Why do some babies become OP?

[TheBreastmilksOnMe]

And can it be prevented from happening again?

Also what are the chances of having a second OP baby if you had a 1st? Is it more likely?

My 1st baby was OP which led to a long and difficult labour ending in an em-c-sect and although I didn't help things by having an epidural (OP was undiagnosed at this point) I thought I had done well to remain upright towards the end of my pregnancy and used a ball to bounce on.

Is it really something I can control? I'm pregnant with no2 and a bit anxious about what the lie of this one will be.

OP babies are supposed to be more common these days because we generally spend more time sitting down, whether in an office, in the car, watching tv, etc. It seems that you don't have to lying down - if you're not actually leaning forwards a lot (scrubbing the floors is the classic example if something we no longer do!) then it could be a factor.

Some babies will be OP whatever though!

FWIW, a friend had a long OP labour with her 1st and a short (6 hours from start to finish) non-OP labour with her 2nd. So it having happened once doesn't mean it'll happen again.

My first and second baby both OP! My midwife seemed to think it had something to do with the shape of my pelvis...

Both labours 'natural' in that I wasn't induced. First labour 12 hrs, second labour 2hrs!

My baby was OP but she only turned that way about 1/2 an hour BEFORE the start of the induction process. I had waited around in hospital all day (about 9 hours sitting in a waiting room) and I think the position I sat all that time plus my natural anxiety encouraged her to move into a position she'd never been observed in for the whole pregnancy! I could have done all the lean forward stuff in the world every day before the induction (did a fair bit of ball leaning and bouncing) but I honestly don't think it would have changed anything! Sorry, that's probably not what you wanted to hear.

Starlight- I have no idea where the placenta was but you may be onto something regarding the induction techniques as I tried to bring labour on myself at home by using clary sage and nipple stimulation so I probably didn't help things by interfering.

I know better now and induction is induction is induction whther done at home or in the hospital and it's all unatural, no matter how 'natural' the methods used. I didn't have a sweep, not until I was at the hospital and 2cms anyway but looking back I feel I was really only experiencing warm-up labour at this point and if I had left well alone and stayed at home then I'm sure the 'contractions' would have tailed off and started for real at a later date.

Thanks everyone else for your replies. I will keep my fingers crossed, try to remain upright and mobile and will definately leave well-alone when it comes to techniques to bring labour on!

Have a look at www.spinningbabies.com for lots of ideas on things you can do either in pregnancy or when you're actually in labour...

I'm finding the placenta thing to be false in my case - first pg, anterior placenta, ROA presentation; second pg, posterior placenta, OP presentation. Maybe the facing placenta preference only applies if cords are relatively short?

No answer from me but both my babies were OP and I spent countless hours doing everything and avoiding the things that encourages them not to be OP. All in vain. Turns out my mum and maternal aunt also had OP babies so I think sometimes it might be physiological and there's just not much to be done in some cases

I agree with raejj - some babies just are!