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

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EmmaleighS - 298 days ago.
Found out on a random 'keepsake' ultrasound (I know, I'm horrible! But I LOVE seeing baby!!) that he is NOT breech, despite the 'flutters I feel very low. He has so little room that he's actually folded over in half with his feet at his ears! Hoping he realizes soon that he has more room if he goes 'straight' and stays head-down! He's been breech since our 12 weeks ultrasound (I'm 31 weeks).

jen122409 - 824 days ago.
i am 38 weeks with my second, and just found out that my baby has tuned into the breech position. how likely is it for him to turn back? or will i need to have a c-section? i'm going more for the c-section because my first child was stillborn. any advice?

dreamgirl - 873 days ago.
This is my fourth baby and the previous three were in the head-down position. With my last pregnancies, I felt kicks higher in my uterus, by my ribs. This time I always feel her kicking low in my uterus. It feels like she is kicking down and everytime she moves, it hurts. I can't help but to think that she might be breech. I was wondering how the dr. found out your babies were breech. Was it by U/S or can they feel it? I have already had my last U/S at 20 weeks and to me it seemed like she was laying sideways. The doctor wasn't concerned, so I paid no attention. Am I crazy or does it sound like she might be breech?

undecidedly - 920 days ago.
breech position, my little one is in a breech posiiton and it is real painful when the baby moves around, makes me cry sometimes........just wondering how i could get the baby to turn? my last little girl was born at 36 weeks and she was in a breech position. they turned inside of me manually and that was real painful on top of being on labour..............ii'm scared and I am real big for my gestation week

tattooedmomma - 1064 days ago.
I was succesfull in turning my little girl! I still worry that she will turn back around, so everytime I see my Doc, I have him make sure she is still head down! lol

KristinaS2010 - 1089 days ago.
I had my baby Wednesday by C-Section. She was Frank Breech and had her arms straight up. It wasn't as bad as I though it would be. Haven't had to have pain meds since the second day and am just glad she is perfect. No complications at all and she didn't need any extra care. She was also 8lb 8oz and 20 in.

tattooedmomma - 1089 days ago.
I found out at 28 weeks that my little girl is breech. I am now 31 weeks and am starting to worry that she hasn't turned because I felt her hiccup in my ribs two days ago. This is my 4th child and first girl. All my boys were born vaginally and I want the same for my liitle girl. I have been trying lot's of the at home ways to turn her but they don't seem to have worked yet...so I am looking into birthing her breech instead of a C Section. I see my doctor on thursday, so I will talk to him about it then.

shirls - 1136 days ago.
An article on vaginal breech births: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/Giving+birth+natural/2788647/story.html

knockoutmom - 1141 days ago.
anxious - i had an ECV with my daughter since she was breech and it was insuccessful. i had her dad in there with my holding my hand and talking to me so i tried to focus on him and not what they were doing. to be honest it was pretty uncomfortable but oddly enough not too painful. everyone i had talked to about it kept saying how badly it hurt. im a complete wimp so i figured i would freak out during it but i didnt!! to each their own. the c section wasnt bad at all. sooooo easy!!! and recovery time wasnt bad either!

anxiousmothertobe - 1154 days ago.
What are your insights on the external version, when they turn your baby? I would love to hear if anyone had that done.

anxiousmothertobe - 1154 days ago.
juniwoo- I am in the same boat as you. My baby was head down at 28 weeks and then went into breech position the following week. I was planning on having a natural birth with no medication or anything of that sort, but like you said my plans have turned upside down. Sometimes I think that I still have time for the baby to turn especially since I'm 34 weeks and it's until week 36 when the dr. really starts considering a c-section. I really am trying to avoid it especially since this is my first and I really wanted to see how it felt to give birth vaginally. Nowadays, I'm just going with the flow, I know that I am dying to see my little baby and hold her so if a c-section is what it's going to cost me than I'm up to it. Other times I just freak out and to be honest with you I don't know whether I'm up to either way of giving birth. I mean why couldn't having a baby simply be as easy as we were first taught as young kids; the stork delivers them to your door lol but just think positive and know that as long as the outcome is having your baby snuggled on your chest afterwards then nothing is that impossible, and hope your baby does turn eventually. Good Luck.

mylilaidan - 1161 days ago.
Im pregnant with twins, 36 weeks now and both babies are breech. Will be having a planned csection. Im not looking forward to the 6 months of recovery but i am happy to be saving my lady part from being ripped apart again.

Juniwoo - 1169 days ago.
Hi ladies, I've just been told at nearly 35 weeks that my baby is in breech position. I'm not surprised as I knew something had changed, but I'm slightly freaked out as I'd planned in my head a vaginal delivery, hours of contractions and build-up, a calming waterbirth and now all my plans, like my baby, have been turned upside down!! I was a breech baby myself and my mum had me vaginally cos the doctors didn't realise till it was too late, so I'm thankful they've picked up on it. Baby has 2 weeks to turn back if he/she is going to, but if, like mummy he/she stays put, then its a scheduled c-section. Trying to get my head around it all being planned and clinical, having an epidural, and all the pain afterwards is slightly freaking me out. Open to all advice and reassurance from those in the same boat!! Can't believe how much this has freaked me out and I do feel a bit disappointed as well I suppose. Just have to be positive and hope baby turns :S

marshallmommy - 1184 days ago.
Kaij-My little boy was footling breech as well. WE found out when I was approximately 34 weeks because I went into preterm labor. I had been scheduled for an ultrasound to determine what was going on because I was measuring 5 weeks ahead. Anyway, at that point the doctors said the chances of him turning were slim, but not impossible! Stay positive, but C-Sections really aren't as bad as they might sound. I ended up having one, and yes I was sore and miserable the first few days, but I don't feel like my recovery was much different from anyone else's.

klee88 - 1185 days ago.
kaij - my son was breech from start to finish he was 6lbs 3 oz and at 39 weeks he turned to head down position then turned back to breech, and done that 3 times before i had csection, they will turn if they want i think my son was just comfier in breech it is easier for them to turn if they are smaller x

Kaij - 1186 days ago.
My little girl (3rd one to boot) is a double footling breech. I am measuring 2 weeks ahead and she's approximately 5lbs 11oz already...eeek. Does anyone know the chances of her turning because I would really rather not have a CS. Thanks everyone.

titangoddess - 1204 days ago.
I was born breech and so was my dh and both of us were born vaginally. I am 33 weeks and in the last two days little lady has turned breech. I have already refused the turn if needed and I refused the c-section unless there is a life threathening issue that would arise. C-Section is not mandatory and you should know that before hand. I will birth at home if my ob insists I have a section just because the baby is breech. This is not an open opinion, it is mine only so please dont attack me on this. I am not giving out advice just chimming in... Labor dust ladies...

sam m - 1219 days ago.
my baby is breech - c section is scheduled for 2nd Feb if she doesnt turn in time :-( please baby turn!

blessedagainwith10 - 1222 days ago.
my last pregnancy was breech. I had the midwife turn my baby around in my 38th week. I delivered naturally no problem. It was great!! I'm also not a big girl 5' 2" and 120 lbs.

keri22 - 1222 days ago.
my son a few years ago was breech. didnt find out till my 37th week check up. cause he was head down at 7 months... guess he flipped back up. im a small girl so we think he got stuck when he flipped back up. you could see him trying to flip back down then he'd get stuck and go back up. they said i could try for the manual turning but i thought that was too risky so me and his dad opted for the c-section. it was so simple and easy. im probably gonna go ahead and have another planned c section with this one cause i had such a wonderful experiance.

naunilee - 1226 days ago.
Well this baby is still breech. We get to pick a date to have her at my next apt.!!!

adkarg - 1291 days ago.
My LO was breech. We found out at 32 weeks via ultrasound, but I suspected it earlier than that ( I could feel his head in my ribs). I had the option to do the ECV, but after much research my husband and I decided it was a risk we weren't willing to take. He never did turn and I had a c-section. The c-section was wonderful.. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I sort of felt that it was meant to be that he was upside down.. turns out that my pelvis is narrow.. the Dr said the baby's head would have never descended so I would have had to have a c-section anyways. Sean wasn't a big baby either.. he was 7 lbs 1 oz and 18.5 inches long.

klderoos - 1314 days ago.
My mid wife never picked up my breech position until I was a day over due, even though I'd told her several weeks earlier that I had been receiving huge kicks to the groin area! It was confirmed with an US she was single footling breech the obgyn at the hospital said no to turning as I was by that stage 4 days over due and he said that it would most likely end in a c-section, so that is what I had. Now preggers with my second and i have learnt my lesson to be more confident with my midwife and push for more info if I feel my concerns are being brushed aside. it took me 6 months to fully recover from my ceasar and I really want a natural birth this time around.

Jamiee - 1326 days ago.
My doctor cracked up when I told him but I mine as well throw it out there. I googled at home simple methods to try to get the baby to turn so at 35 weeks I was sitting with a frozen bag of veggies on top of my stomach and a flashlight on the bottom. Felt a lot of movement, the baby moving away from the cold thats the idea, and towards the light haha. OK now that Im not pregnant anymore it sounds crazy but at the point I was willing to do anything!!! Baby had flipped by my next appointment haha and when I told the doc how I did it, he about fell out of his chair laughing. Oh well, just spreading the knowledge doesnt hurt to try hahaha.

sooohappy - 1331 days ago.
hi was breech at 34 weeks mw said bounce on labour ball for half hour each night and go on all fous, this seemed to work as at 36 weeks baby was head down and engaged.