quick clicks

pregnancy today articles

pregnancy today q&a

message boards

research baby names

prepare a birth plan

content channels

ip channel rss feeds

read birth stories

read parenting stories

recommended books

e-newsletters

safety recalls

ip diaries

ip store

mom of the month

dad of the month

editor's letter

letters to the editor

Birth Presentations and Delivery

A Guide for Baby's Arrival

By Carma Haley Shoemaker

Shoulder presentations are rare – less than one out of every 1,000 births – and require Cesarean section or repositioning before delivery can continue. "Shoulder births do not happen very often and when they do, most babies end up being delivered via C-section," Dr. Michael says. "There are very few doctors who will allow a shoulder presentation to go on naturally or who will attempt to reposition a shoulder presentation."

The "flexion attitude" component of birth presentation refers to the position of the baby's head during delivery. The normal position of the baby's head should be in a chin-to-chest position, with the baby's face slightly downward as if attempting to touch the chin to the chest. When the head is at an angle as though the baby is looking up and the head is hyper-extended, it is called a "face presentation," because the baby's face will present itself before the rest of the head. A brow presentation occurs when the baby's head is in a position that is between a face presentation and a cephalic presentation. The brow presentation is also called the "military" presentation, as the baby appears to be imitating military personnel, standing at attention.

"The abnormality of the flexion attitude, or when the head is not flexed properly, is very rare – about one in every 500 births," Dr. Michael says. "If someone has a baby in a malpresentation position due to flexion attitude, the decision of the delivery will be left to the doctor. If the doctor feels that the baby is not too big and the pelvis is adequate, the woman can possibly have a vaginal delivery, although the risk for a C-section increases but will depend upon the view of the doctor."

Want to see more?

• Check out our Article Library.
• Bottoms Up: Dealing with Breech Babies
• Sometimes Labor Can Be a Pain in the Hip: A Certified Doula Explains Hip Pain and Positioning of the Baby
• Routine Labor Care: A Certified Doula Explains the Basic Components of Maternity Care
• Talk about it!