Is Right Wrong?

[silverbelle]

First let me say I am not an OB nurse, (been CV for past 15yrs). A co-worker and I are talking about this: I thought I remembered in school that if a baby's hr drops (or maybe other reasons?) you turn the mother on her Left side. She says can go either way. Which is true or does it really matter, if so why??

Thanks

[NurseNora, BSN, RN]

Either side is OK. If a pregnant woman is lying on her back, the weight of the large gravid uterus compresses the aorta and vena cava, reducing cardiac output and thus reducing uterine perfusion and fetal oxygenation. I've seen pregnant women pass out just from lying on their back. Since the vena cava is more easily compressed than the aorta and it is on the right side, turning Mom to the left gets weight off it best. But in practice, either side is OK.

If the drop in heart rate is from compression of the umbilical cord, any position change may help depending on where the compression is. I've had babies do best with Mom sitting straight up rather than being on either side or hands and knees.

[silverbelle]

Thanks for the reply!