What are tips for turning a breech baby?

Question

Im only about 29 weeks pregnant, but my baby is breech right now. I know she has time to turn herself.. but Im scared she wont. What are some things i can do to maybe "help" her turn??

Answer 1

There is nothing you can do to help the baby turn!! She is breech right now because she is still small enough to move around..In the coming weeks she will grow in size and weight and she will only find head down to be conformable...Not worry she will turn...My 5 kids all waited until the last min too...

Answer 2

You are not in danger of a breech birth unless you are 37 weeks or beyond and the baby still has not turned. Some babies do not turn until labour is imminent (this is more likely if you are on your 4th or 5th kid).
If, at 36 weeks the baby still has not turned, your obstetrician or midwife may schedule an ultrasound to confirm its position. They should then talk to you about your options. There are manual methods of rotating the baby, and they may give you some exercises to do to assist the baby in moving on its own.
A c-section is not strictly required if the baby is breech. You can deliver it naturally provided there is no risk of cord prolapse. If you choose a natural birth, breech will hurt more than if the baby were head down.
For now, just wait. I would at most, recommend that you get more exercise. Walk. Otherwise, you are not in any danger yet and should be fine.

Answer 3

Agree with all Mystic said. Adding:

At only 29 weeks, you still have quite a while for baby to turn. Baby has lots of room left and is probably still capable of doing serious gymnastics in there. If baby is still breech around 36 weeks, then worry more about breech turning tricks.

Shoulder stands are an EXCELLENT way to get baby to turn. I did breech tilts, visualization, heat on pelvix/cold of fundus, etc. I felt my breech baby turn around 38 weeks when I came down from a shoulder stand. It was a HUGE and distinct movement. (Handstands in a swimming pool are another good trick.)

Find out more about the Webster Technique mentioned above. It is far gentler than an External Cephalic Version (ECV) that the doc might do to turn a breech baby and it has a very high success rate. If my breech had not turned when she did, then a chiropractor would have been my next step.

Answer 4

My second was breech and I was uninformed and ended up with a very unwanted c-section. I wish I had known better.
I do this time around (I am also 29 weeks along). I highly recommend seeing a chiropractor (I have been seeing one for over a month now to align me). We will start Webster technique next week. (I go once a week). Not all chiro's do this so you will have to look someone up. It is painless and doesn't involve cracking your back/spine etc. It is aimed at your pelvis/sacrum so it is all lined up and opens up for baby to be comfy. My insurance scammed and didn't cover it last time but I have it covered this time but it was worth it either way (even though it did not work with my breech baby - we found out too late he was breech so I started the webster's too late). I also had dr's try a version (where they manually turn baby). That hurt like hell. Really. I needed to know I tried everything before I was cut open.

I also recommend you go to the website www.spinningbabies.com
it will give you info on what you can do to try to get baby in to a OFP (optimal fetal postion). Just remember there is still lots of room for baby to move around right now and can up until 34 weeks (and in some cases later).
Good luck!

Answer 5

Don't stress. Your baby still has plenty of time to turn yet. I went through the same thing my baby was breech until I was 34 weeks. I'll be 40 weeks tomorrow. Good luck!!

Answer 6

There are no tips for you to try to make her turn. There is a medical procedure called an "external cephalic version". It is when a doctor will try to manually turn your baby later in your pregnancy. It's painful and does carry some serious risks including rupturing your uterus. I would so some research on it before you went ahead with it. It was offered to me, but I refused. It's usually only effective (without baby turing around again and with no complications) about 35% of the time anyways. Good Luck though!!

My daughter was breech until around 36 weeks!

Chiros can cause more harm than good. In 2006 over 10,000 malpractice claims were filed against chiros from pregnant women under their care. Some babies ended up paralysed, with brain defects, broken bones and over half were still born due to their treatments. Over 75% of the of the OB doctors in the United States take a stand AGAINST chiros treating pregnant women, and another 4% have no opinion at all. That leaves very few supportive. I personally know one woman who tried it and delivered a stillborn baby at 31 weeks. Her daughter's spine had snapped in the treatment.

Answer 7

29 wks is to early to worry about breech the baby is small enough right now to turn head down then back to butt down. when you get closer to 36 wks and still breech then id worry.im 38 wks and due for a c section because my baby is breech and at 8 pounds already my dr says she is too big to turn now but im still hoping.

Answer 8

You have plenty of time! She'll probably flip flop a couple more times before she gets here. If not, the doctor and nurses can apply pressure to your abdomen in the labor room to try and persuade her to turn, but I have heard that this is EXTREMELY painful for the mother and likely not very pleasant for the baby either. Worse case scenario would be a C-section. But again.... do not worry about that at this early stage. She still has plenty of time to get cozy down there. Good luck!

Answer 9

All babies are breech initially. They turn closer to delivery time. Don't be messing with things or you could actually do harm to you or your baby. Talk to your doctor. If he/she is concerned, there are ways to turn a breech baby. But leave that to the professionals!

Answer 10

I don't know if it works or not, but I've always heard to get on your hands and knees with your head down to the ground. Both my twins were breech as well as my sister's baby (up to the very end) we tried this and they turned. Now, was it nature or the technique, I dunno. But it couldn't hurt. Also, if you're in labor and want to try for natural, the doctor can try to turn the baby. But, your baby still has time to turn, don't stress! Best of luck!