Oblique lie

The baby is oblique when baby's head is in the mother's hip. The baby's body and head are diagonal, not vertical and not horizontal (transverse lie). This is fine for a second twin. But oblique is not an optimal fetal position for a singleton baby after 30 weeks gestation.

 

Here is our friend Rose, her baby is barely oblique, but I don't have a picture of a clearly oblique baby. The baby's head would be more obviously in her hip. Thanks to Rose, to Blooma.com where we painted and to Trish Gardiner, our friend and photographer!
 
I've heard from a number of women with oblique babies that
the course of successful action is
 
 
Begin the forward-leaning inversion earlier than 30 weeks gestation, or as soon as you know to do the following activities to help baby into a head-down - and vertical! - position.
And if that isn't enough,
  • Seeing a chiropractor who is trained in Myofascial Release
 
Other things that may help:
  • Wearing a pregnancy belt may help give tone to the lower uterine segment and help baby to center over the pelvic opening.
  •  To help move baby over,  stick a rolled wash cloth on your right side under the belt. 
  • Sleep on the side that the baby's head is on after you've done the exercises for one week. 
 

How many do you do?

 
Forward-leaning inversion, every day for 30 seconds each, after 36 weeks, do 2-3 a day for only 30 seconds each.
 
Sidelying (Pelvic Floor Release), one time now, one time in late pregnancy, one time in early labor. 
 
 

In labor with an oblique lie

If you find yourself with a baby in an oblique lie while you are in labor, you may have a chance to slip your baby head down. If you do, you can avoid a cesarean.
 
Do the Pelvic Floor Release first through a contraction on each side. You must do the release on the left and on the right! See the article describing the Pelvic Floor (Sidelying) technique.
 
Then, when standing if possible, do the Lunge 3-6 times on each leg. See the article describing the lunge. It works with the contractions. 
 
 
 
 

Other useful information 

You may find some helpful information on what to do in labor for the asynclitic baby. If the reason for an oblique lie continuing after 30 weeks isn't completely resolved by labor, there may be a higher chance of asynclitism (a tipped head during birth). I don't "know" that by data, but by assumption. 
Repeating the Sidelying (Pelvic Floor) Release in labor may help. Try it before 3 cm as a preventative. 
 
Note, asynclitism at 3 cm is normal, we want to address the cause of asynclitism after 3 cm, but do the preventative before the baby is on the pelvic floor!
 
A similar article, here on Spinning Babies, to serve your baby's position is the one about the Transverse Lie, and while the fetal position is not exactly the same, the solutions are. 
http://www.spinningbabies.com/baby-positions/all-positions/sideways
 
 
 
 

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Spinning Babies is facing an immediate "migration," new software installation for the behind the scenes portion of the website at cost of $680. This massive update is crucial for security and functionality. Alternatively, I could take the 100+ pages down and restart the site with new software at a lower cost, but much less content. Would you be ok with a 10 page site carrying only an outline of information? That's about how many other websites treat their content.

 Are you a woman or a loved one of a woman helped to avoid a cesarean by Spinning Babies Website? Has Spinning Babies helped you serve birthing families with techniques for labor progress? Do you have a little time to help Spinning Babies in return? If the migration costs $680 and 100 of my loyal users gave $68 dollars each, we'd get it covered. 

Did you know that Spinning Babies was hacked a few summers ago and had to go off line while I found hosting with security? Security is a real issue on the internet. 

Several years ago a grandmother donated $150 after a visit to Spinning Babies Website helped her daughter avoid a cesarean. Once a woman sent $50 because exercises on Spinning Babies stopped her hip pain and she was able to sleep well for the first time during the end of her pregnancy. Today, just a few dollars a year come through donations. Ever since the booklet went on sale donations dropped off. Could it be that people think sales income is significant to carry the website? I wish it were so, and do hope to boost the store soon.

Right now Spinning Babies is in need and so I'm asking those of you among my 4000 daily visitors to give something back. "Wait, Seriously?" you ask, "4000 people a day and only a few small donations a year!?" Yep, that's true.  If 400 of you, 1/10th of one day's visitors, gave $20,  or 15 Pounds,  we could get this job done and secure the website. 

 

Could it be that Spinning Babies has become such a part of the childbirth education scene that its taken for granted? Spinning Babies doesn't get grants. Spinning Babies isn't a nonprofit (But my husband will be surprised to hear that.)  I love giving this information as a gift to the birthing world, I'm rather delighted to help a woman understand she doesn't have to accept a cesarean before labor just because her baby is posterior! Or, help a woman flip her breechling head down. But with the cost of web maintainance increasing, I have to rethink how I might support my work.  

If you aren't able to give such a chunk of change, can you send your sympathy for $5? Or, are you a loyal Spinning Babies user who gives their undying support for $100? 

 

What ever you can send now will be seen as a huge message of support to keep Spinning Babies safe and online. Protecting one woman's birth just takes 4 minutes.