Why you might want to engage baby’s head into your pelvis for labor? Optimal positioning of how your baby’s head engaged in pelvis is essential for labor to progress most effectively and comfortably!
Your baby’s head needs to engage into your pelvis for labor to progress effectively. But not only is it essential that your baby is engaged in your pelvis, but also that they can get into an optimal position.
*Remember: Check with your OB or Midwife before trying any of these movements and positions*
Why Would Someone Want to Engage Baby’s Head into Their Pelvis?
The first reason someone would want to do movements and positions to engage the baby’s head is to try and prevent an occiput posterior labor, a breech baby, or to start naturally inducing labor.
Using belly mapping, you can determine if your baby is breech, head down, OA, or OP.
The optimal position for your baby to be in is left occiput anterior, which means your baby is head down, the front of their face is towards mom’s tailbone, and they’re also a bit to mom’s left. This position (LOA) helps your baby become the smallest diameter possible to fit through the pelvis because the baby’s back can curve the most effective in this position.
If your baby is head down but facing the other way, this is called occiput posterior (OP), meaning their face is towards the front of the mom’s pelvis.
An OP baby often causes back labor because with each contraction. You can feel their head moving down your spine, which is also a more challenging depending path for baby versus the occiput anterior path, thus why these labors tend to be slower!
And parents will often like to be aware if their baby is breech, especially if planning on a vaginal delivery as a breech vaginal birth can be a bit more complicated.
Watch ‘How to Engage Baby’s Head into Your Pelvis‘ Now on YouTube!
Engagement and Oxytocin
When labor and childbirth are approaching, you will want your baby to become engaged in your pelvis rather than floating above the pelvis in amniotic fluid.
Once your baby’s head is engaged, this will create a feedback loop. Oxytocin is the hormone that produces contractions. The pressure on your cervix from the baby’s head will tell your brain to create more oxytocin to induce even more pressure down on the baby and stronger contractions of the uterus.
The pressure from their head will also start to slowly thin and open your cervix.
So, the lower your baby is, the more pressure is applied onto your cervix, and more natural hormones are produced to create stronger and more effective contractions!
Your Pelvis During Pregnancy
Your pelvis is a bone structure with ligaments that allow for some mobility between the bones.
During pregnancy, a hormone called relaxin allows for even more movement of the pelvic ligaments for childbirth.
Creating movement and open space in your pelvis will help your baby descend into an optimal position for labor.
When Should I Engage Baby’s Head into My Pelvis?
Technically, your baby’s head being engaged into your pelvis only matters once you’re in labor because your baby can drop in a matter of minutes.
But you can still do things to help this process and try to ensure your baby engages in an optimal position.
Nevertheless, many women can start using these positions around 28 weeks of pregnancy.
I will definitely be using these movements and positions for my next pregnancy since my firstborn was occiput posterior which led to back labor, and I believe longer labor as well.
Something to know: If you have had a back injury, broken tailbone, bad fall, or car accident, this may lead to your pelvis not allowing as much movement. Therefore, making it a point to get your pelvis moving could improve your baby’s position!
Movements and Positions to Engage Baby’s Head
Now let’s jump into the 12 movements and positions that can help re-align your baby’s position in your pelvis and hopefully lead you to faster, easier labor!
1. Forward-Leaning Inversion
In addition to helping your baby’s head engage, the forward-leaning inversion is fantastic for turning breech babies as it helps disengage your baby from your pelvis for them to hopefully re-engage into a more optimal position with the other moves in this post!
*Do not use this position if your baby is already head down*
- Start by kneeling on the edge of a couch or your bed as long as you’re low enough to the ground
- Gently lower your arms to the ground, and rest down on your forearms with your hands together and elbows facing outward. (Your head should be hanging down between your arms and not resting on the floor).
- Take 3 deep breaths in this position, which should last for about 30 seconds.
In this position, you can either let your belly hang, or you can keep your lower back straightened to allow your ligaments to have more mobility.
After 30 seconds, gently push yourself back up and kneel with your knees together. To return to a seated position on your bottom, move to the side for your bottom to sit on the couch or bed, then swing your legs out, keeping your knees together.
This position works so well because leaning forward like this stretches your ligaments and causes the pelvis to reposition. Kneeling afterward is a crucial part of this because it allows your ligaments to resettle in proper alignment.
2. Open Knee to Chest to Engage Baby’s Head
This is an alternative to the forward-leaning inversion you can do 1-2x/day for 30 minutes in your pregnancy and early labor!
3. Sideways Stair Walk
Another effective way to create more space in your pelvis for your baby to move down onto your cervix!
Simply hold the railing of a stairway and walk up and down them while you’re facing the railing.
4. Forward Leaning to Engage Baby’s Head
For this position, you can use a chair, pillows, get on your hands and knees, or use a birth ball. This position helps promote more space in your pelvis, and uses gravity to help your baby engage and descend.
5. Exaggerated Left Side-Lying
This is a fantastic position while you’re resting to create more space in your pelvis.
Plus, if you have a peanut ball you can use it between your legs to assist you in creating even more space in your pelvis!
6. Good Posture
Having a straight spine will encourage your baby to round its back against your belly, so its face is pointing toward your back (occiput anterior position), which is the optimal position for a comfortable and efficient labor and childbirth experience.
*This is also beneficial for preventing breech, transverse, and occiput-posterior babies!*
Imagine pulling a string up from your tailbone to the top of your head to create this good posture.
Also, ensure your knees are at a 90-degree angle and try to avoid crossing your legs because this will make your pelvis misaligned. Instead, keep your feet flat on the ground to help your baby fully engage.
Lastly, ensure your pelvis remains tilted slightly forward (you should feel comfortable!), and consider using a lumbar pillow to support good posture and alignment from the top to the bottom of your body!
7. Through the Hole
This is a stretch that will allow your pelvis to open more.
- Lay on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground
- Raise one leg to rest your ankle on the other knee
- Next, lock your hands around the back of your thigh with one arm through the hole.
- Then gently pull towards your belly for a nice stretch
- Take 2-3 deep breaths in this position 2-3x/day or at least 3x/week for it to be effective.
8. Pelvic Tilts
This movement often relieves women dealing with lower back pain in pregnancy, and it also helps reposition an occiput posterior baby to occiput anterior (the optimal position). Plus, once you’re at least 38 weeks, this movement helps engage your baby deeper into your pelvis.
- Get on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips with your legs hip-width apart.
- Keep a neutral (straight) spine, then round your lower back upward and tuck your pelvis towards your belly button. Ensure you’re also pressing the tops of your feet into the floor while doing this, and avoid flexing your butt muscles.
- Tuck your hips inward while rounding your back upwards.
Additionally, you can do pelvic tilts using a birth ball if you would like!
Sit on your birth ball with your knees at a 90-degree angle and place your hands on your knees, and roll your back to create a c-shape, then move your back gently back forwards, making another C-shape the other way.
Your back doesn’t need to take a super exaggerated position when rolling forwards. You don’t want to strain anything by exaggerating the stretch too much.
It’s effective to do this 1x/day.
9. Walking
Walking encourages movement and swaying in your pelvis to help your baby move and navigate their way to engage further.
Curb walking is also fantastic to encourage your baby to rotate off the pelvis and engage further.
While curb walking, ensure you exaggerate the swaying of your hips to help your baby move down and engage!
10. Chiropractic Care
If there’s a misalignment with your pelvis, it makes it extra difficult for your baby to come through. In this case, seeing a prenatal chiropractor may be beneficial to correct the misalignment!
11. Prenatal Yoga
Prenatal yoga helps if you have a tight pelvic floor or are experiencing pain there. Stretching can help loosen everything up! But remember, you’re more prone to injury towards the end of pregnancy, so take it easy and listen to your body.
12. Utilize a Birth Ball
Doing big wide circles, little circles, or pelvic tilts on a birth ball can all help to increase movement in your pelvis! You can do these movements at whatever speed feels good to you, and you can do these movements while relaxing, working, watching tv, etc.
Birth balls are great because you can practice good posture and pelvic movement, and you’re also avoiding hard pressure on your vagina.
“What Do I Do if I’m in Labor and My Baby Still Hasn’t Dropped?”
If your baby still hasn’t descended into your pelvis when you go into labor, you’ll want to practice all of these movements and positions throughout labor until your baby does descend.
The positions and movements I recommend most for labor include:
- Keep an upright posture
- Walk
- Practice curb walking
- Do big hip circles on a birth ball
- Tuck in on the birth ball (like a humping movement)
- Side walking on the stairs
- Open knee to chest
Remember to follow your instincts! Continue doing what feels good and avoid things that don’t feel great.
Overall, move and stretch in ways that feel good. Remember that birth balls are beneficial too, and see a chiropractor if you think that’s necessary for you!
The goal is to get your pelvis aligned, moving, and open so that your baby can come down with room to get into the optimal left occiput anterior position.
You got this, mama. You are encouraged, educated, and empowered!
DISCLAIMER: This post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding you or your baby’s health. Please read my Medical Disclaimer for more info
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