What can you do to encourage baby not to be breach?

[NigellaTufnel]

Hello

what positions can I try to get the baby into the right position? I'm 33 weeks, and really want to do as much as poss to avoid a breach

Clean the skirting boards (yes really!). Do you have a birthing ball? Kneel over it, arms folded on top or draped over and rock your hips. I did this each night watching TV and suddenly my tummy squished and squashed and hey presto she'd turned!

Good luck! Someone else will come along with more professional advice, but this was what my very old-fashioned midwife recommended...

Have you been told that your baby is breech? Is this your first pg? I know with my ds, he was breech until I was about 36-37 weeks and I think that's pretty normal for a first.

However, I did look into it, like you're doing, and most advice said to get down on all fours, or lie with your legs/bottom raised (I couldn't do this for long as it was very uncomfortable!).

I've also heard that acupuncture has high success rate for turning a breech baby, but you would only really consider this after 37wks.

Try not to worry too much about it at this stage, as I say, there's plenty of time for baby to get into the right position. Good Luck! xxx

My prenatal yoga teacher swears by these positions (see links) for giving the baby room to move. I've tried them myself and they do work. (I'm 30 weeks with twins) Not certain it will turn a breach to a head down baby but mine definitely move when I come out of these positions. I go in to these positions when the babies are lying arkwardly and i can't get comfortable.

At the very least they are super relaxing positions to try out.

www.motleyhealth.com/eastern_health_and_fitness/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/swan-posture-after-the-do g-posture-12.jpg

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My ds turned breech at 36 weeks last time and I tried going on all fours with my bum in the air for weeks I was also recommended to try reflexology as this has quite a good success rate of turning. Acupuncture was suggested and a friend of mine had this and her baby turned. I never tried acupuncture but did have reflexology and unfortunately it never worked but it was a very pleasant way to spend an hour. Goodluck

Very few babies at term are actually breech- less than 5%. Breech babies are usually due to factors such as- small or heart shaped uterus/ small pelvis in mother, or large head in baby. The baby will be breech because there is not ebough room for it to get into the right position (head down). Another reason is that the mother might have too much or too little amniotic fluid. Until you are 38 weeks I wouldnt worry about it- doing different positions isnt going to make a difference at this stage as baby will be moving too much. If you have had a breech baby before, then you are more likely to have a subsequent one.

I your baby breech?

It's all very well doing these excercises but if your baby is already head down then you may encourage it to turn breech IYSWIM

My baby was breech and I was booked in to see if they could manually turn her at 37 weeks. By the time I got to the hospital, the baby had turned head down by herself- luckily!
But the midwife told me to stop doing any positions I had been practising to get the to baby turn, as it could encourage her to turn back!

Yup, all fours and head down, bum up. Put a pillow on the ground and try watching telly

I had a breech baby and the birth was fine. Had excellent, experienced midwives.

Try going swimming, especially doing a few duck dives! I know it sounds mad but my DD was breech until 34 weeks and she turned I think while swimming (could feel a strange wrenching when she did). However like others said most babies find a way of turning often very late in pregnancy...some even in labour apparently. I do know of 2 friends though who did end up having planned c-sections due to breech babies with a difficult presentation.

Another good website is spinning babies