The location of the fetus in the uterus largely depends on how the delivery will take place. On ultrasound in the third trimester, the doctor examines the position of the baby, making this or that conclusion. But medical terms such as the longitudinal position of the fetus or the transverse can be incomprehensible to many future mothers, especially those who are in an interesting position for the first time, which in turn causes certain anxieties and experiences.
Types of fetal position
Longitudinal position
At this position, the longitudinal axis of the baby (neck, spine, coccyx) and the uterus coincide. The longitudinal position of the fetus is the norm, which means that births are possible in a natural way. The most optimal option is the occipital presentation, when the baby's head is slightly lowered forward, and the chin is pressed to the chest. In the longitudinal position of the fetus, the most voluminous part is born - the head, which means that the rest of the body will literally slip through the birth canals without complications.
Another type of longitudinal position of the fetus is pelvic presentation . With this arrangement of the fetus, the birth is considerably complicated, since the baby in the uterus is located with the legs forward, which can cause some difficulties in the birth of the head. In turn, pelvic presentation at a longitudinal position of the fetus can be glutes and leg. The first option is the most favorable, since the probability of falling out of the leg is practically excluded, which means that the risk of injury is much lower. It is worth noting that in pelvic presentation, childbirth can also take place naturally. The question of the appointment of a cesarean is decided taking into account the size of the fetus and pelvis of the mother, the type of presentation, the sex of the child, the age of the woman and the features of the course of pregnancy.
Slanting and transverse position
At oblique position, the longitudinal axes of the fetus and uterus intersect at an acute angle, with the transverse - under the straight. Similar arrangements of the baby in the uterus are almost always an absolute indicator for caesarean section. Earlier in medical practice, such a technique was used as a "turn for the leg", which was performed by the doctor already in the process of giving birth. Today, due to the high traumatic nature of the mother and baby, this practice was abandoned.
Change in fetal position
So, in the period from 32 to 36 weeks the child should take the head longitudinal position. It should be noted that the wrong arrangement of the baby is quite a rarity. For example, a transverse or oblique position occurs in only 2-3% of women. Change the wrong position on the longitudinal head fruit can be done at any time, so to understand exactly how the baby is located at the moment, only constant monitoring by a doctor will help. Despite the fact that in late terms, because of the large size of the baby, it is already hard to turn over, the position of the fetus can change just before the birth itself, so you should not panic.
There are also a number of exercises that will help the child to take the right location. So, for example, it is recommended to lie for 10 minutes on each side, 3 to 4 times changing position. Repeat the exercise several times a day before meals. The knee-elbow pose and exercises in the pool also contribute to the result.
After the kid turned head down, many doctors recommend wearing a special bandage that fixes the correct position. Most often, pregnant women with an incorrect presentation of the fetus 2 weeks before delivery are placed in a hospital where a plan of delivery is already drawn up under the supervision of specialists.