What To Do For A Baby In Breech Position

Image: Shutterstock
Babies twist and turn inside the mothers womb. And as one gets closer to labor, almost all babies will move into the delivery position which is head-first. However, in some cases, it will be the babys buttocks or feet that will be closer to the birth canal. This is known as breech presentation. Around 3-4% of full-term births can end up being breech presentation (1).

Breech Births Can Be Of 3 Types

Image: Shutterstock
There are 3 types of breech birth presentations (2):

1) Complete Breech

In this position, the babys butt will be downwards with their legs bend along the knees, whereas the babys feet will be closer to the buttocks.
Sponsored

2) Frank Breech

Here, the babys butt will be towards the birth canal and the legs will be straight up with the feet adjacent to the head of the baby.

3) Footling Breech

In this type of breech presentation, the babys feet will be pointed downwards to be delivered first.

Factors That Contribute To Breech Presentation

Image: Shutterstock

Though its not completely understood why a baby ends up in a breech position, certain factors may contribute to breech presentation (3):

• When this is not your first pregnancy.
• When the amniotic fluid in the uterus is either excessive or not enough.
• When you are having a multiple pregnancy (twins, triplets, or more).
• When the shape of the uterus is not normal or there is the presence of abnormal growth like fibroids.
• When the placenta covers the opening of the uterus partially or fully.
• When you are having a premature delivery.

The doctor can check and confirm if the baby is in a breech position by keeping their hand in the mothers belly to find the position of the babys back, buttocks, and head in the uterus. If the doctor suspects that the baby is not in the correct position, an ultrasound can be done to confirm if the baby is breech.

What Can Be Done If Your Baby Is In A Breech Position

Image: Shutterstock

Your doctor will perform different methods to turn your baby from the breech position. However, the success rates of each of these methods may vary (4).

External Version

It is a medical technique that is used to change the position of the baby in the womb. During this procedure, the doctor might prescribe a medication that helps in the relaxation of the uterus. An ultrasound will also be performed to locate the babys position as well as the placenta. Ultrasound is also helpful to determine how much amniotic fluid is there in the uterus.
In the external version, the doctor will gently push the lower part of the abdomen so that the baby can be turned head-down for delivery. Throughout the procedure, the doctor will closely monitor the heartbeat of the baby to make sure that the babys life is not in danger. This way, if a problem occurs, they can immediately discontinue the procedure.

Image: Shutterstock

Webster Technique

Thanks to Larry Webster of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, a chiropractic technique called Webster Breech Technique was developed. This technique helps the uterus to relax by reducing stress on the pelvic region. Once the uterus is relaxed, it will be easy for the baby to change its position naturally to a head-down position. According to the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, the Webster technique has a success rate of 82%.

The Breech Tilt

Breech tilt is a free risk technique performed with the help of firm large pillows. The pillows are used to elevate the hips around 30 cm off the ground for a quarter of an hour. This needs to be performed three times a day preferably when the baby is most active.
If your baby continues to be in the breech position even after performing these methods, your doctor will take a final call and might consider a C-section to reduce the risk of complications.
Was this information helpful?

×

How can we improve it?

This article contains incorrect information.

This article doesnt have the information Im looking for.

How helpful was it?

Change

×

How helpful was it?

This article changed my life!

This article was informative.

How helpful was it?

Change
Comments are moderated by MomJunction editorial team to remove any personal, abusive, promotional, provocative or irrelevant observations. We may also remove the hyperlinks within comments.