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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Optimal Foetal Positioning, another stick to beat us with?

79 replies

wahwah · 12/02/2008 11:10

I have to confess that I guiltily ignored all the information about OFP with my first pregnancy and my son's presentation was fine. At the time I couldn't find any proper research to support the conclusions and decided that my need to collapse on the sofa was greater than supporting some crazy agenda.

So was I just very lucky? Is there a proper research basis for this? Or is it all an old (mid)wive's tales? Does anybody actually know?

OP posts:
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Pruners · 15/02/2008 08:39

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Lulumama · 15/02/2008 09:09

franny, i think so, although have not conducted any clinical trials into it i carried both of mine OP. my sister carried hers OP. my friend carried both of hers OP. some women just seem more prone to it, and there must be a reason!

if you had a bad time first time, then as you know, there is no reason it would happen again !

obviously, don;t lie on your back, try to remain upright and active, you will find that instinctively, you will move in such a way that you are trying to get your baby into a better postion. even if he/she stays OP, there is no reason you cannot have a better delivery..all fours opens up the pelvis more as does a supported squat...

are you going for HB again?

Pruners · 15/02/2008 09:16

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notmyrtle · 15/02/2008 10:10

Because if you have a long, horrible, OP labour ending with an emergency section (maternal exhaustion, failure to progress, fetal distress) then some helpful soul from your antenatal class is just bound to pipe up with 'well hadn't you heard of OPF ... I bet if you hadn't spent your entire pregnancy sat on your arse (you lazy cow) then it would have been just fine'

Read - you didn't try hard enough & it's all you fault.

notmyrtle · 15/02/2008 10:11

oops sorry OFP

Pruners · 15/02/2008 11:07

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Kathyis6incheshigh · 15/02/2008 11:16

Wahwah - I really like your comment:
'For the believers, there's a sense that it won't do any harm and could help, so why not try it? Of course once you couch it in those terms then it almost becomes daft or even unreasonable not to -and there's the stick-it's not a big scary one, but it's still a little stick!'

jellies · 15/02/2008 11:18

DS1 transverse at 34 weeks did all the correct sitting exercises and he turned.. grew to 10lb 11oz and then wouldnt/couldnt come out anyway.. should have just made myself comfee on the sofa instead!

stuffitllama · 15/02/2008 11:28

it might not work but worth a try surely?

Had two posterior presentations(argh horrible labours) and did ofp with the third and it presented properly

I don't know if it was just coincidence.

ghosty · 15/02/2008 11:31

I had a back to back presentation with DS and had a long drawn out labour that ended with a CS.
I was convinced that I could make sure DD wasn't back to back - but exercise was out of the question due to sever SPD ... so we spent a fortune and hired one of those rocking chair things ... in the last 6 weeks I sat on that thing all the time ... got pains in my knees ...
Guess what? It did nothing and DD was firmly back to back from 34 weeks on. Had another CS.
I think I was slightly mad during that pregnancy - I was equally convinced that this baby would be a dainty small 8lber - totally choosing to ignore the fact that DS had been 10lbs.
DD was 10lbs 10oz in the end

Klaw · 15/02/2008 12:10

I went to a study day on OFP with Jean Sutton last year and she is amazing. Everything she said made so much sense. As for evidence, she has 45 years experience as a midwife and has been dealing with mammals giving birth since she was a child. She has studied the mechanics of giving birth and knows what she's talking about.

Read her books, go to a study day, then you will understand.

There's far too much to it to go into here and you need to see the diagrams to fully understand the mechanics (at least I did).

The thing is to listen to your body tho, if it is very uncomfortable in a recommended OFP position then it is the wrong position for you. Also if placenta is anterior there is little point doing OFP until about 38wks when the uterus has grown enough for the placenta to move up enough to allow baby to rotate.

The way I see it is that if you do your OFP you give yourself the best chance of an OA baby, however, you may have the 1 of the 4 kinds of pelvis which makes it easier for baby to come out face to pubes. That's just a variation of normal.

The big problem is that the maternity 'system' we have now does not allow for decent patience, support and encouragement in labour to allow an OP baby to turn. This is why we have such a shocking rate of CS for 'failure to progress', along with inductions for arbitrary dates rather than valid medical reasons.

I just don't understand why credence is not given to a woman with a lifetime's experience in helping babies to get themselves born.

Klaw · 15/02/2008 12:22

And if a mw says you had a difficult birth because you didn't do your OPF antenatally or couldn't have done it properly or whatever, then I think she's in the wrong job!!! You just don't say things like that to a vulnerable new mum!! Or imply it....

A good mw should encourage decent OFP in labour, observe and listen to the cues you send out so that she can suggest positions etc to allow baby and your body to work together to get baby born.

At least that's what I expected when I naively went into labour first time around. How wrong could I have been?

Highlander · 15/02/2008 15:44

There was a small study in the BMJ years ago that showed OFP had no effect on the baby's potition.

FrannyandZooey · 15/02/2008 16:56

Lulu, I have more or less decided to start labouring at home, with a doula, and see how I go from there

at what point should I be starting the OFP techniques then please? I am 20 weeks now and spending as much time lying on back with feet up as possible

Klaw · 15/02/2008 17:24

more info on OFP

http://www.caesarean.org.uk/articles/OpFetPos.html an article posted on Caesarean.org

article in AIMS journal

Would you lie face down in a hammock? No? Of course not, it's too uncomfortable! If you think about it you can use your belly like a hammock and baby will tend to lie OA, but if you recline back more often then baby is more likely to turn OP.

In my experience, which of course is only anecdotal, I reclined a lot with my first pg and ds was OP. With dd I tried to be aware of OFP without being obsessive, and she did turn her back to my front.

Klaw · 15/02/2008 17:26

an article posted on Caesarean.org

Sorry about that....

Pruners · 15/02/2008 17:26

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Lulumama · 15/02/2008 17:31

best of luck franny... have a look at the articles linked to, and remember if baby does stay OP, then you are not necessarily going to have a bad time of it!

are you having an MN doula??

Pruners · 15/02/2008 17:31

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FrannyandZooey · 15/02/2008 17:46

I don't know who or what I am having Lulu, I have only just decided this

I was trying to work through the reason I did NOT want to try another home birth, as I felt pretty strongly that I didn't want one

I realised the main reason was that I laboured at home on my own from about 6.30 am to about 2 pm and it was horrible

the midwife would not come out for ages, then she wouldn't give me any pain relief, got me to make her a cup of tea, and gave no advice or support except that I should calm down instead of making pain noises, and that if I wanted any pain relief I would have to go to hospital

I am buggered if that is happening again

if I have to pay someone to actually be with me and be kind to me when I am in labour then so be it

Pruners · 15/02/2008 17:53

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ValentineFemme · 15/02/2008 17:53

I haven't read all the threads but I did all the exercises and slept on my left hand side etc and DS was still back to back.

So there.

Klaw · 15/02/2008 17:57

"the midwife would not come out for ages, then she wouldn't give me any pain relief, got me to make her a cup of tea, and gave no advice or support except that I should calm down instead of making pain noises, and that if I wanted any pain relief I would have to go to hospital"

FFS! She shouldn't be allowed to attend HB

FrannyandZooey · 15/02/2008 18:09

yes it is odd isn't it
up until then we got on very well and I still don't think she is a NASTY woman
it is strange though, when you put the facts down like that baldly, it was a nightmare really wasn't it?
I DID transfer to hospital where I was very kindly looked after during the birth, but as so often happens intervention followed intervention
am hoping there is another way
Pruni oh NO I don't want anyone I know
I want a professional who is PAID to be nice to me

Pruners · 15/02/2008 18:16

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