What does it mean when a baby is face presentation?

Face presentation. A face presentation occurs when the face is the presenting part of the baby. In this position, the baby’s neck is deflexed (extended backward) so that the back of the head touches the baby’s back. This prevents head engagement and descent of the baby through the birth canal.

Which presentation is good in pregnancy?

Ideally for labor, the baby is positioned head-down, facing your back, with the chin tucked to its chest and the back of the head ready to enter the pelvis. This is called cephalic presentation. Most babies settle into this position with the 32nd and 36th week of pregnancy.

What does op mean in pregnancy?

Occiput Posterior (OP) If a baby is in this position, sometimes it will rotate around during labor so that the head stays down and the body faces the mother’s back (OA position). The mother can walk, rock, and try different delivery positions during labor to help encourage the baby to turn.

How do I know if my baby has an OA or OP?

Another sign of the OP position is a dip around your belly button instead of it poking out. If your baby is head down and facing your back (OA position), you’ll probably feel kicks under your ribs. You’ll also be able to feel the hard, rounded surface of your baby’s back, which will be on one side of your belly.

Can you deliver a baby with face presentation?

Face presentation is a rare obstetric event and most practitioners will go through their carriers without ever meeting one. Face presentation can be delivered vaginally only if the foetus is in the mentum anterior position. More than half of the cases of face presentation are delivered by caesarean section.

What causes face presentation?

Causative factors associated with a face presentation are similar to those leading to general malpresentation and those that prevent head flexion or favor extension. Possible etiology includes multiple gestations, grand multiparity, fetal malformations, prematurity, and cephalopelvic disproportion.

What is an op delivery?

If your baby is in the posterior position, you may be in for a more complicated delivery. The technical term is occiput posterior (OP) position. This term refers to the fact that the back of your baby’s skull (the occipital bone) is in the back (or posterior) of your pelvis.

How can I prevent op pregnancy?

How to Prevent a Posterior Labor

1. Avoid all reclining positions.
2. Keep knees below your pelvis at all times, back straight.
3. Keep active, walk as much as possible.

Is posterior birth more painful?

No. Back labor – the intense lower back pain that many women feel during labor – was long thought to be more likely when the baby is facing up. But research using ultrasound (much more accurate than a clinical exam, especially in the first stage of labor) suggests that this assumption is probably wrong.

What happens if a baby is face up during delivery?

Mothers whose babies are face-up at birth: Tend to push longer. More commonly need Pitocin to stimulate contractions. Have a significantly higher risk of having an assisted vaginal delivery or c-section.