What is Fetal Station?

And why should a doula know?

One of the first things we were taught in Midwifery School was "Put your hands on the belly first, THEN do your internal exam"... I no longer work as a midwife and my fingers go nowhere “in there”! As a doula, while dilation is helpful to know, I am more interested in fetal position and the fetal station. (Plus - We know that dilation is a sneaky thing! A client’s cervix might change from 4cm to 10cm in an hour or take 3 days to do that same, right?!)

Tip #1: As a doula, when your client chooses to get a cervical exam, ask: What is the baby’s position and station.

The Pelvis is divided into 3 levels: Inlet, Mid-pelvis, and the Outlet.

Tip #2: If you are a doula or a childbirth educator, you should have a model of the pelvis to show your clients how the joints of the pelvis move. This will help them understand what it is you are talking about.

(This is an affiliate code for a pelvis model that all of our instructors use.)

When looking at your model of the pelvis, find the ischial spines. That denotes Zero Station.

The inlet of the pelvis is -1 to -3. Mid-pelvis is -1 to +1. The Outlet of the pelvis is +1 to +3.

If the baby is still high in the pelvis, I pull out my "help baby engage" tips. If baby is below zero, I pull out my "help baby to perineum" tips.

Doulas - ask: Position, Station, THEN dilation. Then you'll know what to do next.

(Learn more about Fetal Position here - insert link)