As your baby is growing bigger, there’s not much space for the baby to easily turn and wiggle. Sometimes, the baby might get into the posterior position which is also called “face-up” or “sunny-side-up” as your due date nears.👶
The posterior position
🤰What does it mean to be in the posterior position?
A baby👶 that is facing head down, but their face is positioned toward your abdomen instead of your back is said to be in the posterior position. This is typically called occiput posterior (OP) position.
🤰How common is the posterior position?
Depending on how close you are to delivery, your baby can change position during labor even more than once.😃 Although many babies are posterior when labor starts, only a few of them are posterior at birth.
🤰How to detect your baby’s position?
When the cervix is completely dilated, your caregiver can manually put her hands✋ into your vagina to check your baby’s head and gently rotate it to the right position. An ultrasound can be done routinely to confirm the position.🩺
Risk factors for posterior position
You’re more likely to have your baby posterior if this is your first baby, you’re over 35 years old, your placenta is attached to the front of your uterus, or you’re obese.😔 If you’ve had a previous OP delivery, or your pregnancy is overdue, or your baby is quite chubby more than 4000 grams, your baby is also likely in the OP position at delivery.😟
How the posterior position affects the mother
If your baby is posterior, you are more likely to have a prolonged delivery with severe back pain. You might need oxytocin to augment contractions and an epidural to ease some of the pain during delivery.🤰 You are more subjected to an assisted vaginal delivery or C-section, also episiotomy, severe perineal tears, and postpartum hemorrhage than moms whose babies are in the favorable anterior position.☹️
How the posterior position affects the baby
The posterior position at birth is associated with some complications such as lower five-minute Apgar scores and a longer stay in the hospital.🏥Your baby might be admitted to the intensive care unit to be looked after and observed for more days.📅