Breech Position What is the best way to deliver a breech baby?

Breech Position
Your doctor may examine you or perform an ultrasound and tell you that your baby is in a breech position. If your baby is found to be in a breech position, that means he is sitting with his butt or feet at your cervix. Your baby may be frank breech-which means that he his bottom first with his feet by his head. A complete breech position occurs when the baby is bottom first with his legs crossed Indian-style. If your baby is sitting in a footling breech position, he has one or both of his feet near the cervix. Ideally, babies need to be head first to have a safe vaginal delivery.

It is not uncommon for a baby to be breech early in the pregnancy. This should not be a cause for concern because there is still plenty of time for the baby to move into a head-down position. Around 8 months, there is not very much extra room in the womb. If your baby has not turned by this point, the likelihood of him turning on his own is slim. Normally, your healthcare provider can tell what position your baby is at the beginning of the third trimester.

If your baby has not turned into a head-down position by the time you are 36-37 weeks pregnant, you may be a good candidate for an external cephalic version. This simply means that your caregiver will try to manually turn your baby into a head down position by using her hands over your abdomen.

If the external cephalic version is not successful or you were not a candidate for the procedure, you will probably have a caesarean section to deliver your baby. In twin pregnancies, a vaginal delivery is attempted if the presenting twin is in a head-down position. If you have a planned c-section because of your baby's breech presentation, you will probably be given an ultrasound to confirm the position before the surgery.



Comments: Breech Position

Comments 1 to 24 of about 161.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Next

Debra - 3 hours ago.
I was overdue with my first last fall and started to see my chiropractor for discomfort. She had also done a 'labour massage' with my friend and she started her labour within 3 hours of her chiro visit. I went several times over the course of a week and a half. My due date was on a tuesday and I'd had one regular adjustment the friday before. On that tuesday, my midwife palpated the baby as being in a vertex position (head down) at -2 station. I was at the chiro on tues, wed, fri and saturday and went into labour on the sunday. I ended up having a breech baby so he flipped during a flurry of activity I had felt on the thursday night. I attribute the turn to the 'labour massage.' I won't be doing that again if the next one is in a head down position, but i'll definately try it if i'm a suspected breech already! It was quite pleasant as well during and didn't hurt. Alternatively, I've also heard about heat therapy that is applied to a woman's right foot to her baby toe. THis has a 95% positive turn rate. It is a type of accupressure and you can call an acupuncturist to see if they will perform this. After 5.5 months post c/s I can tell you that I'm still numb in my abdomen. THe labour wasn't nearly as bad as I always thought it would be and my girlfriend who tore quite badly is fully recovered while i'm not. I also still have pain on the area when my son kicks me. SO i would avoid surgery at all costs!

gamommy - 1 days ago.
Hello all ! My little girl is in breech position as of my last visit with my doctor....I am now 31 weeks and 2 days and I am scared she isnt going to turn on her own!.....I have already experienced a vaginal delivery and I really would like to have her that way also....but maybe she still has a little more time to turn!:)......anyways has anyone heard of anything I could do myself to make her turn?....I saw someone mention different excerises?...message me please!...god bless all!:)

AprilChristine - 2 days ago.
had an u/s last week. I was 32 weeks 4 days. My lil girl is breech. I suppose she has time to move still, but she loves the position she's in. she seems to be in pretty much the same position every u/s and i have one every month for growth because I have g/d. I invited my Mil and my Sil to be there for the birth, but if it's a C section, then they are out of luck, b/c they will only let my hubby in with me. they keep asking me if she turned yet. I can't tell, because I feel her all over the place. My MIL keeps pushing the issue of them being able to try and turn her, but I'm not sure I'm willing to take that extra risk. She says it has a pretty high success rate. I think she is more interested in it, just so she doesn't miss the birth. I could care less whether I have a c section or vaginal birth, I just want her hear and healthy. If anyone has had their baby turned or any helpful info on it, please message my page. I know it's still a ways off, but I like to know as much as I can, so when the doc brings it up, i can make an educated decision:) thanks ladies:0)

kelcam76 - 2 days ago.
Hi mums and mums to be, I haven't been on the site for ages as had heaps going on but our little one is breech too both feet up near it's ears...maybe we've got a gymnast on our hands. Had a hard time coming to terms with a caesarean but am now booked in for wednesday the 14th May as our bub has really dropped bottom first into my pelvis. Spose there are reasons for everything but the main thing is to have the baby happy and healthy and it's kind of nice knowing this time next week we will meet our little one very exciting. Hopefully the surgery isn't too scary for me as I really am a bit of a wooze. fingers crossed x

abigailsmommy - 3 days ago.
Sf-mama, it shouldn't be hard to convince your doc to try to do an ecv (turn the baby) but they don't like to do it until 37 weeks because there's the possibility that it could throw you into labor by breaking your water and also if the baby gets too distressed they might have to do an emergency c-section. so i say at your 36 week appt if she still hasn't turned, ask your doctor to set an appointment for the following week to do the procedure. i just had mine done almost two weeks ago. a word of advice, if they offer you an epidural, get it. you wouldn't think its very painful but it kinda is. i'm not trying to scare you, just prepare you. no one told me it was painful so i didn't get any kind of medication. now i know better. my daughter didn't turn so i'm having a c-section on friday. i cried and cried and begged them to try harder to turn her because like you, i wanted to bond with my baby immediately. i don't want any one to hold her before i do. my doctor told me that i can get on my hands and knees and arch my back, and also raise my hips by putting some pillows under my butt to help flip the baby. let us know how if your doctor is willing to try turning her.

mommy2008 - 3 days ago.
So i went to the doc yesturday and went ahead and scheduled the c/s for the 14th, which will make me 39 (+) wks. I'm going back next monday to docs office, hopefully she turns or maybe I can go thru labor and she will turn on her own......My hubby and I still have hope.

Anzel - 3 days ago.
I'm 36 weeks pregnant and my LO has been lying in the breech position for most of my pregnancy. I initially wanted my gynae to try turn her for me, last week, but decided (after he said they usually lie in that position for a reason) to leave things to nature and not interfere with her too much. I had my heart set on a natural birth and was quite emotional when doc said I should consider caesar. I have decided to take whatever course is safest for my baby and will probably have the caesar on the 26th of May. I have tried the squats, arches, Pulsatilla etc etc and she is not budging!

Sf-mama - 4 days ago.
Well, she is still sitting breech. She seems perfectly comfortable like that. We call her Little Buddha. I read online that breech babies are just trying to be close to your heart. :) maybe I was just really grabbing for something to make me feel better, but it works for me to think that she is in that position to be close to my heart. Anyways we go for our 36 week check up on Wednesday. Does anyone know if it is hard to convince them to try and turn the baby at 36 weeks? I really want them to try as early as possible before she gets any bigger to increase our odds. Do you have to say something special? A code word? I really, really want a vaginal delivery. I have cried too many tears about the possibility of surgery and missing the bonding time for her 1st few hours on earth. Advice welcome...

azmommytobe - 6 days ago.
Hello fellow Breechers My baby has been breech the whole entire time and has no ambition to move. Usually his head is in my upper right rib cage. I guess he is happy there! I was all about having an ECV done no matter the pain. This is my 1st baby and wanted so badly to have a vaginal delivery. My Dr is a little on the cautious side and does not want to do an ECV. He basically said that in the small chance anything does happen during the ECV he literally has 3 min. to get the baby out. That means wheeling me down to OR, prep and delivery. He does not think it is a chance I should take. He would do it if I pressed him for it I am sure. I have just been praying and crying to my belly and hoping he can turn. I am almost 37 weeks so I don't think it will happen. For all you women who don't want a c-section and it is your 1st I know exactly how you feel. I cry alot over it but it is getting better. The positive note I keep in mind is the worst possible thing to happen would be in labor for 20 hrs and have a c-section anyways. Best wishes to you all

mommy2be77 - 7 days ago.
Almost 32 weeks, went to my OB appt today & for the first time my entire pregnancy, the baby is laying diagonol with her head up under my left lung. Has this happened to anyone else? What are the chances she'l move back to head down?

LoriVan - 7 days ago.
HI I am almost 21 weeks and with my last u/s the tech said my baby is breech, that the baby is looking at my back. I know that I am going to have a c -section , this will be my fourth. Will the baby turn ? Is there any thing that will be different from a normal pregnancy? My other 3 were head down and in position already at this time. Many blessings to you and yours!

snowwhite5thbabe - 8 days ago.
For you ladies who are being kicked too much in the cervix, I had this happen to me the other night. It's very painful! Thankfully,you can shift the baby's position by being on your hands and knees, and dropping your belly low, then arching your back high (I also had to kind of lunge forward at the same time to twirl baby into a new position). (This cat pose suggested by my midwife last pregnancy.)So glad this worked for now(at 26 weeks). Later on, he may be too big... One mom said that she was leaning against her husband while he was talking, and the baby turned towards him... very interesting!

knockoutmom - 9 days ago.
how badly does the version hurt? im 34 weeks and just found out my baby is breech. theyre gonna discuss my options with me at my 36 week checkup and im not sure if i want to just do the version or wait til i see if she flips herself, which i doubt later on in pregnancy she will. i have horrible panic attacks and i want to avoid the c section at all costs! i dont wanna freak out on the table! help!

mommy2008 - 9 days ago.
Baby still breech here (@ 37 weeks) doc told me to go back on Monday and have another u/s. If baby has not changed, he gave me the option of having an external version at the hospital that day....I'm so confused cuz i dont want a c-section.....Any tips??

chimama - 10 days ago.
Chrisssyp - at 34 weeks your baby still has a greater than 50% chance of turning. Do all the breech exercises that you can, visualize the baby turning etc. If that doesn't work by 36 weeks I would personally try an ECV - it might work and they only very rarely have any complications. If you schedule a c/s they will probably schedule for around 39 weeks. I wouldn't schedule any earlier since you'll want to let your kiddo 'cook' as long as possible. Good luck!

shockNsuprise - 13 days ago.
Hello all... I gave birth to twin girls 12 days ago. It was my 5th pregnancy and Twin A had decided to go breech at 32 weeks. I had a very experienced doctor and had given birth to a 9lb baby already so we decided to try for a vaginal birth since the girls were estimated to be only 6 lbs. I gave birth to Twin A breech after 5 hours of labor and Twin B 4 minutes later. No complications what-so-ever! I must stress though that my doctor was highly skilled in breech deliveries.

chrisssyp - 15 days ago.
HI everyone! I will be 34 weeks tomorrow and I found out on Monday during my u/s that my baby is breech. Anyone know the chances of her flipping on her own? I go back for another u/s to see if she flipped on May 8th. I will be 36 weeks then. If she doesn't flip the doc said she could try to manually flip her at the hospital or we can schedule a c-section. Anyone know around what week the c-section would be scheduled?

aniyahsmom2008 - 15 days ago.
Just wanted to say that I am so excited that my little one decided to turn on her own because I really didnt want that procedure to turn her or a c-section, so im really happy that I can carry on with my vaginal birth!!!!

mommy2008 - 16 days ago.
How would I know that the baby is no longer breech????

baby-zekes-mommy - 16 days ago.
hello everyone. i had my baby two weeks ago, and he was in a breech position. i was 35 weeks pregnant and i went to the doctor because i had a fever and come to find out, i was 3 cm dilated. i went back to the doctor for a followup appointment a few days later (i was 36 weeks, 1 day) and i was 5 cm dilated and my membranes were bulging. i was given two decisions. i could either have the doctors try and turn the baby for me and go into labor naturally (if it worked) or we could just opt for a c-section. i was too scared they would hurt my son (first time mom =D ) so i went for the c-section. within an hour, my son was born and the c-section was not that bad at all. my incision is wayyyyy low in my pubic area, you cant even see it if i have a bathing suit on and i have no trouble holding my baby at all (i was given vicodin of course). i just wanted to offer everyone a little bit of encouragement if c-section is your only option at this point. i definately did not want a csection at first, but once your baby is in your arms, you wont remember a thing!

chimama - 17 days ago.
I just posted this to another mom... thought the group might find it helpful: My first baby was breech and never turned, and my second (i'm almost 33 weeks preg now) was breech last week but I got it to flip. Here's some good resources for turning breech babies: www.spinningbabies.com - great website about baby positioning try the following things (you can look up the details of how to do each one on the web if not self-explanitory): breech tilts bag of frozen peas on the baby's head warm bath that goes up no higher than your belly button visualization relaxation Hypnobabies makes a 'turn your breech baby' CD which has guided relaxation and visualization - it's very good. chiropractic - you want to find someone who does the Webster Breech turning technique moxibustion - this is an accupuncture technique that has some very good clinical evidence of working. Incidentally, my current baby flipped after 2 treatments with this (it's also the one thing I did *not* try with my last pregnancy). I have no idea if it was coincidental or not, but I'm not going to complain! I'd never had accupuncture in my LIFE until last week, and I'm a convert. swimming doing handstands and diving in the pool talking to the baby playing music down low (put ear buds on your lower belly) gentle massage of your belly in a clockwise direction. You can 'encourage' your baby to flip head down. do while doing breech tilts. They will probably suggest that you try an ECV (externa cephalic version) around 37 weeks if your baby is still breech. These are not comfortable, but they're not awful either, and they give you about a 60% chance of the baby turning. We tried a version with my son but he didn't budge.

Mummy2be2008 - 17 days ago.
Well my little has now decided to go footling breech and not transverse..... and there is not much room for it to move head down just wished its and flipped the other way not head up ... heart burn has kicked in and the baby keeps flipping its back from the left to the right and then has hiccups for 30 mins ...... seeing midwife again in 2 weeks to see if anything has changed if not having a scan done at 36 weeks and if still no change I m booking myself in for a C Section as I m concerned if I go in to labour naturally that I dont get a cord prolaspe which I read can happen with breech babies .....

gabbagirl - 21 days ago.
there is a web site my best friend gave me its called SPINNINGBABIES.COM its supposed to give you ideas on how to help the baby spin

elle - 21 days ago.
imbamommy- I doubt they can numb you any other way then an epidural or spinal block.

AmandaRaeP - 22 days ago.
Hey I found out my little girl was breech on tuesday, and i'm sooooooo dreading a c-section, i am 37 weeks, so anyways i started researching it and found that some ppl use acupuncture to flip them. So I had an appt today and it was pretty cool. He said it's about 80% effective....not bad. It's called moxibustion or something like that....no needles. He justed used these things that look like big cigars and warmed a point on my baby toes for 15-20 min...2x per day for 3 days.....so we'll see.....CROSSING MY FINGERS...lol....and my TOES!! anyone else heard of this or tried it?? here a video i found of it, http://www.acubalance.ca/moxa-moxibustion-breech-baby


1 2 3 4 5 6 Next


All forums   latest comments
Trying to conceive   latest comments
Pregnancy   latest comments
Birth   latest comments
Birth defects   latest comments
Babies   latest comments