down and forms a "hammock" for baby to lie in. Baby's back is heavier than its tummy, so it will natrually mould its back to your "hammock" tummy because of gravity. Oh, and if baby is already posterior, then try knees and chest to the floor (with bum up in the air) - sort of like on your hands and knees, but with your chest towards the floor and fairly close to the knees - this prevents the posterior baby from engaging too deeply and makes it easier to turn.
Oh, and one website I read swore that telling the baby to be good and lie with its back to mummy's tummy did really work in some cases too!