Baby Positions Flashcards
Vertex
- Baby is head down in womb
- head is in pelvis and butt is by ribs
Breech
- Baby is head up womb
- Head is by ribs and butt is in pelvis
Complete breech
- Baby’s butt is down and legs are crossed over each other
Frank breech
- Baby’s butt is down and legs are fully extended and feet are up beside baby’s face
Footling breech
- Baby has one or both feet down
- During birth, feet would come through cervix and birth canal first
Incomplete breech
- Baby may be in combination of other breech positions
- Likely that one foot or leg would come first down birth canal
Transverse position
- Baby is lying side-to-side in womb, with head to either right or left and butt on opposite side
- In some countries called lateral position
Transverse position ROL
- Right occiput lateral
- Baby is lying sideways with head to mom’s right side
Anterior
- Baby is facing spine with back angled more towards belly button
Posterior
- Baby facing belly button with back angled more towards spine
Occiput
- Back of baby’s head
- Position of back of baby’s head is used to note position
- Denominator
Sacrum
- Bony plate at the back of pelvis
- Used to determine position
- Denominator
ROA
- Right occiput anterior
- Baby’s back is angled facing to right of belly button
ROP
- Right Occiput Posterior
- Baby’s back is angled facing to right of spine
LOP
- Left Occiput Posterior
- Baby’s back is angled facing to left of spine
LOA
- Left Occiput Anterior
- Baby’s back is angled facing left of belly button
- Optimal position
ROT/LOT
- Baby’s back is facing directly to right side or facing directly to left side, respectively
- LOT is optimal position
OP
- Baby’s back is directly to mom’s back, in front of spine
OA
- Baby’s back is directly to the front, just behind belly button
- Optimal position
Station
- Where baby’s head (or butt for breeched baby) is in pelvis
- lower number means baby is higher in pelvis
- Baby’s head drops lower into pelvis and through deep pelvis during birth
Engaged
- Baby’s head that’s moved deep down into pelvis
- First time babies usually engage couple of weeks before labor
- Subsequent babies often don’t engage until labor
- Sometimes called lightening
-3 Station
- baby is still high and floating within pelvic brim (hip bones)
-2 Station
- baby has dropped down into narrower “true pelvis”
-1 Station
- baby is moving deeper into pelvis
0 Station
- baby’s head is at level of ischial spines, bony points deep inside mom’s pelvis
- baby is fully engaged at 0 station
+1 Station
- baby is starting to move out of pelvis
+2 Station
- baby nearly through pelvis
+3 Station
- baby’s head is moving past “sit bones” and out of bony pelvis
+4 or +5 Station
- used to indicate baby’s head is moving through birth canal to perineum for birth
Flexion
- baby’s head is tucked into chest
- ideal for babies in any and all positions
Extension
- baby’s head is tilted up as if baby is sniffing at something or looking up at the sky (full extension)
Military attitude
- Baby is looking straight ahead; no tucked chin or extended neck
Birth ball
- Helps align pelvis well
- Keeps belly tilted slightly forward, which makes it into “hammock” for baby
- Can rotate hips in circles to encourage baby down pelvis
Miles circuit
- One knee chest position
- Exaggerated SIMS
- Get up and get moving
