Arm over head?

[bettybat]

I'm coming up to 21 weeks, so a long way of the birth yet...But I keep reading about how labours with the baby's arm above his/her head when they come out makes for more pain/tearing?

On both my baby's scans, they've had it's arms above their head. I know he/she must move around a lot but it kind of had me worried that in 8 weeks between scans, they should be in the same kind of position?

Maybe this is a total newbie worry so please have a good giggle at my question But - is my baby likely to stay like that until the labour or move into different positions, and if so - is there anything I can do to help move them around like you can when they're breech?

Or am I just conjuring up new worries?

Well at my scans dd always had her arse in the air so was quite happy that she did come out with her hand on her head.

In the next few weeks baby will be moving LOTS and there is still plenty of room to move about

Don't fret

My DS tried to be born wuth his arm over his head and the MW moved it for him to be born easier. I did tear with him and had to have stitches but I couldn't really tell it had happened so im not sure it made for a more painful delivery but he would have been born slightly quicker if his arm hadn't been there.
My second baby always had her arm up by her head as well at scans but she didn't try coming out like it. Im now pregnant with my third and again he always seems to have an arm up there too, so will have to see in a few weeks time how he decides to make his appearence.

Please don't worry about it happening and certainly not at this early stage as your baby will still be flipping about and getting into all sorts of positions still :)

had last one with arm over head - not a problem in my case though it does often cause tearing .

the week before birth of weird spasms due to the hand being wedged against my cervix was a giveaway..i think i'd try an inversion or two to get its hand free were that to happen again...

Mine was born with arm above head - really not a problem, don't worry, try to relax :-)

My DD was born with her arm over her head, but in scans it was not there. Unfortunately I did tear because of it.

She is now 2 and since her birth her favourite position is with her hand on her head, this is how she sleeps.

My dd (8 weeks old now) had her hand to her face at the 20 week scan and she came out like that too.

I did end up with a 3rd degree tear, but it wasn't painful when it happened and I'm mostly back to normal and healed now too.

Like hellobear, my DD often has her hand by her head now too.

I don't think there's a lot you can do to change the position of an arm!

Just to add I had 2 tiny tears that did not bother me at all & no stitches.

DC3 came out with his hand by his ear, pinning it back (it took a few days to go back to normal). I tore, a little I think, certainly not enough to warrant stitches.

Two of my six Dcs were born with their arms over their heads and didn't tear with either

My baby came out with her hand on her head. I had 3rd degree tear, but was taken to theatre for a proper repair with epidural and i can honestly say it has never given me a days trouble. Had to have antibiotics afterwards though. I still think tearing was better than an episiotomy. Please don't stress about this, it really isn't as bad as it sounds!!