July 2015 Moms

Internal check for position of baby

Hi all,

FTM here and I had an ultrasound at 32 weeks to check the location of placenta (was low during 20 week ultrasound) but the doc said all is good and she was head down. Granted I'm no expert, but I have never been convinced she is was head down. I have been carrying very low from the start but have 2 definite lumps parallel to each other and I feel like she is sideways. At my appointment today (34 weeks) my doc tried to feel for her position and is very confused by the 2 lumps but still thinks she is head down...so she said she is going to do an internal check next time.

Has Anyone ever had an internal check? What is it like? Painful? I'm in visioning her just sticking her whole hand up there...

Re: Internal check for position of baby

  • I have not had an internal check. However you might want to Google belly mapping. The one lump is the head and the other lump is more than likely the baby's bottom
  • mnj05mnj05 member
    Internal checks for me aren't painful, just uncomfortable at times. It's no worse than a pap in my opinion.

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  • ^ What she said... Just curious if your baby could be in a posterior position (with back to your back). I feel two lumps on the top and thought she was still transverse, which is how she was much of my pregnancy. When my midwife checked her position she said baby was head down and posterior, so I guess I'm feeling legs or knees.
  • Thanks ladies! I don't think belly mappig would help as that is what my doctor did and came up short because she does think she feels the head down low but at the same time can't make sense of the rest of my belly.

    That's a good point that she may be posterior..my doc said babies don't really decide that until labor and a a lot of times they switch during labor.

    Thanks for the info ladies!!
  • Vaginal exams are done with their 2 fingers to feel the "presenting part". Can still be tricky if baby is high, but that plus an ultrasound to confirm perhaps should be reliable.
  • An internal is with two fingers, but you certainly can decline if you'd like. (This is what I do, as I don't find progress checks helpful.) For DS1 we used an OB who did not palpitate externally to figure out position, so we did an ultrasound (including on a portable machine in labor). I would say that most mainstream OBs are actually not versed in belly mapping, so you certainly could still look into it.

    With my two midwife pregnancies, she was able to tell from palpitation. Plus, the strongest heartbeat location on doppler tends to be closer to the head and the head lump is wobblier that the bum lump. With an OP baby, there are multiple nubs (the limbs) rather than the big curve of the bum. Since this is my third, I am now pretty well-versed in feeling from palpitation as well. 
  • Does your baby every get the hiccups? If you feel it lower down than the baby is likely head down. I get two bumps as well even though she is head down. Her bum sticks out on my right side and her feet create another lump towards the middle/left side of my belly.
  • mers90mers90 member
    BerlyTown said:

    Does your baby every get the hiccups? If you feel it lower down than the baby is likely head down. I get two bumps as well even though she is head down. Her bum sticks out on my right side and her feet create another lump towards the middle/left side of my belly.

    Came here to say this! This is exactly how my little girl is!
  • Same thing is happening to me. The midwife wasn't able to tell the baby's position at my last visit but noticed hiccups when using the Doppler. Now that I realize that what I've been feeling is baby's hiccups (almost daily) it's become apparent that his/her head is down although I when baby is moving a lot at night I definitely feel bumps on either side (legs and bum I guessed too). Ultrasound is scheduled anyhow just to confirm I suppose.
  • Maybe it's more than 1...but it's hidden behind the other...lol..u never know!! JK..hope all goes well..just wanted to make u laugh..don't worry everything will be fine!!
  • Most reliable check for baby's position is by ultrasound. Babies move and flip around all the way up until labor. I am an L&D RN and if there is any question regarding if baby is vertex, we do a quick ultrasound upon admission to confirm.
  • Most reliable check for baby's position is by ultrasound. Babies move and flip around all the way up until labor. I am an L&D RN and if there is any question regarding if baby is vertex, we do a quick ultrasound upon admission to confirm.

    It may be the most reliable but not all offices have ultrasound in the clinic, so palpation or internal may be faster and cheaper

    I just had an internal exam today and the midwife could clearly feel the baby's head
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