Sunny side up?

perfectlove09 · December 2012

I know that baby girl is head down, which is awesome, but at what point do they turn posterior and stay? Does it ever not happen until labor starts? She moves a lot and I can tell when she is face forward because I can feel distinct knees and toes. And when she is posterior facing I can defiantly feel her butt.
I've heard that babies born sunny side up are much more painful and causes a LOT of back labor. I plan to go med free so this really makes a difference lol
I'm just curious if anyone knows or has had experience. I know Spinning Babies has suggestions for actually turning the baby from breech but is there anything out there about flipping them around? Or does it even matter because it happens during labor?

dee12807 · December 2012

I'm wondering this as well. I, however, have no plans on going med free. But at my last appointment my doc made a comment about 'oh, you feel all those little parts.' I just laughed and said yes, but didn't really think about it until that night. I won't see the doc again until tomorrow at the hospital. Hope someone else on here has some better insight

magnoliablossom00 · December 2012

LO1 was sunny side up. Yes, it was VERY painful and I had KILLER back labor. It felt like a ball and chain were attached to my lower spine, and someone was swinging on it back and forth, if that makes sense.

My doc said SSU babies usually take longer to push out as well because they tend to get stuck in the pelvis. I pushed for 45 minutes, which they said was good for a FTM with a SSU baby.

For what it's worth, I had a natural birth with my SSU baby. (It wasn't planned, my epi failed). At times I felt like I was truly going to die (sorry, but trying to be honest). However, I got through it and felt like a warrior! Ha! All pain comes to an end, and I promise you can do it. You aren't the only mom who has had a natural SSU baby and I'm sure they will try to help you as much as possible. Don't beat yourself up about wanting pain meds though.

**Also, yes, they can try to flip the baby, but there really is no need for it unless the baby is transverse or breech. You can still push out a SSU baby and "flipping" the baby at this point can cause more harm than good. Babies can have their neck snapped, etc, during flipping and it's just not a risk I'd be willing to take for the sake of my own comfort. If I were you, I'd rather have the pain than risk my baby's health (even if it's a small risk, you'd never forgive yourself, kwim?).

rmaxim · December 2012

From what I heard in my childbirth classes, that movement is less likely to change the farther along you are (as baby starts to run out of room to move) but it can also change during labor. There are movements and exercises that are supposed to help encourage LO to turn around.

mama2many · December 2012

I've delivered one posterior and drug free, and it is more painful as they descend across your tailbone, but it's still manageable if you have a good support team. Most babies will naturally turn the way that they were designed to fit best - face down - during labor.

burgergirl13 · December 2012

All of my sisters kids were face up, they got all of them to turn by having her lay on on side for a half hour then the other side and kept that up till she delivered. they all ended up turning. She had horrible back labor with all three unfortunatly, till they turned anyways.

perfectlove09 · December 2012

Thank you all. It's encouraging to hear that others have delivered this way, and without drugs! I know it will hurt but I'm glad to hear its doable.
Here's to hoping she flips around and stays there! Lol I'm always telling her she has done an awesome job of getting head down and now the next step is to turn around and drop haha

mama2many · December 2012

perfectlove09:
Thank you all. It's encouraging to hear that others have delivered this way, and without drugs! I know it will hurt but I'm glad to hear its doable. Here's to hoping she flips around and stays there! Lol I'm always telling her she has done an awesome job of getting head down and now the next step is to turn around and drop haha

I would agree with the pp too, they CAN turn the baby to face down, but it has pretty significant risks - don't let them. Here's hoping she flips for you - if not let me tell you the amazing blessing of my OP baby.

since she was facing up, my midwife said, "Janelle, reach down and take her." I was able to get my hand behind her head as I pushed, then put my hands under her arms and lifted her right up to my chest. I was the very first person in the outside world to touch her - it still makes me teary sitting here typing it. She was in the perfect position to curl right up to me with no one else in my way - just me and my beautiful girl.

Treschic81 · December 2012

Spinning babies does have some suggestions on how to get the baby to turn face down. I disagree with those saying its dangerous. She's not talking about doing a version like from breech to vertex, she's talking about exercises to encourage the baby to get into optimal position. I also have a posterior baby and I've been doing what they suggest, like trying not to recline, doing pelvic rocks, and there's a position they suggest to do when lying down. None of these things are dangerous and they won't cause the baby to turn into a bad position if she happens to turn anterior and you don't know. all that being said, a lot of posterior babies will turn at the last min, like during labor, so don't worry too much!

robyn2201 · December 2012

When I went into labor with this last one she was Posterior. My doula had me labor on my hands and knees while leaning over the exercise ball. She just suggested staying upright and not laying down on my back while in labor. She said she had never had any of her clients babies not ending up moving to anterior before born. Sure enough DD2 rotated at some point. It did make for a more painful labor though.

Since you are still pregnant, I would suggest lots of pelvic rocks and then do the technique listed on the spinning babies website which I think is listed as an inversion. It's recommended even for non breach babies.

StefandTodd · December 2012

Hands and knees, or any position where the front of your belly is hanging down will encourage her to get into the correct position. So, try to do less reclining/laying back, and spend time laying across a birth/yoga ball, for example. Also, like PP said, pelvic rocking

Alex17 · December 2012

my first was SSU. I had an epidural, but before I got it contractions were pretty painful and I was only 4cm. Lol. I am hoping its because baby was SSU.

I pushed for about 40 minutes and delivered vaginally with no tearing.

magnoliablossom00 · December 2012

Treschic81:
Spinning babies does have some suggestions on how to get the baby to turn face down. I disagree with those saying its dangerous. She's not talking about doing a version like from breech to vertex, she's talking about exercises to encourage the baby to get into optimal position. I also have a posterior baby and I've been doing what they suggest, like trying not to recline, doing pelvic rocks, and there's a position they suggest to do when lying down. None of these things are dangerous and they won't cause the baby to turn into a bad position if she happens to turn anterior and you don't know. all that being said, a lot of posterior babies will turn at the last min, like during labor, so don't worry too much!

We are talking about two different activities. We are talking about doctors putting their hands on your stomach (and sometimes inside your vagina to grab the baby's head) and physically trying to move the baby, which can be incredibly dangerous. You are talking about exercises. Obviously, those would be safe.

Treschic81 · December 2012

magnoliablossom00:
Treschic81:
Spinning babies does have some suggestions on how to get the baby to turn face down. I disagree with those saying its dangerous. She's not talking about doing a version like from breech to vertex, she's talking about exercises to encourage the baby to get into optimal position. I also have a posterior baby and I've been doing what they suggest, like trying not to recline, doing pelvic rocks, and there's a position they suggest to do when lying down. None of these things are dangerous and they won't cause the baby to turn into a bad position if she happens to turn anterior and you don't know. all that being said, a lot of posterior babies will turn at the last min, like during labor, so don't worry too much!
We are talking about two different activities. We are talking about doctors putting their hands on your stomach (and sometimes inside your vagina to grab the baby's head) and physically trying to move the baby, which can be incredibly dangerous. You are talking about exercises. Obviously, those would be safe.

Right, but she never asked about manually flipping the baby, she asked about spinning babies, and things she can do...or at least, that's the impression I got

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