Expert / 1 April, 2019 / My Baba

Five Different Baby Positions in The Womb & What They Mean

The position of your baby in the womb becomes more important during the third trimester of your pregnancy. The experts at Window to The Womb  give us the low-down of each possible position, and what it might mean for birth. The most important thing to remember is not to worry – most babies turn during labour and your midwife will be able to tell you how your baby is positioned and what it means for you.

How will they see if my baby is in a breech position?

When you’re coming up to your due date (a few weeks beforehand), your midwife or doctor may examine the lower abdomen to locate your baby’s head, bottom and back. They may also confirm baby’s position in an ultrasound.

What are the types of baby positions? 

Frank Breech: The most common. Baby has its legs up next to its abdomen with knees straight and feet tickling its ears!

Complete Breech: Baby appears to be sitting cross-legged with its legs bent at the hips and knees.

Footling Breech: This presentation is more often seen when baby is premature, that is less than 37 weeks. Baby has one or both feet presenting first. Baby seems to be sitting above the top of the pelvis and dipping its feet into the pelvis!

Vertex Presentation: This is the most ideal presentation for birth and is the most common. The baby’s head enters the pelvis first, this is a cephalic (head) presentation. Where the occiput (the back and lower part of the skull) is the leading part, and the part of the head that enters the world first. This is known as a vertex presentation.

Transverse Presentation: A transverse presentation means baby is lying sideways across, rather than in a head down or breech position. This is very common in the 2^nd trimester but most baby’s move into the cephalic or breech during the 3^rd trimester.

Key facts

• At 24-26 weeks most babies are moving around with lots of changes in position, but most lie in the transverse.
• At 28-32 weeks about 25% are in a breech position, at 34 weeks that number is only 10% and at 37-40 weeks only 3-5% are still breech.
• The most common and the best presentation for a vaginal birth is the vertex (head first).
• Doctors will discuss a breech presentation with you and your family. You will the decide together on whether to try and spin the baby round when the delivery comes. These decisions will be based on the type of breech presentation.

Your concerns

If you are feeling any concerns about your baby’s position and presentation, please ask your GP or midwife – they’d be happy to answer your questions. You can also ask our sonographers if you’re coming for a private scan with us. We always begin with a well-being check & will confirm your baby’s current position.

Article by Window to The Womb