Articles
Fetal presentation before birth
Content
Head down, face down
Head down, face up
Frank breech
Complete and incomplete breech
Sideways
Twins
Head down, face down
Head down, face up
Frank breech
Complete and incomplete breech
Sideways
Twins
Content
The way a baby is positioned in the uterus just before birth can have a big effect on labor and delivery. This positioning is called fetal presentation.
Babies twist, stretch and tumble quite a bit during pregnancy. Before labor starts, however, they usually come to rest in a way that allows them to be delivered through the birth canal headfirst. This position is called cephalic presentation. But there are other ways a baby may settle just before labor begins.
Following are some of the possible ways a baby may be positioned at the end of pregnancy.