What Is Transverse Lie?

In my 8th month of pregnancy, I was told by my ob that the baby inside my womb was in transverse lie position. The immediate question that popped-up in my mind was “what is transverse lie?” Well, obviously, I knew that time that something was wrong. Though, not that seriously wrong but I knew that her position/presentation was not normal. I was advised not to move that much because if my water bag will break it will be dangerous for my baby – her umbilical cord may be compressed which might cause her to be short of air resulting to her death. (That really got me scared.)

Transverse lie means that the head is to one side and the feet or bottom are to the other so that neither the head nor the feet or bottom are presenting to the cervix meaning the fetus is lying sideways.

A transverse baby may be a temporary condition due to the positioning of the mother, or it could be due to other reasons. Common reasons for a transverse baby are multiple babies, low-lying placentas, small pelvic inlets, weak abdominal wall, and issues with the uterus or baby.

Fetuses cannot deliver safely in a transverse lie. They either need to turn such that they are facing head down or need to be delivered by C-section.

A transverse lie could be fatal to the fetus if the woman goes into labor and breaks her water, allowing the fetal [umbilical] cord to come out and be compressed.The cord can protrude first and become occluded, which can result in oxygen deprivation and brain damage, and possible death to the baby.