# Occiput Transverse?



## AshtonsMom (Nov 12, 2004)

Can anyone explain to me what occiput transverse means? My doctor says that the babies head is down..that she can feel it through my cervix (I am 3cm and soft), but then she says baby is OT. Does this mean she's heads down and sideways...doc says she feels the bum, but not the spine?? I am so confused. My ds was born posterior, so I was concerned about that again this time. But OT and heads down doesn't make sense to me? is OT different than just plain old transverse?? I am 38 weeks and the doc says this baby is coming soon...but if she's OT can she even be born vaginally???

Laura
edd Nov 24th
ds Ashton Feb 11/03


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## shelbean91 (May 11, 2002)

I don't know how correct it is, but I found this link http://www.gynob.com/position.htm


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## mwherbs (Oct 24, 2004)

Occiput is the back of the head. So when the baby is posterior with the back of the head against your back it is said to be occiput posterior or OP when the back of the baby's head is pointing outward toward your belly then that is called occiput anterior or OA. Occiput transverse, the back of the head is toward a side either left, LOT or right, ROT. Some people call this lateral instead of transverse because there can be confusion.


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## AshtonsMom (Nov 12, 2004)

So does that mean that OT isn't a big deal?? not like transverse is where you had a shoulder first or whatever? baby will most likely turn before or in labour? I have left hip pressure, so I was worried I had a shoulder presentation. but if it just means she sorta sideways right now I shouldn't be to concerned??


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## mwherbs (Oct 24, 2004)

so the doctor is telling you the head is down in the pelvis. So I am guessing the position of the head inside the pelvis is probably toward the left since that is where you have pressure. where do you feel the most kicking? if the back is on the left side and head is in the pelvis then you would most likely be feeling kicking on your right side from belly button level up. this is a good position for the baby to be in and it is not a shoulder coming first


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## doctorjen (May 29, 2003)

When baby is head down, the position of the baby is described by where the occiput, which is the back of the head, is. The usual order of description is the side the occiput is on, then whether it is toward the front side or back. So LOT is left occiput transverse, with the left referring to the mom's left side. A similar system is used when baby is breech, but instead of the occiput, the position is described by the position of the sacrum.
OT (occiput transverse) is a fairly normal position for baby to be in prior to labor. As baby descends through the pelvis, they usually rotate to OA (occiput anterior), but sometimes rotate to OP (occiput posterior.) Very rarely, a baby will not turn from OT, which presents a bigger diameter of the head. Some babies can be born vaginally this way, but some will not descend. This is called "deep transverse arrest." It's rarer than posterior presentation, and certainly can't be diagnosed before labor even starts. Many babies are OT prior to labor and in early labor and rotate just fine in labor. Most likely you have no reason for concern.


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## mwherbs (Oct 24, 2004)

here is a picture of a baby in the pelvic bones, the baby's position is LOT see how the ears are toward the front and back and the back of the head is toward the mother's left side. this is what I think your doctor is describing. It is a good position to start labor in and a very common one about 40% of babies start labor in this position.

http://catalog.nucleusinc.com/genera...le&TL=1792&A=2


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## Greaseball (Feb 1, 2002)

Mine was ROT at 37 weeks and we rotated her to LOA. But during labor she did not descend for a long time and we had such difficulty getting her out, although she was LOA the whole time. It's not the ideal position for all babies. I might have been better off leaving her at the position she chose.


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## KittyKat (Nov 17, 2002)

My mother was in labor with me for 48 hours. Part of the length of her labor was because I was coming "facing sideways" what you all are descibing as OT. The doctors were trying all kinds of things to get me to turn, but I knew the way out LOL!

They took my mom down to x-ray to get a pelvimetry and see what was the holdup. A bit of gravity was all I needed, and I was born not long after. Mom says that's just the way her pelvis is. Her babies fit best facing sideways. All the efforts to turn me were causing the delay.

My pelvis is more average, my babies have all been anterior so far. I had never heard the official medical term for it before. Interesting to know I am a medical curiosity LOL!


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