Optimal foetal positioning

[kekouan]

Could someone tell me why it is better for the foetus to be on the left side, rather than the right?

I'm 37 weeks, and mine has been head down for ages, but the spine is more to the right of my belly. The midwife keeps telling me off for not doing my OFP exercises, but I am doing them - they just aren't making it move!

Does it mean I'm more likely to have a difficult labour?

I haven't really noticed it making much difference to the labours that I have seen, the figures are about 60% left side, 30% right side and 10% posterior (or pretty close to this), so there is nothing wrong with baby on this side. As long as it stays anterior, it should be ok, the OFP excersises will hopefully keep baby off your back, which would make for a more difficult labour.

I would be happy to stand corrected if anyone knows any differently though

I think either LOA or ROA work fine for labour and birth, just LOA is more common. It's the occiput anterior bit that's likely to make a difference. And there's evidence that maternal position has no impact on whether the foetus is on the left or the right.

Ah, good... I was wondering if the position of the placenta was stopping it from settling in the LOA position.

Thank you for the replies

I think I remember something at antenatal class about it being because you have a ginormous great slab of liver taking up space on your right side...

I think there's more room for bubs, therefore, on your left, and this, presumably, is a good thing.

Aparently position of placenta does make a difference too.

I've a sneaking suspicion that nothing you do makes a blind bit of difference... Babies in utero do as they darn well please I reckon DB xx (Such as still not making any sign of arrival nearly a week past their due date... grrr)

Hi I'm nearly 34 weeks and baby has been feet down for weeks, havn't been tol to do any exercises coz 'plenty time to move'. What are the exercises? wonder if it's worth me trying?

Kelbel: www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/labourandbirth/planningyourbabysbirth/babyinpositionforbirth/

thank you!

I'm not personally convinced that they help much, but can't hurt to try right?

My antenatal bumf says do really try and do them whenever you have braxton hicks, as this increases their effectiveness.

kelbel - you could also look at www.spinningbabies.com. Other things to try and get a breech to turn include variations on accupuncture (incl accupressure and moxibustion) and a visit to a chiropractor. In one sense they're right - there is plenty of time for your LO to turn. But the sooner you start helping the more chance you've got

re. ROA / LOA - I was told that it made a difference to how far the baby rotated while coming through the pelvis - an LOA baby has to turn through 90 degress while ROA has to go 270. Or something like that . I also heard that position of the placenta and length of cord also had an impact on how the baby lies.

Tangle - Thats called a 'long rotation' as opposed to the short rotation of 90 degrees. However, babies dont only go clockwise, so you can have long or short rotation whatever the position.

Personally, I think OFP is most useful in making mums feel that they have tried to turn baby, in our society, we dont spend long enough in a forward leaning position, for example, scrubbing floors, leaning over sinks washing clothes etc, but are more likely to spend more time in a reclining position and thereby encourage OP babies.

I think OFP can help to a certain extent, but its like inductions, if its going to happen, it will do, but if not then forget it! It also has a lot to do with pelvic shape, position of placenta abdo muscles etc.

argh.. spent the last two nights sleeping on my left side (and not sleeping as well as a result) and managed to get it to move over, but it's just flipped back over to the right side (ow ow ow).

Oh well!!

I'm pretty sure it wont go OP - my back is very very curved in at the bottom (according to the physio) so I don't think there's actually the room for it to turn that way :-p
(quite possibly am talking utter sh*te though )

Don't want to tempt fate though!

Mintpurple - that makes more sense. I could never quite get my head round what kind of asymetry that kind of rotation would be caused by inside the pelvis. Led to strange images of a helterskelter....