How to Tell the Fetal Position of Your Baby

My biggest fear involves having a breech baby. I don't want a C-Section in the least bit; I don't even want an IV or pain meds! I am praying and hoping for a 100% natural birth. I do understand that things do not always happen the way you want them too and that baby will come however he or she wants! I was reading last night on fetal positions in the womb and I got immediately sucked in!

It's a great idea to learn your baby's fetal position in order to prepare for birth because if your baby happens to be breech, there are a few options that may help ahead of time. Midwives use certain techniques to distinguish placement of certain body parts. 

 If you are one of those moms who are great at distinguishing which body part is what, then I envy you because I have no idea! For those of you who are clueless as I am, here are some ways to tell your baby's fetal position inside the womb:

*If you feel kicks directly under your ribs and can feel baby's back on your tummy (should feel round, hard, and smooth), baby is in an anterior position.

*If you feel kicks at the front of your tummy and your belly is more squishy and concave with no hard spots, baby is in a posterior position. 

You can also tell position based on the hiccups!

*Hiccups higher in the belly indicate a breech baby. 

*Hiccups lower in the belly suggests a head down baby.

Another way you can figure the position of your baby is to feel for a large hard ball or lump at the top of the belly.

*If the lump moves easily out of place, it's the head. The lump should also feel hard and round. 

*If the lump moves with the whole body, it's the buttocks and your baby is head down. The lump should feel round but slightly squishier than the head. 

Here is an awesome PDF shows step by step on how to determine your baby's position. This is the method that most midwives use! 

A little belly mapping humor for you. Belly mapping is a technique that midwives often use to figure out where and how baby is laying in the womb.