Fetal Coordinates: Where is my Baby?
Often when we ask a pregnant woman, “Where is your baby”? They will often answer “Oh my baby is head up or my baby is head down”. When we ask “where exactly is your baby positioned” they will often answer “I don’t know, I feel a bit of movement here and there, I’m not really sure. It could be the hands on this side or maybe it’s the limbs”
The reason we ask this question and WHY it’s so important for the pregnant mother to know is that this is the equivalent of the GPS coordinates for where her baby is positioned (Fetal Coordinates) In the previous chapter you heard the letter LOT and LOA. Let’s now understand what this really means.
1) Where is the back of the babies head presenting. Is it the mothers left side or the mother’s right side?
L = Left R= Right D= Direct
2) In a head down baby, “O” represents Occiput. Occiput is the smallest diameter of the babies head. We want the chin to be tucked in order for the Occiput to be presenting and the smallest diameter of the babies head is presenting at the widest diameter of the pelvis. In a head down position “O” does not change. We are simply asking where is this baby presenting.
O = Occiput, S = Sacrum
3) Where is the back of the babies head presenting in relation to the mother’s pelvis. Front of the Pelvis is Anterior, back is posterior, sides is transverse.
A = Anterior, P=Posterior, T=Transverse
A question many people ask is WHY do I need to know fetal coordinates and how is it important for my labour and birth?
Whilst we cannot control what position your baby is going to prefer, we can however help to create more space within your pelvis to allow your baby to enter and rotate through a lot easier.