Trying to get pregnant or pregnant now have a thorough read :-)
An important post. On the photos you can see the uterus on the right side is less curved than the left side
This is why we encourage baby to be on the left with its back. This will encourage baby to tuck its chin to its chest have the smallest diameter of the head enter the pelvis.
When the back is the right the baby is more inclined to have a straighter back and thus the head positioned backwards which in return makes the head diameter much larger. This is common in back to back babies. Often long pain ful early labour usually with interventions leading to Cesarean Section for fetal distress or failure to progress (head not able to apply pressure on cervix to dilate)
The long early labor which is exhausting for mom baby and uterus is all to turn baby and help tuck their chin.
Why babies get into certain positions
Why labour might progress a certain way
Ok. So let's view the pelvis not as the boney pelvis we usually see. But as the pelvis that is connected with lots of ligaments, muscles, nerves, blood vessels, a pelvic floor etc. This is where your baby has to navigate its way through. There is also a natural process called mechamism of labor which has different stages such as engagement, descend, flexion, rotation etc.
The pelvis is made up of three bones: the two innominate bones and the sacrum.
The pelvis is also compromised of three joints: the two sacroiliac joints and the pubis symphysis.
There are also many pelvic ligaments to consider. Specifically for pregnancy and birth we focus on the Broad ligament and Round ligaments.
The Broad ligament is a broad fold of peritoneum supporting the uterus, extending from the uterus to the wall of the pelvis on either side.
The Round ligaments are two cord like ligaments that attach from the pubis mons (the left and right side of the pubic bone) to the top of the uterus. They are responsible for stabilizing the uterus in a slight forward tipping position. Most women at some point experience a sharp pain caused by the round ligament as it works to stabilize the uterus when transitioning from sitting to standing or rolling over in bed
The Broad ligament holds the uterus in alignment from the back, since it attaches to the sacrum, and the Round ligaments stabilize the front of the uterus. It is easy to see that if these ligaments are overly tight or twiste the uterine alignment could be affected.
We also have the psoas muscle, the only muscle in the body that connects the upperbody with the lower body.
From a physical standpoint, the psoas is responsible for stabilizing the base of the spine. When the muscle is tight or injured, we experience low back pain, sciatica, disc problems, hip degeneration, knee, and pelvic pain.
During pregnancy, the tone of the psoas can effect the decent of the baby and even fetal position. Maintaining a healthy psoas eliminates low back pain and leg pains, opens and centers the pelvis and hips
From a mind/body standpoint, the psoas is the major muscle which is activated during the fight or flight response, when we respond to stimuli with primitive, primal survival instincts. When you experience stress, fear or feel somewhat unsafe this muscle will react accordingly.
It is really important to have the pelvic bones, joints and ligaments aligned since it brings balance to the uterus. This helps your baby adjust itself into an optimal birthing position with the chin tucked in the chest, leaving the smallest part of the head descending first into the pelvis and able to apply a good pressure on the cervix to dilate. This balance can be off if the ligaments that are holding the uterus in place in the pelvis are asymmetric or the pelvic bones are misaligned, leaving the pelvis and uterus unbalanced. This imbalance could affect the baby’s ability to move into an optimal fetal position or REPOSITION and can narrow the birth canal. Baby can only take a position in the space available. Often prolonged braxton hicks is a sign from baby to you trying to communicate some help could be offered.
Below are all the head down positions your baby can be in.
Much of the time, when a woman is experiencing pelvic, back/neck and or knee pain, it is because either the pelvic joints, bones or ligaments are out of alignment.
Bad posture for mom equals bad position for baby! Even though slouching down on the sofa or reclining in the bath sounds like a great idea at the end of a busy day, it is not particularly helpful for your baby or you.
Conscious or unconscious slumping in your daily posture adds to imbalance in the pelvis. Leaning on 1 leg, carrying a child on hip, sitting with legs crossed, sitting with knees higher than the hips all this weakens some muscles and will over tighten others. Posture in general is important even more so when pregnant. This can lead to asynclintism in the baby due to an imbalance of the pelvis.
I will post simple exercises or techniques to use in pregnancy and labor.
A few new habits and ideas you can integrate into your daily life. Most of these exercises can be done while work, at the toilet, at the park and even in bed.A few minutes through out the day that will increase a positive outcome and can make the labor process and birth of your baby quicker and more efficient.