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

"I wasn't aware of my daughter's malpresentation until right at delivery," says Kyle Looby, a homemaker and writer from Springfield, Ill. It was as she was crowning that the doctor slowed everything down and told me she was face-up – a face presentation. The doctor then told me to pant while he tried to turn her manually. Her malpresentation slowed down delivery considerably. My daughter came out with only a couple of bruises around her nose. The doctor told me that would go away within a few days. Other than that, she was perfect."

During pregnancy, babies will move, flip, kick and rotate quite often. It is not unusual for a baby to change position an average of four times during a normal pregnancy. Mothers who fear a malpresentation should discuss with their doctors what options are available. "Most babies will maintain whatever position they are in for the birthing process by 34 weeks," Dr. Michael says. "Expectant mothers can simply ask their doctor about any concerns they may have to ease their mind and have information as to what to expect. As malpresentations are still quite rare, it's safe to say that babies seem to know how to make their own grand entrance all on their own."

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!