fetal position

English

A man sitting in a fetal position

Alternative forms

• (rare, UK) foetal position

Etymology

From the position a fetus typically assumes late in pregnancy.

Noun

fetal position (plural fetal positions)

1. (literally) The location of the fetus inside a womb.
2. A posture in which the head and knees are brought close to the abdomen, usually while sitting or lying on one side.

   The fetal position is the most common sleeping position.

   • 2013 February 1, Tom Armstrong, Marvin (comic):

     When life's stresses get to be too much ... and my pacifier and thumb don't cut it ... there's only one thing for me to do. Return to the fetal position.

Translations

location of the fetus

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 胎姿 (tāizī)

• Finnish: sikiön asento

posture

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 蜷縮／蜷缩 (zh) (quánsuō)

• Finnish: sikiöasento (fi)
• Icelandic: fósturstelling
• Maori: pēpeketanga

See also

• fetal position on Wikipedia.Wikipedia