Leopold's manoeuvres

System: Pregnancy & Women's Health Signs · All pregnancy & women's health signs

What it is — and how it is elicited

A four-step palpation of the pregnant abdomen to work out which way the baby is lying: what is in the fundus, where the back lies, what is over the pelvis, and how the presenting part is flexed.

What a positive finding suggests

Used to assess fetal lie, presentation and position in later pregnancy.

◈ Behind the name

Christian Gerhard Leopold (1846–1911), German gynaecologist.

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Please note: This page is an educational reference about clinical examination signs. A clinical sign supports — and never replaces — a full clinical evaluation, examination and appropriate testing. A sign being present does not by itself prove a diagnosis, and an absent sign does not rule one out. If you have symptoms that worry you, see a health professional.