The position of the child during pregnancy. Transverse presentation of the fetus

Before the baby begins to move, the mother must be warned about it. She must understand that the first faint beating or rhythmic tapping is nothing but the movements of her child, who is already exercising his muscles and willingly taking part in their improvement. At this point, the child already becomes a reality. When a fetal heartbeat is heard, a long stethoscope can be given to the mother so she can hear her baby's heartbeat. The woman needs to be told that now the length of the child has already reached twenty-five centimeters, and its weight is from two hundred thirty to three hundred and forty grams. Some women report regular uterine beating that lasts up to half an hour or more. The suggestion that the child has been hiccups fuels the mother's interest and gives a sense of its reality.

As the baby develops, it has full freedom of movement, protected by the waters of the amniotic sac in which it grows. The child can poke his arms and legs, roll over, etc.

When the size of the child increases, then its living space in the uterus decreases accordingly. Eventually, the baby assumes some final position in which he is when labor begins.

As a rule, the mother can feel the baby's back from one side or the other of the uterus. Tracing the line of his back with the palm of your hand, you can feel for a tubercle, which, most likely, will be the buttocks. On the other hand, you can feel the resting legs. The head is lowered down and is perceived as a hard bulge above the pubis. A woman can feel the blows of the child's arms in the area Bladder or sacrum. The easiest way to feel the back, arms or legs of the child is when he pushes or twitches. Most mothers have a fairly accurate idea of ​​the position of the child.

True, it is sometimes difficult to understand whether the felt tubercle is the head or the buttocks. An experienced doctor or midwife can usually determine the position of the fetus and inform the mother (the doctor attending the delivery, probing the mother's abdomen, should always explain to her what he finds). If the tubercle corresponds to the buttocks, then by moving it, we move the whole body. If it is a head, then it will sink and rise with each press of the finger, but the body will not move.

If there is a breech presentation (the buttocks come out, not the head), then the stomach will take on a rather triangular shape, and the pushes of the arms and legs are felt in the upper abdomen, and not in the bladder and sacrum. With this presentation, when the back of the child's head is closer to the mother's spine, the limbs are palpated in front.

Since the most successful position for childbirth is the occipital presentation, when the baby lies upside down, facing the mother's back, it is very useful in the last weeks of pregnancy to try to give him just such a position. The principles of natural childbirth teach us to strive to solve and prevent problems in the most natural, healthy, non-medical way, which applies equally to childbirth and pregnancy.

Most in a safe way change the position of the baby to the most convenient for childbirth is to move the center of gravity of the baby's environment. It is much easier to turn a mother than a child. The displacement of the center of gravity of the uterus provokes the child to move to the desired position.

Very often, at seven to seven and a half months, the child lies with the buttocks down, but in the last weeks the child turns upside down. A change in the position of the mother encourages the child to move. Since for most mothers (but not for all!) Standing on your head presents some difficulty, so we can only suggest lifting your hips just above your head and lying in this position for several minutes every day, and preferably several times a day. Twice a day on an empty stomach (for example, before lunch and before dinner), the expectant mother should lie on a hard surface on her back, with her hips raised with pillows above her head by twenty-five to thirty centimeters. You need to start doing this from about the thirtieth week of pregnancy and continue for four to six weeks. At the same time, the mother can talk to the child, prompting him to turn (the fetus will move itself; it is not an inanimate object at all). The child does not understand the words, but the soothing voice of the mother can relieve his anxiety when leaving an uncomfortable position.

The same applies to a child with a posterior head or breech presentation. It can also be provoked to turn by shifting the center of gravity. The posterior view of the breech presentation leads to a protracted difficult labor with acute back pain. In order to make the baby turn, in the last weeks of pregnancy, the mother should rock the pelvis, leaning on her hands and knees, for ten minutes several times a day. In this position, the woman should smoothly move her pelvis up and down, stroke the baby and gently push him. At the same time, her husband can help her, he can talk with the child so that he gets used to his soothing voice and tries to move more willingly.

At night, the mother should not lie on her back, but rather on her side or on her stomach (yes, that's right - it's quite possible to sleep on a child, because he is well cushioned by the waters). If lying on your stomach is uncomfortable, then you can lie on the side on which the weight of the child should fall to speed up the coup.

If during childbirth the child is still in the posterior presentation, then it is better to give birth on all fours, swinging the pelvis (it is known that during childbirth at home, at least a third of all women prefer to give birth standing on all fours, simply for reasons of convenience, regardless of the position of the fetus ). Since this position is somewhat tiring for the mother, a way must be found to rest and relax. A soft pouf she can kneel on is more comfortable than a hard floor. She may rest her head in her hands, or rest on the bed, or sit on the edge of a chair, leaning back for support. This position helps the baby move more quickly from posterior to the normal birthing position. In breech presentation, the position of the mother on all fours during attempts is best modified to a squatting position (while the body should be well supported), so that gravity helps to bring out the shoulders and head of the child remaining behind.

10.07.2019 17:43:00 How to stimulate fat burning? The fatty layer irritates all its owners. There is hardly a person who would not dream of getting rid of her. Fortunately, there are ways to burn fat, and you will learn about them below!

10.07.2019 11:46:00 6 weight loss tips for everyone Excess weight- this is not only an aesthetic problem, but also a threat to health, especially if the abdominal circumference is more than normal. But losing weight is difficult for many people. To avoid mistakes and achieve desired result, you need to use the following methods.

10.07.2019 11:10:00

The location of the baby in the uterus varies with gestational age. In the first and second trimesters of pregnancy, the fetus is still small, the number amniotic fluid large, and the uterus has the shape of a ball. Therefore, the baby moves and turns over freely in the womb.

Gradually, the child grows and, starting from the 7th month of pregnancy, he takes a constant position, which persists until the birth itself.

The location of the fetus in the abdomen by week of pregnancy

At the 16th week of pregnancy, the fetus is still quite small: from the top of the head to the buttocks, its length is 11 cm, and its weight is in the range of 80-110 grams. During this period of development, the baby can swim freely in the amniotic fluid - there is still plenty of room for him in the uterus. The child is constantly moving in the uterus - stretching, moving his limbs, grimacing, bending, stretching.

The location of the fetus at the 16th week of pregnancy is constantly changing, because it has the ability to move freely and roll over.

With the course of pregnancy, the size of the child increases and, in proportion to this, its free space in the uterus decreases. As a result, the child takes the final position, in which he is, waiting for childbirth.

How to determine the location of the fetus? A woman can understand the position of the child by palpating the uterus and feeling the back of the child. Tracing his back with the palm of his hand, you can feel the tubercle - the buttocks. On the other hand, you can feel the legs. The head is down and feels like a hard bulge.

It is easiest to conduct a study on the location of the fetus in the abdomen when the baby is active.

Sometimes it is difficult to understand how to determine the location of the fetus and whether the palpated tubercle is the buttocks or the head, in this case you can ask the doctor to determine the position of the fetus.

Another nuance: if the tubercle is the buttocks, then moving it, the whole body of the baby moves; if, on the contrary, it is the head, then it will sink and float on palpation, while the body does not move.

Types of positions of the baby in the uterus

In the medical literature, 3 types of presentation are described, that is, the relationship of one of the large parts of the child's body to the entrance to the small pelvis:

• head presentation;

• Transverse presentation;

• Pelvic presentation.

Head presentation - the correct location of the fetus in the womb; vertical position of the child head down. It is considered the most favorable, since in this case the head of the child passes first of all through the birth canal, and the body is born without difficulty and quickly.

Transverse presentation - the position of the baby with a shoulder, and pelvic - buttocks and legs down. Breech presentation is determined upon examination by a doctor, and then viewed using ultrasound diagnostics. If the fetus is located in the abdomen with the buttocks and legs down, then the shape of the abdomen will be close to triangular, and hand movements will be felt in the upper abdomen, and not in the bladder area.

The location of the fetus is different for weeks, so you should not panic if the baby does not roll over in time.

At the 16th week of pregnancy, the location of the fetus with the pelvis down has the following reasons: malformations in the fetus, polyhydramnios and, at the same time, increased mobility of the child; placenta previa; narrow pelvis; oligohydramnios; uterine anomalies; decreased tone of the uterus.

Do not panic if the child has a breech presentation:

• with the current level of medical knowledge, pregnancy with such a presentation of the fetus proceeds perfectly normally;

• delivery is possible in 2 ways, both natural and operative.

But the choice of the method of delivery is made by the doctor during a comprehensive examination and assessment of indicators.

How to help a child take a cephalic presentation?

The expectant mother can use safe methods of influencing the child so that he takes the most comfortable position - occipital presentation (that is, the baby lies in the womb head down and facing the mother's back).

This position is important for natural delivery without medical intervention.

Quite often, breech presentation can be translated into head presentation with the help of yoga for pregnant women. Such exercises become especially effective in the third trimester.

Yoga poses help the child to take the correct position in the womb: the inverted poses (handstand, headstand, bridge, half-bridge, birch) give the maximum effect - they encourage the child to roll over. But such exercises can only be performed by women with good physical fitness, who are intimately familiar with yoga.

Yoga postures cannot harm and turn the baby from the correct head presentation to the breech: the child will take advantage of the shift in the center of gravity and will instinctively move only if the position in the womb is incorrect. The fetus tends to roll over and take the right position, and not vice versa, and it is during the exercises of the “bridge” type that the most favorable conditions for a coup are formed. When practicing yoga, the fetus turns over within 7 days. If you feel a large movement or “noise” in your stomach, the baby has most likely rolled over. After that, you can verify the results of gymnastics by doing an ultrasound.

If a woman is not in very good physical shape, but wants to help the baby roll over, she can use the following exercise: raise her hips 25-30 cm above her head and lie in this position several times a day. A shift in the center of gravity of the child's environment will contribute to a change in the location of the fetus at 16 weeks.

Also, a pregnant woman can perform the following exercise: leaning on her knees and hands, you need to swing your pelvis, and so several times a day for 10 minutes. When performing such exercises, the buttocks and legs of the fetus are removed from the pelvic bones, the coup and correct position of the fetus are stimulated, and it receives more free space for movements.

You have long been waiting for the moment when your baby starts to move in your stomach, and now, finally, it has come. Since the baby is securely surrounded by amniotic fluid, he can freely and safely move his arms and legs, roll over as he pleases, and even acquire the first “bad” habits: for example, sucking his thumb. However, over time, it will become more and more difficult for him to do this: after all, the baby is growing and there is less free space around him, respectively. While the baby is not limited in movement, it is impossible to paint the position of the child in the stomach for weeks. After all, he can occupy any position, from the pelvic to the transverse. Meanwhile, the future mother cannot be bothered by the question of how the baby is located inside her. After all, this can affect the course of childbirth. The change in the position of the fetus in the uterus ends by 33-34 weeks of pregnancy: then the baby takes a stable position. As a rule, this is the optimal position for childbirth, which doctors call head presentation, anterior view. This means that the baby is located inside the woman with his head down, and his head "looks" at the mother's stomach. However, the position of the baby in the abdomen may be different. This can cause disturbances in the normal course of childbirth. However, since doctors determine in advance how the child is located in the uterus of a woman, they take action in time.

So, for example, the baby can be buttocks or legs down, and this is called the pelvic position of the fetus. Such a presentation of the child can be affected by:

• uterine anomalies
• malformations of the baby
• repeated births

In such a situation, a normal delivery is possible, and in some cases a woman is sent for a caesarean section. The doctor calculates all the risks in advance. As a rule, a decision in favor of conventional birth is made if:

• the expectant mother is not older than 30 years old and is completely healthy, and the baby also pleases with good health, has normal weight and shows up on time.
• no abnormalities of the uterus
• the size of the pelvis of a woman is normal
• baby's neck
• the expectant mother had no problems with pregnancy and childbirth in the past
• a woman is expecting a girl (if a boy appears in a similar situation, then during the birth in this position he may experience a strong load on the genitals)

The birth of a baby in this case will be accompanied by a vigilant observation of the heart monitor, and if any difficulties arise, a caesarean section will be performed. A woman can immediately opt for him, even if the doctor does not see any special obstacles for natural childbirth.

An oblique position of the fetus can also be observed: the child is obliquely in the woman's uterus. After the outpouring of the waters, he can turn straight. True, it is not known what will be below, the head or legs.

The low position of the fetus means that the baby turned head down, as it should, but too early: around the second trimester. This can cause a threatened abortion, but only if such an arrangement is accompanied by other symptoms, for example, such as:

• shortened cervix
• prolonged, painful uterine tone

This phenomenon occurs due to the anatomical features of the woman's pelvis. With timely action taken, the expectant mother has every chance to deliver a child who will appear on time and healthy.

How to determine the position of the child in the abdomen?

Of course, an experienced doctor is able to accurately find out how the baby is located in the woman's uterus. But many expectant mothers want to learn how to determine it themselves. In principle, there is nothing complicated in this procedure, and many women who have given birth during their next pregnancies can easily understand what position their baby is in.

If you have a stethoscope, then you can "listen" to your stomach and thus determine the position of the child. If the baby's heartbeat is best captured on the left side of the lower abdomen, then the baby is located correctly. If we are talking about breech presentation, then the place where the heart is heard more clearly will be located higher (at the level of the navel or above it).

How the birth will take place depends on the location of the fetus in the mother's tummy. If the child has a normal posture, then the woman may well give birth on her own. If the baby is not located as intended by Mother Nature, then a caesarean section is necessary. Among the characteristics of the posture are: the presentation of the fetus, its position and the type of position.

Let's try to figure out what these terms mean.

The fetus grows and develops in the uterus throughout pregnancy. From a tiny embryo, he gradually turns into a little man. In the first half of pregnancy, he can change his position quite often.

With the approach of childbirth, the activity of the fetus decreases, since it is already very difficult to change the position, because it grows, and there is less and less free space in the uterus.

After about 32 weeks, you can already find out the presentation of the fetus, that is, to determine which part of the child's body (head or buttocks) is located at the entrance to the small pelvis. Sometimes doctors talk about the position of the baby in the tummy before 32 weeks.

Some women in position are given this information at 20-28 weeks of pregnancy. However, it should not be taken seriously early dates, because the baby can change the position that is objectionable to him several times.

There are the following types of fetal presentation:

1. Pelvic (the pelvic end of the child lies at the entrance to the woman's small pelvis):

• buttock. The fetus is located in the uterus head up. The legs are extended along the body. The feet are practically at the head;
• foot presentation of the fetus. At the entrance to the small pelvis, one or both legs of the baby can be located;
• mixed (gluteal-leg). Buttocks and legs are presented to the entrance to the small pelvis of a pregnant woman.

2. Head (the head of the child lies at the entrance to the female pelvis):

• occipital. The back of the head, facing forward, is the first to be born;
• anterior parietal or anterior head. The head is the first to be born during childbirth. At the same time, it passes through the birth canal several big size than with occipital presentation of the fetus;
• frontal. For this species, it is characteristic that the forehead serves as a conducting point during expulsion;
• facial. This presentation is characterized by the birth of the head with the back of the head.

Types of breech presentation occur in 3-5% of women in position.

Head presentation is the most common (in 95-97% of pregnant women).

Fetal position: definition and types

Obstetricians-gynecologists call the ratio of the conditional line of the child, passing from the back of the head to the coccyx along the back, to the axis of the uterus - the position of the fetus. In the medical literature, it is classified as follows:

• longitudinal;
• oblique;
• transverse.

The pelvic or head presentation of the fetus in the longitudinal position is characterized by the fact that the axes of the uterus and fetus coincide. With an oblique variety, conditional lines intersect at an acute angle. If the doctor has established a pelvic or head presentation of the fetus, a transverse position, this means that the axis of the uterus intersects the axis of the fetus at a right angle.

Together with the presentation and position, obstetrician-gynecologists determine position type. This term refers to the relationship of the child's back to the uterine wall. If the back is facing forward, then this is called the anterior view of the position, and if backward, the posterior view (or posterior presentation of the fetus).

For example, the doctor may say that the baby is in the uterus in the occiput, longitudinal, anterior position. This means that the baby is in the uterus along its axis. Its back of the head is adjacent to the entrance to the small pelvis, and the back is turned to the front side of the uterus.

Anterior presentation of the fetus is most common. The second variety is less common. The rear view of the position, as a rule, becomes the cause of protracted labor.

Incorrect presentation of the fetus: their features, options for childbirth

Head presentation of the occipital type is the most common and correct position in which babies are born. All other types of presentation are incorrect.

Childbirth at various types considered pathological. During delivery, serious complications can occur (for example, hypoxia of the child, infringement and extension of his head, throwing back the handles). Most often, childbirth is carried out by caesarean section, especially if the baby is male. However, natural childbirth is not excluded.

The specific delivery option for mixed, foot, breech presentation of the fetus is chosen by the doctor depending on various factors.

Childbirth with extensor presentation of the fetus (anteroparietal, frontal, facial) rarely passes naturally. With the anterior parietal form, the tactics of delivery is expectant. C-section carried out when there is a threat to the health and life of mother and baby.

Self-delivery with frontal cephalic presentation is undesirable, since ruptures of the uterus and perineum, asphyxia and death of the child are possible.

With facial presentation, the fetus can be born both through natural childbirth and with the help of surgical intervention. The first option is chosen only if the female pelvis has normal dimensions, generic activity is active, and the size of the fetus is small.

Features of low presentation of the fetus

Very often, doctors diagnose pregnant women with a low presentation of the fetus, which implies the premature lowering of the baby's head into the pelvis.

Normally, this process occurs closer to childbirth, 1-4 weeks before them. However, in some pregnant women, due to certain anatomical features, this can happen much earlier.

Low presentation can be determined by the doctor during the examination by palpation of the uterus. The head is located quite low, and at the same time it is motionless or slightly mobile.

The pregnant woman herself can feel the consequences of lowering the baby's head - it will become easier for her to breathe, heartburn will decrease.

The low location of the fetus is a danger to him. The pregnancy may be terminated. To prevent this from happening, a woman should be much more attentive to herself. If a pregnant woman feels unwell due to the low location of the baby, then the specialist can recommend methods of treatment and preventive measures.

Incorrect positions of the fetus: their features, options for childbirth

Incorrect positions are such postures of the child in the mother's tummy, in which the longitudinal axis of the uterus does not coincide with the longitudinal axis of the fetus. They occur in 0.5-0.7% of cases. With women who give birth not for the first time, this happens most often.

Among existing species there are two incorrect positions of the fetus: oblique and transverse. The course of pregnancy with them is not characterized by any features. A woman may not suspect that her baby is not located in the tummy in the way that nature predetermined.

Incorrect positions and presentation of the fetus can be the cause premature birth. If health care will be absent, then serious complications will arise (early rupture of amniotic fluid, loss of fetal mobility, prolapse of a pen or leg, uterine rupture, death).

If a pregnant woman has an oblique position of the fetus, then she is laid on her side during childbirth in order to achieve a change in the position of the child (it can change to longitudinal or transverse), but this is not always possible. If the oblique position is preserved with the pelvic or cephalic presentation of the fetus, then delivery is carried out by surgery.

Causes of incorrect positioning of the child in the uterus

Many experts believe that the child takes a particular position in the uterus due to the influence of a number of reasons. The main ones are the active movements of the child and the reflex activity of the uterus, which does not depend on human efforts and desires.

Other causes of pure breech, lateral presentation of the fetus and any other malposition:

• multiple pregnancy;
• anomalies in the shape of the uterine cavity;
• constitutional features of a woman.

Diagnosis of the location of the fetus in the uterus

The question of how to determine the presentation of the fetus, its position and position is of interest to all pregnant women, because the course of childbirth depends on the location of the fetus in the uterus.

Medical workers a few years ago determined the location of the child in the uterus by external examination. The diagnoses were not always correct. Now it is not difficult to determine the location, since this can be done using ultrasound. The method is very effective, informative and safe for the expectant mother and fetus. With it, you can very accurately and quickly determine the presentation, position, type of position.

How to independently determine the presentation of the fetus?

How to independently determine the presentation of the fetus, and is it possible? This question worries many of the fair sex in position. This is mainly of interest to those who do not want to constantly run for ultrasound, because a child can change his position very often, especially when it comes to a gestational age of less than 32 weeks.

It is very interesting for every expectant mother to know how the baby is located in her stomach. This is important information for the course of childbirth. In this article we will tell you how to determine the position of the fetus on your own, without resorting to the help of doctors. It is best to do this after 30 weeks.

Where is the heart

Using a regular stethoscope, you need to "catch" the place where your baby's heartbeat is best heard (120-160 beats per minute). This will be the top of the baby's back. Start listening from the lower left segment of the abdomen - this is where the heartbeat is heard in most babies "stood in place."

Using this method, you can determine whether the baby has rolled over into a head presentation from the pelvic to childbirth. With cephalic presentation, the place where the heartbeat is best heard will be lower than with pelvic. Do it daily special exercises, in order for the fetus to turn over, and watch the change in this place.

Belly Mapping

Before determining the position of the fetus, it is necessary to analyze the nature and range of movements of the child, and then feel the baby, taking a comfortable position, lying or reclining. Based on these observations, you can draw up a so-called "belly map".

• In the place where the strongest shocks are felt, there will be legs.
• Where light movements of small amplitude are felt, there will most likely be handles.
• A bulging large area will be a booty.
• Where the stomach is more even and firm - the back.
• In the place where the fetal heartbeat is best heard - the upper back.

It is very important to know in which direction the baby's back is facing: towards the mother's back or towards the mother's belly? If he was lying “back to back” in the last months before the birth, then, most likely, he will be born from this position. In this case, childbirth will be more painful and prolonged, and there is a high probability that they will end in a caesarean section.

Therefore, if you do not find the back of the baby when probing the abdomen, you should try to “persuade” the baby to roll over. IN Lately women lead a sedentary lifestyle: mostly half-sitting and reclining. Compared to the arms and legs, the back is the heaviest part of the fetus, and under the force of gravity, she tends to turn down to her mother's back. This can be avoided if future mom will actively move and try to take positions more often in which gravity will pull the back of the baby to the mother's stomach.

Sometimes a woman cannot "feel" a child. This happens if there is a lot of amniotic fluid, if the placenta is attached to the front of the uterus, or if there is a fatty layer through which it is very difficult to feel something. Now you know how to determine the presentation of the fetus yourself.