How to encourage your baby into an optimal position for birth

‘Optimal foetal positioning’ refers to ways a mum-to-be can encourage her baby to adopt the best position in the last few weeks of pregnancy for an easier labour & birth. This ‘optimal position’ is when baby lies with their head down in alignment with the pelvis, and their spine against their mum’s belly, anywhere between mum’s left hip and belly button. Other ‘less optimal’ positions include when baby is lying to the right-hand side of mum’s belly, ‘back-to-back’ (which can lead to a more uncomfortable labour), or presenting with their bottom, knees or feet first (breech).

Although it is worth remembering that your baby is active in the birth process and will work hard to get themselves in the best position ahead of birth and during the birth process, there are things you can do throughout pregnancy and in the final weeks leading up to your baby’s birth to help your baby get - and stay - in that best position for birth.

The most helpful and effective thing you can do throughout your pregnancy is to keep gently moving your body. This will help keep your body as tension-free as possible, meaning it’s easier for your baby to move and align themselves in the optimum way with the first opening of your pelvis. Practicing gentle pregnancy yoga right up till birth is a great - and enjoyable! - way to keep your body moving, stay comfortable and make space for baby.

As your progress in your pregnancy, and especially as you enter the later stages, you want to encourage your baby to lie with their back in the ‘front hammock’ of your belly, when you are moving, but also when you are resting and sleeping.

Below are my 3 favourite movements & poses to to just that:

1 - ‘Scrub the floor’ stretch

From an all fours positions, slide one arm forward along the floor, letting your chest release down, and sending your sit-bones towards the back of the room. This stretch encourages baby forward, makes more space in the chest and gentle stretches the ligaments of the pelvis as well as the perineum. Stay for a few breaths then change sides. You can also flow the arm up towards the ceiling into a gentle open twist and flow back down to the floor in front of you.

2 - Hula Hoop stretch

Another good stretch to release tension in the torso and hips, and encourage baby to move away from your spine and into the belly.
From an all fours positions, imagine there is a hula hoop around your torso/waist, then in turns round and release your torso as if you wanted to make the hoop go around. Keep the elbows and hips soft and move slowly with the breath. Then hula in the other direction.

3 - Sit, kneel and rest leaning forward

To best encourage your baby to lie with their spine towards the front of your belly, the best thing you can do is to spend as much of your time leaning forward at a 30 or 45 degree angle, with hips slightly higher than your knees if sitting. If kneeling, take the knees as apart as you need to make space for your bump. Rest your chest against a chair, or your birthing ball. This is also a very comfortable position to release lower back pain.

What is my baby is lying transverse or breech?

It is worth remembering that generally speaking, until 36 weeks for a first baby and 38 for a second or more, there is still plenty of room and amniotic fluid for the baby to change positions and there should be no cause for alarm if the baby is in a breech position at some point before then. The movements & advice above will all help. By the time labour begins, about 96 per cent of babies are in a head-down position.

If you are past that stage, there are some specific movements and positions you can try to actively encourage baby to come head down, and movements or poses to avoid them engaging in that less optimal position. This will be the topic of another post so sign up to the newsletter (if you haven’t already) if you’d like to get notified. If you’re approaching birth and need support more urgently, don’t hesitate to get in touch.