Is cesarean section necessary for malposition of fetus?

Pregnant women go for regular prenatal checkups not only to see the baby in their belly, but also to check for any abnormalities while the baby is in their belly. I believe that many pregnant women have been told by doctors that they have malposition of the fetus. Malposition of the fetus mainly means that the baby's head is not facing the opening of the uterus. In ancient times, malposition of the fetus may cause dystocia. But if there is an abnormal fetal position, is it necessary to choose a caesarean section?

What is malposition?

Malposition of the fetus refers to other abnormal fetal positions other than occiput anterior position that occur after 30 weeks of pregnancy, including what we often call breech presentation and transverse presentation.

First of all, what is the fetal position?

The position of the fetus in the uterus is the fetal position. When the fetus is in the uterus, in the liquid environment (amniotic fluid), the weight of the head is greater than that of the body, so the normal state is with the head down, the waist bent, and the limbs crossed in front of the chest and abdomen. The normal fetal position is called occiput anterior, which helps normal delivery.

Because the baby is head down, it can pass through the birth canal more smoothly during delivery.

What are the common classifications of malposition of fetus?

1. Breech presentation:

The breech position is opposite to the occiput anterior position, with the breech down and the head up, and the breech comes out first during delivery.

① Complete breech position, legs bent and cross-legged, with the buttocks and feet exposed during delivery

② Extended-leg breech presentation, which is also the most common type, with the baby's buttocks coming out first at birth

③ One foot or both feet are exposed, with the feet first and then the buttocks. This is also the most likely situation for dystocia.

2. Horizontal position:

The fetus is in a horizontal position in the womb, perpendicular to the mother's body. The transverse position is divided into left front shoulder, left back shoulder, right front shoulder, and right back shoulder, which corresponds to whether the fetal head is on the left or right side of the mother's body and whether the shoulder blade is facing forward or backward.

3. In addition to the occipital position, there are other abnormal head positions.

Head position: occipital anterior position (normal fetal position), occipital posterior position, facial position, frontal position

① Occiput anterior position is the normal fetal position we mentioned earlier

② Occipital posterior position: In the late stage of delivery, the fetal head is always behind or to the side of the mother's pelvis

③Facial position: lift your head and lean back, the face is exposed first during delivery

④ Forehead: The forehead extends forward and is exposed during childbirth.

Why does malposition of the fetus occur?

①If you are pregnant with multiple babies

The fetus's range of movement is small, and crowding leads to abnormal fetal position.

② The mother has uterine malformation or the fetus has malformation

Abnormal conditions of the fetus or uterus can also cause changes in the range of movement of the fetus in the uterus, causing malposition of the fetus.

③Umbilical cord is too short

The umbilical cord is too short so that the fetus cannot get enough nutrition. The fetus is born too slowly and the fetus is not in the correct position.

④ The pregnant woman has too much or too little amniotic fluid. The amount of amniotic fluid determines the range of fetal activity. Too much amniotic fluid will make the activity more buoyant and will also cause the fetal position to change. If there is too little amniotic fluid, the fetal activity is limited and it will be fixed in one place, which will also cause malposition of the fetus.

How can the fetal position be corrected, if possible?

In some cases, the mother can still give birth naturally, but it will prolong the labor process.

If the fetal position is really bad, the doctor will recommend a caesarean section.

Therefore, if possible, correcting the fetal position as early as possible will be of great help to normal delivery.

①Bow down on the ground

First kneel on the ground, then lie down on your stomach with your arms bent and your head lower than your hips. At this time, your upper arms and thighs are perpendicular to the ground. Knees open and shoulder width apart.

Do this about 3 times a day, 10-15 minutes per minute. You can check again after a week to see if the fetal position has changed.

②Doctor helps extrapolation

After 32 weeks, if the fetal position is still abnormal, the doctor will consider external rotation of the fetus and use manual pushing and other actions to help the fetus turn over.