Anyone got any tips on turning a breech baby?

[tartetatin]

I've just come back from an antenatal appt having been told that the baby is breech. Can't believe it - this is my fourth and was sure the baby was lying just as the others had. I'm just about 35 weeks and had been planning a homebirth so need some sound advice pdq...

[DisasterArea]

moxibustion.
burning of herbs next to your littlest toes. works but i have no idea why or how.

[psychomum5]

crawling.

walking up the stairs sideways like a crab.

lying on the floor, on your back, right up against a wall, with your legs upright against the wall.

shopping in babygap (that's what tunred my breech DS2)

[childrenchildreneverywhere]

The most effective method of turning a breech baby is by the use of hypnosis (82% success rate in a recent trial compared to around 70% success rate of moxibustion). In my experience (I'm a hypnotherapist) hypnosis will always work unless there is a structural reason for the breech (e.g: misaligned pelvis, fibroids, cysts etc..) for this reason I work in tandem with a local chiropractor to ensure we have all bases covered!

Homeopathy & moxibustion appear to both be about as effective as each other, the standard homeopathic treatment is pulsatilla 200c followed by pulsatilla 1M the next day (I'm a homeopath too ).

Also have a look at www.spinningbabies.com - lots of advice on there.

Good luck! my fourth was the wrong way round until 37wks!

[carolinepluck]

My 2nd baby is breech at 33 weeks. Have appointment with midwife Monday (34 weeks) to check position of baby. They will refer me to hospital at 36 weeks for a scan and possible ECV but am considering having moxybustion to see if it helps.

Will let you know if it works! Midwife would be interested to know result as well

[LovingtheSilverFox]

Moxibustion, and acupuncture, but make sure you find someone who knows what they are doing. My twins were both breech, which didn't come to light until I was 36 weeks. I tried acupuncture, which unfortunately didn't work due to lack of space, but I could feel one of them trying to turn as I was lying there.

Also try lying with your feet up, so your tummy is "upside down" with a bag of peas on the top of your tummy (where baby's head is). Also heard that shining a light at the bottom of your pelvis is supposed to work, apparently they want to move towards the light!

[Tangle]

DD was born as a breech baby at home with IMs. If you can find MWs with breech skills (more common in the independent sector but there are still pockets in the NHS) then a vaginal breech birth isn't automatically a ridculously high risk prospect.

[doulalc]

A few other ideas that may help: A chiropractor who is trained in the Webster Technique (can have quite a good success rate).

Lying on the floor with legs on a chair or sofa, with pillows under your hips so that you are at a slant. You can do this for about 15-20 minutes a few times a day, while watching television works well. Heaviest part of baby is their head, so the idea is to bring baby back out of the pelvis and when you stand upright and walk around, baby may flip back to vertex.

Have used the light low on abdomen as lovingthesilverfox suggested. In a darkened room might help as baby can distinquish light and dark.

Sounds odd, but if it works, great: "baby thunder"...if you have a shower nozzle that you can take down, hold it near where baby's head is and they may move away from it. Along the same lines as the light, music held very low on the abdomen with the idea that baby may move down towards the music.

If you have access to a swimming pool, using that may be helpful as well.

[mumtoloads]

I agree with everything that has been suggested.

Another one is the frozen peas (or something really cold) by baby's head is ment to turn baby away from it.

[poppetskaya]

Hello, mine was breech until day before final scan before manipulation at 37-38 weeks (phew) and things I tried included 'dromedary drooping' (on all fours with bottom in air, tightening and letting go stomach muscles) and swimming. I was also investigating moxibustion which worked for a friend of mine but happily it wasn't needed.

You've still got time and the baby may turn of own accord!