Turning baby who is breech

A vaginal birth may still be possible, depending on your individual clinical circumstances and the type of breech position your baby is in. Talk to your doctor or midwife about your options. Some people think that you might be able to encourage your baby to turn by holding yourself in certain positions, such as kneeling with your bottom in the air and your head and shoulders flat to the ground.

Other options you might hear include acupuncture, a Chinese herb called moxibustion and chiropractic treatment. There is no good evidence that these work. Discuss with your doctor or midwife before having any treatment during pregnancy. Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content.

Read more on NSW Health website. A breech birth requires careful consideration and consultation with your midwife or doctor. Read more on WA Health website. Breech presentation occurs when your baby is lying bottom first or feet first in the uterus womb rather than the usual head first position. In early pregnancy, a breech position is very common.

When a baby is positioned bottom-down late in pregnancy, this is called the breech position. Learn more about labour complications. Malpresentation is when your baby is in an unusual position as the birth approaches.

You'll probably be having lots of Braxton Hicks contractions by now. It's your body's way of preparing for the birth. They should stop if you move position. The pelvis helps carry your growing baby and is especially tailored for vaginal births.

Learn more about the structure and function of the female pelvis. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby is not responsible for the content and advertising on the external website you are now entering. Video call. This information is for your general information and use only and is not intended to be used as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition, nor should it be used for therapeutic purposes.

The information is not a substitute for independent professional advice and should not be used as an alternative to professional health care. If you have a particular medical problem, please consult a healthcare professional. After three days of walking, resume Forward-leaning Inversion once a day and the Abdominal and standing releases to continue the balance that will help the baby stay head down and rotate more readily once labor begins.

When Baby Flips Head Down. You may or may not notice when the baby turns. You might be able to tell if the breech flips by feeling the feet kick where the head had been before. Usually, the strongest kicks are from the legs not the arms and will be high in the womb when the head is low. More often, a mother will notice a difference in how she is carrying the baby.

Notice where your baby is kicking. If it is quite different and is now strong at the top of your womb, you may want to stop measures to flip the baby. That said, keep your inversions short and do them only once a day.

If you have a lot of amniotic fluid around your baby, so that a doctor needs to see you often, you should do other balancing activities like the Side-lying Release. Whether the baby flips on their own or with the help of an experienced midwife or doctor, the newly head-down baby is often in the right occiput posterior position. A daily Forward-leaning Inversion can continue to help the baby get into an even better position for the start of labor.

Remember, head down is only half the story! Balancing techniques could help a vaginal breech birth go more smoothly. Always use physiologic breech birth practices knee-elbow or hands-and-knees maternal position , hands-off the breech, natural childbirth, etc. Otherwise, a cesarean after labor begins gives the baby a bit of labor hormones to help transition into life outside the womb.

Discuss these options with your midwife or doctor. There is currently better data in obstetrics to support physiological breech vaginal birth. Consider that another week of healthy gestation, up to 40 weeks, has nothing but benefits for your baby. If you or your baby are not healthy, or if there is a prolapsed cord, you may need medical help. Keep reading, keep balancing, and keep talking about what is beneficial for you and your baby with your provider.

I just wanted to let you know that I appreciated your help, and that at 34 weeks, me, my chiropractor, and my midwife are all pretty sure that the baby has flipped head down, to what your site basically calls a LOT position. Hi Gail. I was in your workshop in Farmington Hills. But after we did the exercises, inversions, and fascial releases, we were able to make room for the baby to move. As of the last ultrasound, the baby is head down, and now mom will be able to have the delivery she wanted.

Thank you so much for sharing your techniques. I received this email from a woman who found out her baby is breech.

You can read my response to her below. I recently found out my baby is breech. This is a 2nd baby. My first was a very calm baby and was always head down. I exercise times a week. I eat well and am in good shape. I was much worse with my son they kept thinking it was preterm labor but my cervix never opened. The Webster Maneuver is a gentle press on the round ligaments in a specific direction to soften the ligament. Releasing a kink or tightness in the round ligaments also helps the uterus become more symmetrical, which helps the baby into an ideal starting position for labor.

The Webster can be done repeatedly, weekly, or bi-weekly if in the last month or two. It is one step in helping a breech baby flip. Sometimes it is the only step needed, especially if repeated about times. However, occasionally you may need more body work or self-care to flip a breech baby.

After a sacral release , you may wear a belt as much as possible to support a loose abdominal wall. Good tone may be too tight for a broad ligament. A tight broad ligament often goes along with an asymmetry in the round ligaments.

Releasing it helps the baby turn past it. Carol Phillips, DC, who taught me about the myofascial world, says that premature contractions are often solved by a sacral release standing sacral release. The moms that I suggested to have this type of bodywork done have found it to work. I also suggest a high protein, whole foods diet with plenty of leafy greens, yellow veggies, Omega 3s, liquids, and salt-to-taste basically a Brewer Diet and then some.

However, you should have a clear idea of several things you can do yourself, and the body work that will help. Continue with inversions. I suggest the method of getting upside down shown in the video demonstration on this page.

The Jiggle;, a Belly Hug; or Manteada with a Rebozo helps maintain the balance and releases tension in the abdomen. Traditional Midwives of Mexico, Central America and some South American countries use a Rebozo a long woven cloth helps relax the broad ligament if you can relax your belly into it like a hammock and your partner can lift the weight of the baby off your spine without scrunching into it.

Start slowly and do short jiggles until your involuntary muscles can relax about 3 minutes. Repeat daily as possible. If an ECV does not work, you'll need to discuss your options for a vaginal birth or caesarean section with your midwife and obstetrician. If you plan a caesarean and then go into labour before the operation, your obstetrician will assess whether it's safe to proceed with the caesarean delivery.

If the baby is close to being born, it may be safer for you to have a vaginal breech birth. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists RCOG website has more information on what to expect if your baby is still breech at the end of pregnancy. If your baby is lying sideways across the womb, they are in the transverse position. Although many babies lie sideways early on in pregnancy, most turn themselves into the head-down position by the final trimester.

Depending on how many weeks pregnant you are when your baby is in a transverse position, you may be admitted to hospital. This is because of the very small risk of the umbilical cord coming out of your womb before your baby is born cord prolapse.

If this happens, it's a medical emergency and the baby must be delivered very quickly. Sometimes, it's possible to manually turn the baby to a head-down position, and you may be offered this.