# can someone explain "asynclitic?"



## readytobedone (Apr 6, 2007)

i've read it several times but still have no good idea what it means.

thanks.


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## touka (Oct 5, 2006)

I did a little searching for you (I'm still learning these terms myself!) and I found another thread about a birth that included it.

*momnmidwife* answered your question like this:

Quote:

"Asynclitic" means instead of the baby entering the pelvis with its head strait and flexed nicely, it is tilted.


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## doulakris (Jul 26, 2005)

Basically, the head comes down crooked. It causes very long and especially painful labors (usually). Sometimes contractions are really spaced out and irregular, sometimes they are right on top of each other with literally no break for hours and hours. The bad contraction patterns are due to the head not being positioned in a way that dilates the cervix evenly and effectively. My son was asynclitic, and his head was sort of sideways, with his ear on his shoulder. So the side of the head was coming first.


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## JanB (Mar 4, 2004)

Yeah, my son was asynclitic. His birth eventually resulted in a C-section, but as a result of the hours spent unproductively jammed up in the birth canal, he had a very amusing (in retrospect) off-center conehead. You could really see the effects of the bad position, because the "cone" was like off to the left side of his head!

Doulakris is right about the painful labor. That was my first labor, and not knowing any better, I thought that all labors were as painful as that. When I went into labor with my daughter, I was like, "Wait, this is it?"


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## Gemberly (Jan 7, 2007)

That was how my first birth was too. Her head was just slightly off. They gave me pitocin to help me along because she just wasn't coming down (doesn't help that I was trapped in the bed) and the contractions were just one after another with no breaks, and no epidural.


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## doulakris (Jul 26, 2005)

JanB- tell me good things about your second birth. I'm trying to come up with courage to do it again. I'm terrified of having another asynclitic.


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## Synchro246 (Aug 8, 2005)

doulakris- my first was asynclytic and I'm 36 weeks and a bit nervous. I've been told time and time again on here that it's unlikely that it will repeat.


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## doulakris (Jul 26, 2005)

I've heard that too. My mw told me that second labors are really quick and easy for moms with previous asynclitics, because if a body can get that out, it can get anything out. Good luck! I hope it's true for us!


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## Rockies5 (May 17, 2005)

My last was this way as well. The birth felt more "held up" then my prior. I did lots of high stepping and sweating until she was ready to be born.

I it was more intense, just that the transition period had double and triple spiked contractions. It was humerous because I was trying to count my way through them and had to start over again and again. It was my most exhausting labor.

If you aren't already in labor SEE A CHIROPRACTOR!!!! I *KNow* babies don't choose this route as it isn't the route of least resistance. I had severe SPD which I feel had alot to do with her position, I was also far less active durring that pregnancy.


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## doulakris (Jul 26, 2005)

I am by no means saying that a chiro can't help, but it didn't help me. I saw one throughout my preg, and every 2-3 days for that last 2 months. But it definitely helped with other pregnancy problems.


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## AugustLia23 (Mar 18, 2004)

Other PP's are on target, acynclytic means "tilted". Means the baby head is not well and evenly applied to the cervix.

I think that doing lots of deep squats(imagine peeing in the woods) in my late pregnancy helped him to engage deeply in my pelvis before he had his head at the right angle. I did NOT have a ainful labor compared to others I have witnessed, and I considered it fairly mild for labor, but I had a nice stall for about 12 solid hours, where I had just the last little bit of cervical lip remaining. The contractions during the stall spaced out and became less intense, I ate 2 small meals.

Ironically enough, it was one last deep squat that helped baby to push away that little bit of remaining lip. I pushed my baby out at home, as planned.


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## JanB (Mar 4, 2004)

Well, my second birth was a breeze, relatively speaking. I had about two days of very mild early labor with contractions 15-20 minutes apart, and then things started to speed up a bit, and I had to start focusing and concentrating on relaxation to get through them on the afternoon/early evening of the third day. When we arrived at the hospital that evening, I was already about 6 cm dilated, which is further dilated than I ever got with my son.

At that point, I did get an epidural even though I didn't really feel like I needed one, because it was hospital policy, blah blah blah, and I wasn't in a mood to argue with them. (I'm more prepared this time around and will have a birth plan and doula in tow to help me avoid the stupid epidural.) But, they gave me a very light dose, I still felt contractions and was able to move, and a few relatively short hours later, I pushed my daughter into the world.









Seriously, it was like night and day from my previous labor, most of which I spent wishing I could just throw myself out the window.

I am hoping that this third birth goes more like my 2nd. I honestly have no idea why my first baby was asynclitic but suspect it may have had something to do with the fact that my water broke very early, before labor had even really started, and that he was possibly not ready to be born. He had signs of prematurity even though I was 38.5 weeks.


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## Synchro246 (Aug 8, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *JanB* 
I am hoping that this third birth goes more like my 2nd. I honestly have no idea why my first baby was asynclitic but suspect it may have had something to do with the fact that my water broke very early, before labor had even really started, and that he was possibly not ready to be born. He had signs of prematurity even though I was 38.5 weeks.

I've heard that asynclytic babies often *cause* prelabor rupure of membranes because of the uneven pressure, then because the water is broken they are even less likely to tilt properly.

In one of my texts it blames persistant asynclytism (and occiput posterior)on tight abdominal muscles (maaaaybe that's a reason why second pregnancies are less likely to be affected). The abdominal hypothesis makes sense for my case. I have a pretty tough core (with a nice layer of fat over it) and I actually made a concerted effort thru my pregnancy to hold my abs in. My baby was occiput posterior as well as asynclytic.

Could I use any more parenthesis? (no)

A few more notes about asynclytism: There are two types of asynclytism. Posterior and anterior. This is seperate from Occiput posterior and anterior. A baby can be Left Occiput Anterior, yet be posteriorly asyclytic. This means that the posterior side of the baby's head (it's left in LOA) is the part that's presenting more.
The anterior asynclytism is generally less problematic and is more often associated with a pendulous uterus, really lax abdominals, or a grand multip. A rebozo around the mom's lower abdomen is a common solution.

It's normal and healthy for a baby to enter the pelvis asynclyticly (even a little advantageous). It's when they don't untilt that it becomes problematic.


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## JanB (Mar 4, 2004)

Thanks for the info! That's very interesting, regarding asynclitic babies causing PROM.

In the obstetrical notes from my son's birth, they also noted that he was "occiput transverse". Is that the same as asynclitic or a different problem?

As far as the ab muscles, I'd been weight-lifting before I got pregnant, so I wonder if that could have been a contributing factor. I guess it's really hard to definitively say what causes these things.


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## Synchro246 (Aug 8, 2005)

Oh yeah, I meant to say that I had PROM too.

Occiput isn't a "problem". It's just half way between Occiput anterior and occiput posterior. It's another one of those things that can become problematic if the baby doesn't rotate and remains "persistant". It will often be called "transverse arrest".


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## doulakris (Jul 26, 2005)

Laura- Thanks so much for your post! That makes so much sense. And I remember my midwife commenting throughout my pregnancy that I had very tight abs. She said it wasn't a problem, but she just noted it. I was an avid rock climber before and during the beginning of preg. And to think a part of me has been thinking I should get back into shape before getting pregnant again. This is the best ever excuse to not do crunches!


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## Synchro246 (Aug 8, 2005)

LOL tooo funny.
Since my last pregnancy I have been all over the spining babies website and read "Sit up and Take notice". The part that really struck a chord with me was the part about Allowing your abdomen to be a hammock for the baby. I've been making a concerted effort to do that this time. We shall see what comes of it in the next 6 weeks.







:


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## 2+twins (Apr 20, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *doulakris* 
JanB- tell me good things about your second birth. I'm trying to come up with courage to do it again. I'm terrified of having another asynclitic.

I know you didn't ask me, but my first was asynclitic (and compound presentation - hand to cheek). It was a fairly quick birth (relatively speaking - shy of 10 hours) but about 4 hours of it was spent pushing which just sucked. Anyhoo, my 2nd birth was *easy* (hard work, but very straight forward). She was born in approx. 90 min, unassisted (due to speed), and not asynclitic at all. You can do it!


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## doulakris (Jul 26, 2005)

Thanks for that! I really can't get enough of second births are easier stories. I mean I believe it's true, but to hear actual stories is great. Thanks!


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## Sam05 (Jun 3, 2005)

Did anyone's asynclitic baby have torticollis? No one ever said that my son was asynclitic and I didn't ask but I have a hard time believing he wasn't with the severity of his torticollis. My labor was very typical of an asynclitic presentation and he was also a compound presentation. Just wondering if torticollis is a cause/result of asyncliticism.


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## Synchro246 (Aug 8, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Sam05* 
Did anyone's asynclitic baby have torticollis? No one ever said that my son was asynclitic and I didn't ask but I have a hard time believing he wasn't with the severity of his torticollis. My labor was very typical of an asynclitic presentation and he was also a compound presentation. Just wondering if torticollis is a cause/result of asyncliticism.

OMG I've been asking this question for months!!!

My son did have torticolis. It was easily resolved with changing which side of me he slept on so he would have to work to nurse (and with a touch of chiro and cranial sacral therapy)

I've found a couple of people (on the ICAN list) who had babies with torticolis and asynclytic presentations. Most people who responded to me though only knew they had one of the things and wasn't sure about the other thing. It wasn't very enlightening. It certainly would be a great thing to research.


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## doulakris (Jul 26, 2005)

Mine too! Not severe enough to warrant treatment, other than CST. His head was crooked for about a month! Hey, did anyone else have round ligament pain? I'm wondering if that could also be related?


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## Synchro246 (Aug 8, 2005)

I think *everyone* has round ligament pain. I had it this time too. Those ligaments have to strech a lot.


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## mwherbs (Oct 24, 2004)

when a baby is flexed, chin to chest; then crown of the head, occiput is on the way out, normal presentation -- If one of the parietal bones precedes the sagittal suture, in an other wise op or oa position the head is considered asynclitic. others have said it the side of the head is trying to come out instead of the crown-- probably ear to shoulder instead of chin to chest--


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## JanB (Mar 4, 2004)

Btw, here's a photo of my son's off-center conehead, if anyone wants to see what I was talking about:

http://www.12pointfont.com/gallery/firstdays/01_G


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## Synchro246 (Aug 8, 2005)

Aww! I can dig out the pictures of my son right after birth. He was born with a vacuume and the spot is very clear.


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

My dd (born via c/s after a looooong labor with massive, non-stop contractions never going past 7cm) was both posterior and asynclitic. She had the off center cone head look...just above her ear. I always laughed when people told me that "well at least with a cesarean you had a baby with a nice round head". Ummm...yeah.

I also had sPROM and she was 42+ weeks...I've read that besides a tendancy to cause premature rupture of the membranes, asynclitic babes are more likely to "go late".

I've been religious about spininng babies and OFP this time...and I sort of feel like if I could handle the sensations of dd's labor for so long this coming birth should be a breeze!


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## Synchro246 (Aug 8, 2005)

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b1...46/themark.jpg

I think he's about a week old here. You can see the bruise on the right side of his head. That's where the vacuume was attached and that was what was presenting. I would have loved to know what diameter his scull was from that angle. I bet a nice LOA vertex baby woulda shot right out. Or, one can hope.


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## chiroeema (Jun 4, 2008)

Asynclitic refers to the position of the baby's head within the uterus. In this case, the baby's head is tilted to one side. This situation often makes mommies pretty uncomfortable, but can also create difficulties with delivery because it is difficult for the head to engage in the birth canal properly. An asynclitic can also present with shoulder dystocia which also complicates delivery.

When I see children in my office born with this kind of presentation, I not only check for spinal misalignment any other accompanying spinal injury such as torticollis ("wry neck"), brachial plexus injuries (injuries to the nerves going to the shoulder and arm), but also keep an eye peeled for future digestive or respiratory difficulties due to the influence of the cervical spine neurology on these functions.

Hope this helps!

Dr. E


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## applejuice (Oct 8, 2002)

My second baby was posterior and ascynclic. So painful!! He was born at home. I had gone to a chiropractor for the entire pregnancy also. But I did it!! The membranes were ruptured late in labor by my midwife.

My son is 25 years old now. He still sleeps with his head in funny positions. I guess he likes it.

To the chiropractor above me, he has been diagnosed with some scoliosis but that has never stopped him from doing anything he has wanted to do. He did receive chiropractic attention as a child from his Grandfather, a chiropractor. He is in the Service now. The USCG.


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## spu (Dec 6, 2002)

normally, baby's chin is tucked down. Imagine the head being an oval if you look down at the top of it. The smaller back portion should present first as it enters the vaginal barrel. if the baby's chin is not tucked under, the smaller rounder portion of the 'oval' is not presenting first, and it can be more difficult to deliver for the mom. Can also refer to the baby's head being tilted to the side.

My second pregnancy was asynclitic and posterior. Big guy got completely stuck after glorious drug-free labor, and ended with a c. they even tried to manually go up there and fix him to try to get him out vaginally.


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## queenjulie (Oct 26, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *doulakris* 
Thanks for that! I really can't get enough of second births are easier stories. I mean I believe it's true, but to hear actual stories is great. Thanks!

They are!! Both my daughters were occiput posterior, and the second had a nuchal hand. My first labor took 28 horrific hours with 2 agonizing hours of pushing, and required an epidural and pitocin due to my exhaustion.

The second labor lasted 16 hours, mostly at home while I contemplated how painless and easy it was. I only had two hours of active labor and 15 minutes of pushing, with no epidural, no pitocin, and no interference. It was amazing how much less painful and more exhilarating the second labor was compared to the first, even though they had the same malpresentation.


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