What is the presentation of the fetus during pregnancy?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Pregnancy is certainly not a disease. But the worries and worries of women in an interesting position are significantly increased. It's not just about hormonal changes and weight gain. The expectant mother constantly worries about the condition and he alth of the child she carries under her heart. Unfortunately, not all doctors in antenatal clinics or medical centers where pregnant women are observed find the time and the right words to answer all their patients' questions, support and reassure them. Therefore, many impressionable ladies, having first heard from the gynecologist at the next examination about the incorrect position of the fetus, begin to get very worried and upset. And this is categorically not recommended.

How should the child be located inside the mother before birth, and is the deviation from the norm so scary?

A bit of terminology

In gynecology, two concepts are used, which should be distinguished from each otherfriend:

1. Position is the location of the baby's body in relation to the axis of the woman's uterus. It can be longitudinal, oblique or transverse. If the gestation period does not exceed 30 weeks, you should not worry about the position that the baby has taken, as he may turn over more than once.
2. Previa, speaking of which, doctors mean the part of the child's body that is closest to the woman's small pelvis.

Standing on your head or sitting on your bottom

There are 2 main presentation options:

1. Head.



Depending on exactly how the child's head is located, it can be occipital (more than 95% of all cases), frontal, facial, prehead.

2. Pelvic.



Divided into leg and buttock.

Previa is given special attention as the gestational age approaches 30 weeks. Until this time, the child can repeatedly change its location in the uterine cavity. The choice of the method of delivery by the doctor largely depends on the presentation.

What is considered normal

Being in the uterus of a woman, the child must assume a longitudinal position. This is exactly what happens 99.5% of the time. So the vast majority of pregnant women need not worry.

The ideal option is when the baby is in the head presentation. This is how 95-97% of all children are located at a gestational age of more than 32 weeks. Scientists with scientific titles and practicing physicians-gynecologists have long argued whether the breech presentation of the fetus should be considered a pathological condition or whether it can be considered as a variant of the physiological norm. The debate continues to this day. Therefore, such cases are often called borderline, which is quite justified.

So, normally, the child by the day of birth occupies a longitudinal position and is in the head (occipital) presentation. But this is not always the case.

Imperfect pregnancy

Sometimes the baby is placed in the mother's stomach in a completely different way than nature intended. The most undesirable and problematic situation in which mandatory medical care is required is the transverse one.

Fetal presentation, although not considered a critical indicator, is also important. From the third trimester of pregnancy, the doctor at each examination will determine exactly how the baby is located in the uterus. Particular attention is paid to patients whose baby is in a breech presentation.

Despite the fact that this position of the child is not the norm, it is not so rare. There is nothing unique or extraordinary about it. It's not worth it to worry and wind yourself up because of this. There are no perfect pregnancies.

But no matter how the doctors reassure their patients, many suspicious young ladies begin to review dozens of sites on the Internet, trying to find out the reasons for what happened and drawing in their imagination not the most joyful pictures of future events, which further shatter their nervous system.

Whythe child "sits" on the pope

If the gynecologist cannot accurately answer the patient's question why her baby is head up and not down, this does not mean that he is hiding some terrible truth from her. The thing is, no one knows. Among the reasons contributing to this development of events, the following can be identified:

• physiological (e.g. narrow pelvis, uterine anomalies);
• features of the course of pregnancy (placenta previa, polyhydramnios or, conversely, oligohydramnios, etc.);
• women's diseases (uterine fibroids, etc.).

But even the he althiest woman is not immune from the fact that her child will not "sit down" on the ass. Cases where the causes of breech presentation of the fetus during pregnancy remain unexplained account for more than 50%. Therefore, it is better for the expectant mother to think not about why this happened, but about what should be done about it.

Help the baby roll over

In case of malpresentation diagnosed before 28 weeks of gestation, one should adhere to expectant tactics, that is, do nothing. Let nature do its thing. For most women, the baby turns head down on its own closer to childbirth.

If after 30 weeks the breech presentation of the fetus has not changed to the head presentation, you can try to perform special exercises. The simplest of them are the following:

1. It is necessary to lie on the couch and roll over from the left side to the right with an interval of 7-12 minutes. It should be done at least 3-4 times. If, after regular classes, the child rolls over, a bandage should be worn. This will prevent reverse rotation.
2. Lie on the floor, pull your legs bent at the knees and raise your pelvis by 30-40 centimeters. In this position, you need to linger for 40-60 seconds. Repeat several times.



3. Take a stable position, leaning on your knees and hands. Gently pull back one or the other leg.



4. Some doctors advise their patients to go swimming. Of course, we are not talking about setting world records.

It must be remembered that each exercise has contraindications for implementation. Before starting classes, a woman should consult with a gynecologist who monitors the development of her pregnancy.

Outward turn

Unfortunately, even the most effective set of exercises recommended by the luminary of medical science does not always help. As your pregnancy approaches 35-36 weeks, your doctor may advise you to do an external rotation. This procedure has been used since the end of the century before last and is used in many countries. During its execution, the obstetrician turns the baby with his hands through the outer wall of the uterus so that he takes the head presentation.

Only a highly qualified specialist in a hospital can perform such manipulations. Before the procedure, the woman must undergo all necessary examinations, including ultrasound.

Exercise outdoorturning is not an absolutely safe event. Although the risk of complications does not exceed 1-2%, every woman should be warned about it.

If everything goes well, the baby will turn head down and wait for the cherished hour of birth.

Under medical supervision

The doctor's decision on the timing of a woman's hospitalization largely depends on the presentation of the fetus. If all tests are normal, the baby is head down, then a pregnant woman can go to the perinatal center a few days before the date of birth indicated by the gynecologist or with the onset of regular contractions.

In cases of breech presentation, a woman is advised to be under the supervision of doctors before giving birth. If the expectant mother feels well, nothing threatens the child's he alth, then the referral to the maternity hospital is issued at 38-39 weeks of pregnancy.

Terms of hospitalization are set for each woman individually and depend on many nuances. It is worth trusting the professionalism of a doctor.

Fetal presentation and delivery

Sooner or later, any pregnancy is waiting for its logical conclusion. For some this path was easy and pleasant, for others it was difficult and exciting. The last stage is left before the long-awaited meeting with the baby - childbirth.

With cephalic presentation of the fetus, a he althy woman is likely to have natural (they are also called physiological or normal) births. Modern clinics and perinatal centers offer their patients a wide range of services.with which stands in advance. For example, a woman can choose a traditional or vertical birth, decide whether she wants to be in the ward alone or with one of her relatives. Your wishes must first be agreed with the doctor.

With regard to breech presentation, in 70-90% of cases, childbirth is carried out using a special operation called a caesarean section. Of course, with any surgical intervention there is a risk of complications. But if the doctor insists on an operation, you should not be afraid. Delivery by caesarean section is quite common, and the use of modern medical technologies can minimize the likelihood of complications.

Whatever the presentation of the fetus during pregnancy, after childbirth all fears and worries will be forgotten, and the mother will press her child to her breast for the first time. Now the attention of the woman will be completely devoted to the baby. After all, the most exciting and interesting is just beginning.