Fetal presentation earlier than delivery
The best way a child is positioned within the uterus simply earlier than delivery can have a giant impact on labor and supply. This positioning known as fetal presentation.
Infants twist, stretch and tumble fairly a bit throughout being pregnant. Earlier than labor begins, nevertheless, they often come to relaxation in a method that permits them to be delivered by the delivery canal headfirst. This place known as cephalic presentation. However there are different methods a child might settle simply earlier than labor begins.
Following are among the attainable methods a child could also be positioned on the finish of being pregnant.
Head down, face down
When a child is head down, face down, the medical time period for it’s the cephalic occiput anterior place. This the commonest place for a child to be born in. With the face down and turned barely to the facet, the smallest a part of the infant’s head leads the way in which by the delivery canal. It’s the easiest method for a child to be born.
Head down, face up
When a child is head down, face up, the medical time period for it’s the cephalic occiput posterior place. On this place, it may be more durable for a child’s head to go beneath the pubic bone throughout supply. That may make labor take longer.
Most infants who start labor on this place ultimately flip to be face down. If that does not occur, and the second stage of labor is taking a very long time, a member of the well being care staff might attain by the vagina to assist the infant flip. That is known as handbook rotation.
In some instances, a child could be born within the head-down, face-up place. Use of forceps or a vacuum system to assist with supply is extra widespread when a child is on this place than within the head-down, face-down place. In some instances, a C-section supply could also be wanted.
Frank breech
When a child’s ft or buttocks are in place to come back out first throughout delivery, it is known as a breech presentation. This occurs in about 3% to 4% of infants near the time of delivery. The infant proven under is in a frank breech presentation. That is when the knees aren’t bent, and the ft are near the infant’s head. That is the commonest kind of breech presentation.
If you’re greater than 36 weeks into your being pregnant and your child is in a frank breech presentation, your well being care skilled might attempt to transfer the infant right into a head-down place. That is achieved utilizing a process known as exterior cephalic model. It entails one or two members of the well being care staff placing strain in your stomach with their fingers to get the infant to roll right into a head-down place.
If the process is not profitable, or if the infant strikes again right into a breech place, speak with a member of your well being care staff concerning the selections you might have for supply. Most infants in a frank breech place are born by deliberate C-section.
Full and incomplete breech
A whole breech presentation, as proven under, is when the infant has each knees bent and each legs pulled near the physique. In an incomplete breech, one or each of the legs aren’t pulled near the physique, and one or each of the ft or knees are under the infant’s buttocks. If a child is in both of those positions, you may really feel kicking within the decrease a part of your stomach.
If you’re greater than 36 weeks into your being pregnant and your child is in a whole or incomplete breech presentation, your well being care skilled might attempt to transfer the infant right into a head-down place. That is achieved utilizing a process known as exterior cephalic model. It entails one or two members of the well being care staff placing strain in your stomach with their fingers to get the infant to roll right into a head-down place.
If the process is not profitable, or if the infant strikes again right into a breech place, speak with a member of your well being care staff concerning the selections you might have for supply. Many infants in a whole or incomplete breech place are born by deliberate C-section.
Sideways
When a child is sideways — mendacity horizontal throughout the uterus, somewhat than vertical — it is known as a transverse lie. On this place, the infant’s again may be:
Down, with the again dealing with the delivery canal.
Sideways, with one shoulder pointing towards the delivery canal.
Up, with the fingers and ft dealing with the delivery canal.
Though many infants are sideways early in being pregnant, few keep this manner when labor begins.
In case your child is in a transverse lie throughout week 37 of your being pregnant, your well being care skilled might attempt to transfer the infant right into a head-down place. That is achieved utilizing a process known as exterior cephalic model. Exterior cephalic model entails one or two members of your well being care staff placing strain in your stomach with their fingers to get the infant to roll right into a head-down place.
If the process is not profitable, or if the infant strikes again right into a transverse lie, speak with a member of your well being care staff concerning the selections you might have for supply. Many infants who’re in a transverse lie are born by C-section.
Twins
In case you’re pregnant with twins and solely the dual that is decrease within the uterus is head down,as proven under, your well being care supplier might first ship that child vaginally.
Then, in some instances, your well being care staff might recommend delivering the second twin within the breech place. Or they could attempt to transfer the second twin right into a head-down place. That is achieved utilizing a process known as exterior cephalic model. Exterior cephalic model entails one or two members of the well being care staff placing strain in your stomach with their fingers to get the infant to roll right into a head-down place.
Your well being care staff might recommend supply by C-section for the second twin if:
An try to ship the infant within the breech place shouldn’t be profitable.
You do not need to attempt to have the infant delivered vaginally within the breech place.
An try to maneuver the infant right into a head-down place shouldn’t be profitable.
You do not need to attempt to transfer the infant to a head-down place.
In some instances, your well being care staff might advise that you’ve got each twins delivered by C-section. That may occur if the decrease twin shouldn’t be head down, the second twin has low or excessive delivery weight as in comparison with the primary twin, or if preterm labor begins.