Though I’ll never have the chance to do it, I know that birthing your child can be one of the most emotional experiences a woman can have. Learning that your little one is in the breech position during those final weeks of pregnancy may be scary and the potential of not having a vaginal birth can be heartbreaking for some.
Most babies will move into delivery position a few weeks before birth, with the head moving closer to the birth canal. A breech presentation refers to when this fails to happen and the baby’s buttocks and/or feet are positioned to be delivered first. Ultrasound can be used to confirm the baby’s position. Special x-rays can also be used to observe the size of the pelvis and determine if a vaginal delivery of a breech baby can be safely attempted. Breech births occur in approximately 1 out of 25 full-term births.
If a breech presentation is seen, it is ideal for birthing to turn the baby to the head down position. The preferable time to try to do this is between the 32nd and 37th weeks of pregnancy. There are various methods of turning a baby and the success rate for each can also vary.
External Version: External version is a non-surgical technique to move the baby in the uterus. A medication is given to help relax the uterus and ultrasound may also be used to determine the position of the baby, the location of the placenta, and the amount of amniotic fluid in the uterus. Gentle pushing on the lower abdomen can turn the baby into the head-down position. External version has a high success rate, though this procedure becomes more difficult as the due date gets closer. Some women have described to me that it was uncomfortable to have this technique done in the later weeks of pregnancy.
Chiropractic Care: The Webster Breech Technique is used by chiropractors to reduce stress on the pregnant woman’s pelvis, leading to the relaxation of the uterus and surrounding ligaments. A breech baby is more likely to naturally turn with a more relaxed uterus. The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics reported an 82% success rate for the Webster Technique. The results of the study also suggest that it’s preferable to perform this technique in the 8th month of pregnancy.
Moxibustion: This is a Chinese medical therapy using the herb mugwort to warm a specific acupuncture point on the little toe. Chinese mugwort is dried and commonly packed into a cigar-looking stick called moxa. Mugwort can also be applied while attached to an acupuncture needle and even rolled into a cone and directly placed on the point. I typically hold the stick over each little toe for thirty minutes. This is a therapy that has been used to turn a breech baby for hundreds of years.
A 3-year study published in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine in 2001 observed how effective moxibustion and acupuncture were in turning breech presentation. Only women who were 28 weeks pregnant or later diagnosed with breech presentation were entered into the study. The control group, consisting of 224 women, was given exercise and external version. They had a spontaneous correction rate of 73%. The experimental group, consisting of 133 women, received 30 minutes of moxibustion daily and acupuncture, but no exercise or external version. They had a correction rate of 92%. The study concluded that acupuncture and moxibustion is a safe and effective modality to correct breech presentation in a clinical setting. I feel that it should definitely be an initial option when learning that your baby is in the breech position and hope that more birthing parents are aware of this.