11.2.2  Is the baby facing the mother’s front, or her back?

Next, feel the mother’s abdomen for a large, hard shape (the baby’s back). If you can feel it (Figure 11.2a), the baby is facing the mother’s back. If you cannot feel the baby’s back, feel for a lot of small lumps (Figure 11.2b). If you feel a lot of small lumps instead of a large, hard shape, it probably means that you are feeling the baby’s arms and legs, which tell you that it is facing the mother’s front.

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Figure 11.2  (a) If you can feel a large hard lump, the baby is facing towards the mother’s back. (b) If you can feel a lot of small lumps, the baby is facing towards the mother’s front.