Babies have a habit of doing what they want mostly! There is a lot of wisdom that says they only do what is best for them. I like this thought as it helps me trust the process. Having said this, encouraging them to do something that may put them in the safest position for mum and baby, can certainly help.
Breech positioning later in pregnancy fits right in this category. Before around 36 weeks your baby is likely to move around. From 36 weeks, if your baby is breech, you may want to consider some of the below. It’s totally up to you though. Trusting your body and your baby is a beautiful thing, so you may also like to surrender to the process and let it take its course.
Breech babies sit bottom or feet down, when ideally towards the latter stages of your pregnancy they would be head down. In a head down position the baby is able to come out with the smallest part of them first (the head), allowing them to move through the pelvis with the most ease.
Having said all of this, the baby knows best. They may have a very good reason for being breech, which you may well never know about. If this is the case, they won’t turn around, and if they do they will most likely go back to being breech again.
There are many options for delivering a breech baby, which in my experience gives much more choice to the birthing mum than was previously common. Below I will discuss methods to encourage your baby to turn, and then your options on delivering a breech baby.
Encouraging your baby to turn from a breech position
There are many options here for giving your baby the best chance to turn into a head down position. The main three ones, which make the most difference in my experience, are homeopathic remedies, acupuncture, and physically giving your baby space in the womb to turn.
Homeopathic remedies
Pulsatilla
This is the number one remedy for encouraging breech babies to turn to the head down position. This remedy is most likely to work if some of these symptoms are showing in the mum too:
- The uterus feeling very heavy
- Painful or even violent movements of the baby
- Weepy and depressed feelings
- Wanting to be in the open air, and feeling better for it.
Pulsatilla is a very good place to start if your baby is breech at or beyond 36 weeks of pregnancy.
Other remedies to consider if Pulsatilla doesn’t do the job:
Viscum album
This remedy may be suggested by a homeopath, especially if the baby remains breech after Pulsatilla. Key symptoms may include:
- Sadness and apathy, alternating with feelings of energy and strength
- Feeling better when resting
- A sensation of constriction in the chest.
Natrum muriaticum
If a lower amount of amniotic fluid has been identified in a scan, this remedy can help. Other symptoms that may also present are:
- A general feeling of dryness, with chapped lips and dry mucous membranes
- A feeling of sadness, and a possible deep fear of rejection
I would always suggest consulting a homeopath for advice throughout pregnancy, and at these latter stages. If you’d like to book a free chat with me, click here.
Acupuncture
A qualified acupuncturist can carry out a procedure called a moxibustion. During this therapy moxa sticks are used to stimulate heat on specific areas of your feet. This is likely to go alongside traditional acupuncture techniques, using small needles to stimulate specific areas of the body.
Physical positions
This is best described as spending as much time as possible, in the position you want your baby to be in. That is, head down. There are significant challenges with this in late stages of pregnancy, and safety must always be the first consideration.
Lying on cushions or an ironing board with your head down and bum in the air. Walking around on all fours. These are some of the positions recommended for short periods of time throughout the day. The aim here is to physically give your baby room to move in your uterus. Make sure you do your research, only follow safe and legitimately recommended exercises.
These recommendations, standing alone or all together, will give your baby a very good chance of turning from a breech position. The baby may also turn by themselves, any time up to or during labour. If your baby remains in a breech position, or you decide to leave it up to the wisdom of your baby and let them decide, then options remain for you.
If you present with a breech baby at around 36 weeks, your midwife is likely to start talking through the options for delivering your baby.
Vaginal breech delivery
My experience is that more midwives are receiving quality training in this form of delivery, and more trusts are offering it to women as a viable option for breech delivery. Discuss this with your midwife. Do the reading and understand what it involves, and how prepared your chosen birthing team are to support you in a vaginal breech delivery.
Homeopathic remedies can help you through this delivery, as with any vaginal delivery, for more information click here.
Caesarean section
If you decide to deliver your baby by c-section, talk to your midwife about your preferences for this procedure. Understand what it looks like, and ensure they understand your choices and priorities around your birth.
For information on aiding recovery from a c-section, click here.
My advice is to do the research to understand your options and what they involve, once a choice is made then try and trust your baby, your body and the process.
You’re about to have a baby, and that is a beautiful thing.
If I can help at all, get in touch by clicking here.
