‘Optimal Fetal Positioning’ (OFP) is a theory developed by, Jean Sutton, and Pauline Scott, these two women, one a midwife, and the other a prenatal teacher found that the mother’s positions and movements, including prenatal yoga movements and positions, during the last trimester could profoundly influence the way her baby positions itself in the womb in the final weeks of pregnancy.
This is where prenatal yoga can come in handy. Malpresentation is defined as abnormal positions of the fetal head and body. Babies must be able to descend and rotate in the mother’s uterus in order to be born vaginally. Many labors can be both challenging and very long and exhausting as a result of ‘malpresentation’. The baby’s position makes it hard for the head to move through the pelvis, so using movement and positioning during the last trimester of pregnancy can influence the position your baby lies in the uterus.If the baby ends up in a good position, it can make birth easier and faster for mother and baby. The following 7 prenatal yoga poses can help your baby get into the right position to make your labor easier and faster.
Learn all these poses in my Online Prenatal Yoga class,
“Balance Your Pelvis & Position Your Womb-mate”
1. Sukhasana-Easy Pose.
Benefits of this prenatal yoga pose:
- Helps to tilt your pelvis forward, which aligns the uterus properly.
- This helps your baby to get into the right position as it stretches the inner thighs and the groin.
- It is helpful to sit on a block or folded blanket or even a "birth ball"so that your hips are higher than your knees.
2. Bitilasana – Cat/Cow Pose + Pelvic Rocking= tilt your tailbone up and tuck it under.
Benefits of 150/day prenatal yoga pose + Pelvic Rocking:
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- Stretch and strengthen your back in pregnancy.
- To prevent or ease low back pain in pregnancy.
- Aids the optimal alignment in the pelvis of your growing uterus
- Get the baby in the head-down position
- They improve circulation
- Help reduce edema/swelling in the legs and feet,
- Help you to empty your bladder, and
- Encourage your baby to go head-down and to stay there for the rest of your pregnancy.
COW POSE . 
CAT POSE
- Stretch and strengthen your back in pregnancy.
PELVIC ROCKING from BabyCenter
3. Uttana Shishosana-Extended Puppy Pose.
Benefits of this prenatal yoga pose:
- Stretching the spine and opening the shoulders
- Align uterus in pelvis properly
- Encourages heaviest part of baby (back of head and spine) to come toward the front of your body
- Takes pressure off pelvic floor
- Takes pressure off hemorrhoids
4. Adho Mukha Svanasana-Downward Facing Dog
Benefits of this prenatal yoga pose:
- Stretches and releases the muscles and ligaments in the lower abdomen and uterus.
- Strengthens your upper back, shoulders, arms and legs.
- It can help relieve stress when combined with focused breathing.
- Try to hold this pose for 5 deep, very slow breaths. Focus on the release of tension as you exhale.
5. Supta Padangusthasana -Reclining Big Toe Pose (with a twist)-
Lie on your back, briefly. Loop the middle of a strap, belt, or towel around the sole of your right foot. Reach up with your left hand as close to your foot as you can and slowly pull your right leg all the way over to the left until the foot touches the floor. Gently pull the foot and leg toward your left shoulder until you feel a comfortable stretch. Hold for 5-10 slow deep breaths. Repeat on the other side.
Benefits of this prenatal yoga pose:
- Stretches muscles on outer hip allowing opening of pelvic muscles and hip muscles
6. Ekha Pada Rajakapotasana-One legged King Pigeon Pose-
This pose must have been made for pregnancy! Just think about the transformation your hips are going through. Even though it’s a challenging pose it stretches some important muscles that need to be open and relaxed for a smooth labor and birth
Benefits of this prenatal yoga pose:
- Stretches the buttocks, the thighs, the hips, and the psoas muscles.
- Lengthens hip flexors
7. Viparita Karani-Legs Up the Wall –
Benefits of this prenatal yoga pose:
- relaxing prenatal yoga pose
- help reduce swelling in your legs and feet.
Use either a bolster, or a rolled blanket so that your hips are supported off the floor up to 12 inches. Sit sideways on your bolster or blanket right next to the wall, and push one hip against the wall. Lie down on your opposite side and then swing up one leg at a time up on to the wall. Your upper body and your head will relax on the floor while your hips are elevated and your legs can relax up the wall. This is such a relaxing prenatal yoga pose and will help reduce swelling in your legs and feet.
Want more of a regular practice? Check out my online classes at YogaDownload.com
