Preventing OP babies

[Amieee]

In my Bradley classes, we were talking about the things we can do to prevent OP babies. (sunny side up)

I know lots of people have OP babies and it causes problems. So I was wondering how many people had them but still did all the things they were supposed to or avoided what they were not supposed to do.

From what I remember, you are not supposed to :
Sit in a reclining position, esp with your feet up (ie, none of those cushy chairs that feel soooo good, esp with your feet up!)
Sit in a bucket seat in a car
Basically any position that makes your legs higher than your pelvis.
cross your legs

I can't remember what else.

You are supposed to :
Tailor sit
Avoid deep squatting
Sit on a wedge cushion in the car, so that your pelvis is tilted forwards. Keep the seat back upright
Do your pelvic rocks on your hands and knees often
Walk a lot

I am just curious to see if it is really worth it!

[miche]

It worked for me. My first was completely posterior and since he was induced before he was ready and my water broke early on he got stuck in that position. Labor was really painful - all in my back, and I wound up with a c-section (possibly necessary after the situation we were in, but most likely unnecessary if I hadn't been induced in the first place!) With my second I was determined to prevent him from going into a posterior position. At first nothing seemed to matter. He spent most of the pregnancy breech and posterior, but he turned at 30-something weeks. And he went into perfect LOA position. He was born easily with a perfect head - no moulding! With as long as my labor was (26+ hours of active labor) no one could believe that his head wasn't moulded.

I paid close attention to my sitting positions, did lots of pelvic rocking on hands and knees and I really do think this helped. This was in perfect contrast to my first pregnancy where I put me feet up all the time (I had a private office at work and it was comfy to type with keyboard in my lap and feet up on my desk!) I also coached a girls softball team and would work a lot with my pitchers which meant a lot of squatting while I caught for them. I think that engaged him posterior early (he was engaged several weeks before I was induced). When I was at home I mostly kicked back on a squishy comfy couch. I really missed the couch during my second pregnancy, but I opted to tailor sit on the floor with a pillow under the back part of my behind (kept my lower back from rounding) and I also sat a lot in an old straight backed rocking chair.

The chiropractic didn't hurt either! I started seeing a chiropractor when my baby was still breech at 32 weeks - I didn't want to have a repeat cesarean for something like a breech baby. My chiro knew the Webster technique (which is used to turn breech babies) and every time I had a session the baby moved like mad. After he turned I had normal adjustments and after each one I felt the kicks more on the right side which is where you should feel them for an anterior baby. I believe that helped keep him in LOA as opposed to slightly off from that position.

A really great book on positioning is "Optimal Foetal Positioning" It explains why positioning is important, explains how our modern ways cause more posterior babies, and explains ways to deal with less than ideal positions during labor. If you follow the link in my sig to the VBAC cubby you will find a link to the recommended reading list on the left panel and you can see how to order the book there. It isn't commonly available in the US.

[MJ]

Very interesting... during my last pregnancy I sat cross-legged and reclined a lot. But I also walked 2 to 3 miles every day during the last 5 months, often doing stretching or pelvic rocking afterwards too.

I had an OP baby, and c-section.

I was cross-legged and reclining when I read this, now I'm slumping in my chair. :)

[born2birth]

I had a similar experience as Miche (hi Miche!). My first was posterior and I ended up with a c/s because of it. I had pre-eclampsia and was told to sit on the couch or chair with my feet up. Well, that was the mistake!

With my second, I avoided sitting like that and I made sure to do pelvic tilts/rocking as often as I could. Did the same with my third. They were both LOA and VBACs.

Hope that helps!

[laumau]

This is really interesting. We hired a doula to help us out with the birth of DS last May. I was telling her about my first birth, about how I was in early labor for 3 days prior to the birth and she said it sounded like DD may have been OP. I said no, but then Dh reminded me that she was indeed OP and the nurse had turned her as she descended. I had totally forgotten. Baby #2 was not OP. My third was OP and the doctor could not get him to turn- he ended up using forceps. DS was unexpectedly large. I didn't know there was any way of avoiding an OP baby before labor.

[miche]

Some women are genetically and/or structurally inclined to having posterior babies as well. I have a sway back, not a major one like a gymnast, but one nonetheless (my mom always thought it was because I was a swimmer - breaststroke and fly, my chiro agreed that that could have made it more pronounced.) I also have very tight deep abdominal muscles - not necessarily all that strong, nor do they keep my belly in, but they are very tight. Both of these things are supposed to predispose you to having a posterior baby. Athletes who have tight abs tend to have more posterior babies as well.

[Tigo]

I'm a big fan of Bradley and did most of what he said. I did get a bit lazy towards the end but I was generally pretty good. My dd was OP. Actually sideways when my induction started and my OB says she turned OP - still not sure how valid that is. I ended up with a c-section anyway.

In saying that I will still do those exercises and sit in my tailor position next time. It certainly can't hurt.

L.

[ging-ging]

I had a doula tell me to get a birthing ball/exercise ball and lean forward over it 20 minutes 2 times a day in the last few weeks of pregnancy. Lots of pelvic rocks too, and espcially during labor.

[mycrazylife]

My second son was OP, and I was not aware of Do's and Don'ts!

I had a long labor (he was 2 days late) with him and the nurse said it was due to his position, but the OB who delivered him I don't think did anything to even try to turn him. (My OB was on vacation). My labor was long, but once things got going it all happened in abot 20 minutes.....so it's hard to remember alot of it. With things moving so quickly, and my epidural having worn off.....

I do know now that the OB used a vaccuum to assist in the delivery partially due to his OP position (& he was also looking upwards) but also because he was starting to show signs of stress so they wanted him delivered quickly. The OB didn't even have time to do an episiotomy it all went so quickly--I ended up with a minimal tear that only needed 4 or 5 stitches.

DS son was born perfectly healthy, and suffered no ill-affects from his position or the vaccuum. My nurse did tell me later that night that she thought for sure I'd have to have an emergency c-section due to his position and the stress he was showing, but everything happened for the best luckily!

[littlebit]

I had an OP baby too, but at the time my midwives said *nothing* about his position being a problem. They simply commented, "Oh, he's posterior, but will probably turn in labor". So I did nothing. Not to mention, I commuted to work roudtrip 2 hours a day and sat in a ...... you guessed it! a bucket seat! :( I had prodromal labor for 3 days and he labored hard for almost 14 hours, including 3 hours of pushing. So, yes, it did contribute to my csection.

This time around I am reading "Optimal Feotal Position" (sp?) and other sources to help me from the start encourage proper positioning. I'm home full time now too, so that will help.

HBAC here we come! :D

~Cathi~ SAHM to "Sugar" Shea 5.21.01 and "Sugarbaby" EDD 10.10.03