One of the things I have noticed in my work as a midwife is that pregnant women are very concerned about the position of their baby in the womb. What if the baby is lying bottom down, or if the head is not in the “correct” position? What does that mean? Is there anything you can do yourself to promote the most favorable conditions so that the birth is not complicated by the baby not being positioned correctly?
Is the head facing downwards?
Throughout pregnancy, you will be offered several check-ups with both your own doctor and a midwife. These visits are planned so that you will see the midwife around the time when the baby should have settled with its head facing downwards. This means that the most knowledgeable hands imaginable will assess how the baby is positioned and, if necessary, refer you for an ultrasound scan and offer a version attempt if the baby is bottom-down. If not, everything is fine.
Almost.
Even if the baby is head-down, it is not insignificant how the little head turns and twists. If the baby does not rotate regularly down through the pelvis during birth—a very common complication—the birth will in many cases be prolonged. It is therefore extremely important for all pregnant women to make an active effort throughout their pregnancy to help the baby come down as easily as possible during birth.
The most important thing is movement. Walk, run, cycle, swim, dance, and make love – do everything you can manage. Try to avoid walking stiffly; let your hips swing naturally. This helps to keep the muscles in the pelvis relaxed.
When you do have to sit down, try to sit slightly forward with your hips above knee height, a bit like sitting on a granny bike.
Most furniture is designed so that you fall back in the seat. This means that you need to be aware of your sitting position. Turn the chair around (as long as your belly does not fill the entire seat) or sit on a large yoga ball, where it can also be really good to sit and roll your pelvis a little. And if you need to lounge on the sofa, it is better to lie on your side than to sit leaning back.
One last piece of advice is to try to keep your stomach warm. Even though a heavily pregnant stomach is like a giant hot water bottle, it is important to keep it warm; otherwise, the baby will “crawl away” from the stomach and lie down like a stargazer.
Of course, none of this guarantees a head-down position or an uncomplicated birth, but it does significantly improve the odds and requires almost nothing.
So, if you know anyone who is pregnant, please share this post with them - it could mean a lot to their birth experience and early days as a mother.
