the 411 on Posterior Babies
Have you ever heard of a posterior baby?
A posterior baby is definitely not preferable for labor. Posterior is when the baby’s back is facing your back and their arms and legs are facing out. Posterior babies can cause crazy back labor (pain in your lower back). Here are some ways you can tell if your baby is posterior.
You feel movement in every area of your belly. A posterior baby will have all their limbs facing out rather than in towards your spine. If you divide your belly into an imaginary four quadrants, notice if you feel strong movement in all four quadrants. If you do then the chances are that your baby is posterior.
Your belly has a somewhat flat shape. When the baby’s back and butt are towards the front that gives your belly a nice round shape. But when the baby’s back and butt are facing in (towards your spine) then your belly might look a little flatter.
A baby might be posterior for a few reasons:
You have an anterior placenta which takes up more space in the front of your uterus and can make it more comfy for baby to situate themselves opposite to the placenta.
Your pelvis/hips/back are out of alignment and are allowing the baby to favor a more posterior position. There are so many reasons to seek chiropractic care throughout pregnancy but this is a great one!
The way your are sitting is encouraging the baby to assume a posterior position. When you lounge back into a couch or chair and rest your weight on your sacrum rather than on your sit bones your baby is encouraged to swing the back of their head (their center of gravity) towards your sacrum which then creates a posterior position.
Your natural pelvis shape fits a baby best in a posterior position. This can be a thing! Pelvises come in all shapes and sizes and who is to say that it’s wrong for a baby to be posterior in your pelvis? Maybe that’s the way they need to fit to get out. If you have birthed a baby who remains posterior for the actual birth then it’s a strong possibility that they needed to come out that way whether that was due to the natural shape of your pelvis or due to your pelvis being out of alignment at the time of birth.
HOW to get baby to rotate anterior:
Instead of lounging with your weight on your sacrum try sitting more upright on your couch or chair and place pillows behind your back and slightly under your bottom to help rotate your pelvis to a more upright position. Having trouble with this? Sit on an exercise ball. You have to sit upright on your sit bones on an exercise ball or you will fall off.
Forward leaning positions will encourage baby to swing their center of gravity forward which equals anterior baby! Try getting on your knees and resting your upper body over an exercise ball. It’s especially helpful if you can loosen your hips by gently swaying them side to side to help create movement.
I love using rebozo sifting to help rotate a stubborn posterior baby. It’s always best to get a baby to rotate before labor begins so if you know your baby is posterior you can have someone help you with rebozo sifting at home in the weeks leading up to labor. If your baby is posterior when you’re in labor then this is a great tool you can use in between contractions. For detailed instructions on how to perform rebozo sifting correctly visit the @spinningbabies website. If you have an anterior placenta then you will need to be careful with rebozo sifting and should talk to your midwife or doctor before doing rebozo sifting at home.
Find a chiropractor who specializes in pregnancy care and schedule regular adjustments. Hear me when I say that not just any adjustment will do. It’s so important that your chiropractor is familiar with pregnancy care and understands fetal positioning in relation to the the pelvis. If you need some good recommendations for chiropractors in the Spokane area DM me!
Check out www.spinningbabies.com for more information and exercises that can help with rotating your baby anterior.
