MODEL RELEASED. Antenatal check-up. Hands of a general practice doctor palpate (press) the abdomen of a pregnant woman, to check the way the foetus is lying in the womb. The doctor can feel the head and body of the foetus. In women about to give birth, it is important the foetus engages head-down toward the birth canal, in preparation for labour. Palpation can sometimes assist in moving the foetus into the correct position.