Baby’s Position and What you Need to Know
Why body alignment matters more than finding the “perfect” baby position
Our perspective on optimal fetal positioning has evolved over the years. We used to focus heavily on specific techniques to nudge babies into the "right" position. But after supporting hundreds of births, we realized a fundamental truth: there is no single perfect position, because your body and your baby work as a team.
Explore this guide your way: grab the big takeaways in our Quick Hits section, or explore the full story in Dive Deeper. Choose whatever fits your learning style—we're here to support you every step of the way.
Quick Hits
Grab The Big Takeaways
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After hundreds of births, we’ve learned there is no single perfect position. Balance in your body has a much bigger impact on your birth than where your baby is sitting when labor starts.
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Left Occiput Anterior (LOA) is when baby is head down, facing your back, with their spine along your left side. Most babies navigate the pelvis best from this position, though babies are smart and rotate during labor!
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Creating space in your pelvis can reduce labor length, lessen pain, and prevent back labor or prodromal (start-and-stop) labor.
Spinning Babies offers great resources and instructions for Daily Activities to encourage optimal fetal positioning. Additionally it can be beneficial to learn about Body Balancing for optimal fetal positioning and an efficient labor.
Keep it simple:
Daily Activities: Do these as often as it feels good and fits naturally into your day.
Body Balancing: Practice weekly throughout pregnancy, then shift to daily in your final weeks.
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Ditch the "couch slouch," lean forward, work on gentle body-balancing stretches, and don't fret if your baby isn't perfectly LOA. Take it one small bite at a time!
Dive Deeper
Everything You Need to Know
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Our perspective has evolved over the years. We used to primarily focus on things to do to help your baby get into the "right" position, but after seeing hundreds of births, we learned that there isn't one perfect position. Balance in your body has a far greater impact on your birth than the exact position of your baby when labor starts.
We still think that most babies' ideal position is Left Occiput Anterior (LOA), but we also know that babies are intelligent and know how to navigate the pelvis. We share body-balancing techniques because easing tension allows your uterus to make space for your baby to settle into their ideal position naturally.
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Optimal fetal position is just a fancy way of saying your baby is in the most efficient position for delivery. Most people know we want the baby’s head down, but that's only one part of the puzzle.
Most babies navigate the pelvis best if they settle into LOA:
Head Down
Facing your back (the back side of their head faces the front of your body)
Back along your left side
An aligned pelvis and a well-positioned baby can reduce the length of labor and help you feel less pain.
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A malpositioned baby isn't unsafe, but it can cause:
Back labor (contractions felt primarily in your back)
Prolonged first and second stages of labor
Prodromal labor (when labor starts and stops before real labor begins)
Overall increased discomfort
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Watch these quick videos to see how positions work and how babies navigate the pelvis:
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Daily Posture & Habits
Create a Hammock: Envision making a hammock for your baby to lie in while sitting, sleeping, and moving throughout the day.
No "Couch Slouching": Avoid resting on your sacrum after 32 weeks.
Sit on Your Sitz Bones: Scoot to the edge of your chair and lean forward slightly.
Use Your Birth Ball: Watch TV while sitting on your birth ball or leaning over it.
Lean Forward: Whenever possible, choose forward-leaning positions.
See a Chiropractor: Find a Webster-certified chiropractor and see them regularly.
Pelvic Floor Therapy: Find a Pelvic PT
Balance Daily Tasks: Carry older children on alternate sides of your body and balance repetitive daily movements.
Swivel Out of the Car: Try rotating your whole body together when getting out of the car rather than twisting at the waist.
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Spinning Babies has tons of information on activities to do during pregnancy to help encourage the best position for your baby. The following are our favorite Spinning Babies activities:
Three Balances (Side-Lying Release, Forward-Leaning Inversion, and Jiggle/Rebozo)
Video: Body Balancing (done weekly, moving into daily in the final weeks of pregnancy)
Video: Side-Lying Release (do daily or 3x a week)
Video: Cat/Cows: Perform daily to stretch and open your pelvis.
Video: Rebozo Techniques: Use a rebozo to "shake the apple tree" and belly sift. (Jump to 3:34 to look at "shaking the apple tree")
The Miles Circuit: Great to practice toward the end of pregnancy.
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Wondering how to figure out what position your baby is in right now? Try Belly Mapping! It’s a cool, valuable tool to explore your baby and body.
It can be a little difficult to figure out at first, so be forgiving as you learn. For those with anterior placentas, feeling fetal movements can be trickier, but mapping is still possible. Don't hesitate to ask your care provider to help you locate baby's position at your next visit!
Resource Links
A Reassuring Note Before You Go
We know this is a lot of information, and you may feel overwhelmed trying to determine what to do next. We recommend taking it in small bites: pick a video or two to watch, try one stretch, and go from there.
Most importantly: If you’ve been doing these exercises and your baby is still not settling into LOA, don't fret! Some babies navigate the pelvis better in other positions, and all babies rotate during labor. The most likely scenario is that your baby will find their best position when the time comes!