Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Examining the Belly and Noting Feelings
• Method 2 of 3: Applying Medical Techniques
• Method 3 of 3: Draw a "belly map"
• Tips
• Warnings

Your baby will twist and twist a lot in the stomach! The sensation of the baby moving can be joyful and magical, and you will be thrilled to imagine where the baby is right now. Whether you want to know out of curiosity or the due date is approaching, you can use medical and home methods to determine the position of the fetus in the uterus - some are more accurate, others less. Try some of them, and if in doubt, seek help from your doctor or midwife.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Examining the Belly and Noting Feelings

1. 1 Keep a tremor journal. It might be interesting to remember all the different positions the fetus has been in during pregnancy. Keep a diary, diary, or notebook to record your tremors. Whenever possible, write down the date, duration of your pregnancy, and the position of the fetus.
2. 2 Feel your belly for hard spots. Although this is not entirely an exact science, you can determine the position of the head or priests just by touching the belly. Press gently and try to relax at the same time - press as you exhale. A hard, round bump that resembles a small bowling ball is a baby's head. The round, but somewhat softer bump may turn out to be his booty. Use some of these standard guidelines to help you determine your child's position:
   • Do you feel bumps on the left or right side of your abdomen? Press gently: if the baby is moving, then he can be in a head down position.
   • A hard, rounded bump under your ribs may be the baby's head, which means that he is in a breech (head up) presentation.
   • If you find two round, hard areas (head and butt) on the sides of the abdomen, then the baby may be in a horizontal position. The fetus usually turns over on its own from this position by 8 months.
3. 3 Notice where you feel the tremors. The baby kicks in the womb, and this can be one of the easiest ways to visualize how it is oriented in the womb. If the tremors are felt above the navel, then the baby is most likely in a head-down position. If the tremors are below the navel, then the baby is probably in a head-up position. Just imagine where the baby's feet and legs might be when he kicks.
   • If you feel a jolt in the middle of the front of the abdomen, the baby may be in a breech position, head down, and back to your back. This position of the fetus may also make your belly appear flat rather than round.

Method 2 of 3: Applying Medical Techniques

1. 1 Ask your doctor to show you how to touch the fetus. A trained professional can often tell what position the fetus is in by simply touching the belly. The next time he feels your belly, ask him to teach you this. He will be able to give tips and advice on what to feel at home.
   • Ask to probe together to get an idea of ​​how different parts of the baby's body feel outside the uterus.
2. 2 Listen to the fetal heartbeat. While the heartbeat will not tell all about the position of the baby, searching for the heart of the fetus may give some idea of ​​how it lies. If you have a fetoscope or stethoscope at home, use it to listen to your belly. If not, ask your partner or loved one to put their ear to your belly in a quiet room. Usually, you can only hear a heartbeat in the last 2 months of pregnancy, although it can be difficult to determine the exact position of the heart. Move around to different spots to see where the heartbeat is loudest and clearest.
   • If the heartbeat is heard loudest below the mother's navel, then the baby is probably lying head down. If the knock is heard above the navel, head up.
   • Try listening through a toilet paper roll to turn up the volume!
3. 3 Get an ultrasound (ultrasound) scan. An ultrasound is the only way to tell exactly what position the fetus is in. An ultrasound uses sound waves to produce a picture of the fetus in the uterus. Schedule regular ultrasounds with your midwife or gynecologist to examine the fetus or simply to determine how the baby is positioned in the womb.
   • Schedule an ultrasound scan in the first trimester and again in the second trimester, or more often if you need to monitor the health of the fetus. Ask your doctor for more information about when the ultrasound should be done.
   • Newer ultrasound technologies can produce remarkably clear images of the fetus, although not all hospitals have such machines.

Method 3 of 3: Draw a "belly map"

1. 1 Prepare all tools. Mapping your belly can be challenging, but fun. During 8 months of pregnancy, try mapping the abdomen immediately after an ultrasound scan or fetal heart rate monitoring. When you get home, take a non-toxic paint or markers and a doll with movable limbs.
2. 2 Determine the position of the fetal head. Lie on your back where it is comfortable for you and lift your shirt. Feel the area around your pelvis with constant pressure and find a solid, round area. Use paints or a marker to draw a circle for your child's head.
3. 3 Locate the location of the baby's heartbeat. Draw a heart over the area where the heartbeat occurs. Your doctor may have already told you where it is located at your appointment. If not, grab a fetoscope or stethoscope, or ask a loved one to put their ear to your belly and tell them where the heartbeat is heard loudest.
4. 4 Feel the baby's bottom. Feel your belly gently to find your baby's bottom - it will be firm and round, but softer than the head. Mark it on your belly.
5. 5 Mark any other places you feel. The long and flat area can be the back of the child. Gnarled points can be knees or elbows. Think about where you felt the tremors. Check off any other landmarks you can find.
6. 6 Place the doll in different positions. Start playing with the doll, moving it to all possible positions, depending on where your child's head and heart are. This will help you better visualize the position of the child!
7. 7 Be creative if you feel like it. Draw with your child's pencils or paints as if you were doing an art project, or take a fun photo. It can be a good keepsake.

Tips

• If you have a lot of muscle or fat on your belly, it can be difficult to palpate parts of your baby's body. The position of the placenta can also affect how you feel: you may not feel a lot of tremors and movements in the front of your abdomen if the placenta is in the front of your abdomen (placenta along the front wall).
• Self-determination methods will be easier to use after 30 weeks of pregnancy. Until that time, ultrasound is the best method.
• The fetus is usually most active after the mother has eaten. This is a good time to pay attention to wiggles and jolts.

Warnings

• Work with your doctor or midwife to make a plan if you are close to labor and the baby is breech or transverse (horizontal). This position may require a caesarean section if the baby cannot be moved to the best position for birth.
• If you are feeling the abdomen to determine the baby's position and you have preparatory contractions, stop and wait for them to pass. It doesn't harm you or your baby, but you won't be able to feel the baby until the contractions are over.
• It is a good idea to start observing baby movements after 28 weeks of pregnancy. Usually, you can feel about 10 shocks or movements within 2 hours. If you don't feel any movement, don't panic - just wait a few hours and try again. If you still can't feel the 10 thrusts on your second try, call your gynecologist.