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Original poster

Feel a bit silly asking this, but NCT teacher has confused me...

43 replies

turtle23 · 25/01/2008 20:24

I'm 32 weeks and my lovely lazy son has been in exactly the same position for ages. He is head down with his spine to the right(so facing in.) The midwives seem to think this is totally fine, but my NCT teacher said "Oh no, you have GOT to start doing something to turn him, he has to lie on the left!!!" I was under the assumption that as long as they are head down and not back to back that they would turn their heads from left or right to centre on the way out...
Anyone?

OP posts:
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gingerninja · 25/01/2008 20:25

I'd listen to the midwives, surely they're the best advised

JingleyJen · 25/01/2008 20:25

relax - scrub the kitchen floor and bathroom floor after 36 weeks - helps get the baby into position.
What you have said doesn't sound like anything to worry about though

poppy34 · 25/01/2008 20:26

no real help here but if your midwives say its fine then I'd go with that. But maybe someone else has better advice. Has your NCT teacher got any particular qualifications?

carmenelectra · 25/01/2008 20:27

What a load of tosh! Facing either way is just fine

Pruners · 25/01/2008 20:27

Message withdrawn

moominsmummy · 25/01/2008 20:30

as far as i know there are 3 axis in which the baby can be

up and down or lying across

so head down or feet down (breech)

then where the spine is - back to back obviously being the least helpful but I believe that spine on the left is best but can't remember why.....

so think it might be a bit picky to say the baby needs to move

carmenelectra · 25/01/2008 20:32

They can lie either LOA or ROA, both totally normal. Doesnt matter!

whomovedmychocolate · 25/01/2008 20:33

Yeah, of course, babies know when it's 32 weeks and they stay in position from that point on Your teacher is a nit. My DD flipped to breach at 37 weeks and then back again a few days later. There also rotated round and round several times.

You are trying to avoid back to back labour and yes optimal birth positioning is a good thing, hands and knees, leaning forwards etc. But sheeesh she sounds like she needs a slap with a wet kipper!

Original poster
turtle23 · 25/01/2008 20:38

I just thought I'd make sure I wasn't going mad. Makes me wonder what else she'll come up with...

OP posts:
carmenelectra · 25/01/2008 20:38

Absolutely chocolate!. Think your NCT teacher is getting confused with the baby in an OP(BACK TO BACK) position. No need to worry at 32 wks and anyway even if he stays in this position at 40 wks it is normal!

meep · 25/01/2008 20:38

I have to say that next time I am not going to listen to midwives - dd was back to back and I was examined by at least 6 different midwives both externally and internally and not one of them realised dd was back to back - they only found out when I had a section and she was staring up at the surgeon when they opened me up (according to the surgeon) !
However - rant about midwives over - to the OP - I reckon babies move a lot and at 32 I wouldn't be worried - no harm in getting some optimal birth position time in though!
Good luck

carmenelectra · 25/01/2008 20:39

Listen to your midwife. No disrespect but i doubt she is midwifery trained.

harpsichordcarrier · 25/01/2008 20:40
harpsichordcarrier · 25/01/2008 20:42

maybe she was just trying to encourage you to do OFP exercises?
well worth doing because as wmmc says babies can move around a lot at this stage.

Pruners · 25/01/2008 20:46

Message withdrawn

carmenelectra · 25/01/2008 20:46

LOA may be considered an optimal position, but in my experience either will deliver the same, obviously unless baby rotates.

harpsichordcarrier · 25/01/2008 20:47

oh sorry
deeply

bookwormmum · 25/01/2008 20:49

I went to an ante-natal physio class and one position you could try is get a bean bag, kneel down, stick your face on the bag (like doggy style ) and very slowly wiggle your belly from side to side. This persuaded most of the babies in the class to slide down into a more optimised birth position instead of being jumbled up. Do check with your mw before you do this though! I used to do this at night to relax as it takes the weight off your back and it lets your baby do a bit of stretching too . There were other tricks you could do with pillows to support your body as you laid down to rest but I was a bit fidgety to appreciate them (being a wk overdue by then). If your hospital runs a class like this, then do check it out - I found mine really helpful.

I have been told that pg ladies should lie on their left side wherever possible (my cousin who is a nurse told me this) but I don't know the reason why.

Pruners · 25/01/2008 20:51

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madmouse · 25/01/2008 20:52

My baby was ROL and my mw recommended trying to make him move to left as she said right was absolutely fine but left would make for a slightly easier labour. He is now LOL. All it took was to avoid slouching on the sofa which also mysteriously cleared my backache! But on the right is by no means a problem.

carmenelectra · 25/01/2008 20:54

Im not being funny but you do not need to do any exercises to turn an ROA baby!Its fine as it is1

Also. i had an OP baby first time round and i was damned if i was gonna have another. Did everything to ensure he would be head down and in the 'right' position. He was. That is until labour when the horrendous backache started again. Must be my pelvis

harpsichordcarrier · 25/01/2008 20:59

OK I would disagree with you there carmen.
for a start, assessment of position is not 100% reliable as you know e.g. undiagnosed breeches etc.
also, at this stage in the pregnancy, the baby is still moving and there is no harm whatsoever in doing the kind of OFP exercises that help open up the pelvis and help get or keep the baby in the optimum position.
I can't see there is any harm in it, and I think there are some real benefits, especially for labour.

Original poster
turtle23 · 25/01/2008 21:05

Just to add as well that I sleep on my left, spend my evenings either sitting on ball or leaning forward, etc. He does occasionally go left, but never to sleep, always cephalic, but then I can feel him scurry back. I do know that this is where he is as he seems to enjoy sleeping with his little bum poking out my right side.

OP posts:
carmenelectra · 25/01/2008 22:20

Oh harp, i agree, no harm at all doing exercises and you are right no assessment is 100% correct. Completely agree. Just think the teacher who said you must do the exercises to change position is wrong.

Like i said, i did everything myself to make sure baby stayed/was in right position. I dont think i sat on a chair from 34 wks. Stayed on my birthing ball so baby would stay head down etc. Im just surprised someone would have a panic and tell someone whose baby was already in a normal position to try and change it. Of course there is no harm in doing any exercises to aid position. I just dont think that it needs changing though

MoosMa · 25/01/2008 23:00

My first was OP and I had a horrendous labour, my second was OA and popped out in no time, so I'd say it's definitely worth making sure he stays in a nice position. I seem to remember somebody on here telling me that babies tend to turn one way rather than the other, so it would go ROA, ROP, LOP, LOA, rather than ROA, LOA IYSWIM, I'm pretty sure DD2 did that.

Having said all that, ROA is a perfectly acceptable position so as long as he doesn't turn any further I'm sure you'll be fine. Also your position during labour is more important as many babies turn once labour has started, so if you stay upright/leaning forwards that will help too. I spent a lot of time leaning on the kitchen worktop in my 2nd labour and that seemed to help enormously!

Lecture over. Good luck !