Natural Birth and Baby Care.com

Breech Pregnancy

by Evwonka Smith
(Nassau Bahamas)

I am 7mths/31weeks along. Do I have enough time for my baby to turn back?

At 6mths my ultrasound said that he was head first in the pelvis. Should I take another scan?

...What caused him to turn anyways?

Answer:

There's a good chance you can get your baby to turn. At your point in pregnancy your baby is still pretty lean - he'll begin to put on fad padding for birth soon, but right now he's leaner and may be able to move more easily.

Posture is often responsible for babies being in bad positions. Bad posture, or more often, slouching in chairs/on couches.

The solution to this problem is to have good posture! Sit up straight. Sleep on your side and not on your back. A birth ball (big exercise ball) makes a good seat and usually encourages babies to go into a good position.

Since your baby is already breech I recommend you try some techniques to turn a breech baby.

Swimming often encourages babies to position properly - breech babies turn and posterior babies switch to anterior. Long swims are best, so if you're able to swim I highly recommend it.

Doing a breech tilt is also promising. Use a hard board, such as an ironing board, leaned up against your couch. You lay flat on your back on the board with your head down, and your feet up, for a period of time.

For more details on this and a few other suggestions, read my article on turning breech babies.

If your baby doesn't turn a natural birth is possible. See if you can find a doctor or midwife who will attend a breech birth. Hands-and-knees and standing are two good positions to deliver a breech baby in. Talk to your doctor or midwife for more details.

Best of luck to you on turning your baby!