The Anterior Positions and LOP
At Spinning Babies, fetal position matters.
Babies positioned on mother’s left side more often curl and tuck their chins more easily (flexion, flek’-shun). This makes baby’s head measurement smaller and lines up baby with the pelvis to be able to help in the birth process. Flexion is more important than position. Muscles and ligament “balance” is more important than size.
Discovering how to tell your baby’s position is in the Belly Mapping book and our Belly Mapping page.
A flexed head can measure up to 2 cm smaller than the same baby’s head extended, or having the chin up. Not only that, but a flexed head molds even smaller. An extended head takes hours longer to mold, if it needs to. And first babies almost always need to reshape the top of their heads to fit the bones of the pelvis. A flexed baby can use their spine, back and shoulder muscles to help themselves be born. Flexed babies bodies are lined up to make their kicks at the top of the womb (fundus) be more effective in moving them down through the pelvis. Most babies on the left are anterior and flexed. The Left Occiput Posterior baby may be flexed and rotate readily with the help of strong labor contractions.
Gail and her sister, Kathleen, will be exhibiting Spinning Babies at the great Lamaze DONA 2014 conference. Come to our booth and see the book. If you’re pregnant, come for a free belly painting!
Enjoy this post? You also might like:
- Flexion, Looking “Down”
- Left Occiput Anterior (LOA)
- Fetal Engagement from the Right
- Jiggle and Stretch Protocols
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