What is this?

 

It is a theory developed by a midwife, Jean Sutton, and Pauline Scott, who found that the mother’s position and movement could influence the way her baby lay in the womb in the final weeks of pregnancy. Many difficult labors result from ‘malpresentation’, where the baby’s position makes it hard for the head to move through the pelvis

 

Why it is important?

Changing the way the baby lies and promoting optimal position of the baby could make birth easier for mother and child. Position ideal for birth is when the baby is lined up so as to fit through your pelvis as easily as possible. To be in this position baby needs to be head down, facing your back, with his back on one side of the front of your tummy. In this position, the baby’s head is easily ‘flexed’, i.e. his chin tucked onto his chest, so that the smallest part of his head will be applied to the cervix first. The diameter of his head which has to fit through the pelvis is approximately 9.5 cm, and the circumference approximately 27.5cm. This position is called “occiput anterior” (OA).