How to naturally turn a breech baby

[GooeyRN]

I am 27 weeks pregnant. Baby was head down a few weeks ago, but is now head up. Are there any books/video's that I can purchase to teach me how to do exercises to turn the baby head down? I know I still have time for the baby to turn on their own, but I really would like to start reading up now before I run out of time. I am afraid of external version. Thank you!

[Artichokie]

Have you checked out http://www.spinningbabies.com/ ?

[kirk_heidi]

I am glad you asked. I am 27 weeks too and I have the same concern. I will be watching this thread.

[GooeyRN]

Originally Posted by MoreThanApplesauce

Have you checked out http://www.spinningbabies.com/ ?

Thanks for the link. I will check it out!

[dcgrl]

Gooey, also look into moxibustion. There was an article in JAMA about how effective it is at turning breech babies. You can get the article at PubMed--just google "moxibustion JAMA" or try this link:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/en...indexed=google

I hear swimming the breast stroke is another good way to encourage baby flipping.

My childbirth instructor said that since the heaviest part of the baby is the head, it will tend to point down if you take on forward leaning postures. Reclining or sitting back will encourage the baby to be head up.

[Orono Mom]

If you really need to turn a baby, acupuncture is absolutely AWESOME!!! I don't have a site to reference, but definitely check it out!!

[burleson]

I used a combination of moxibustion, acupuncture, and the Webster technique at the chiropractors to get my guy to turn. But, you definitely don't need to worry yet! At 27 weeks, LOTS of babies aren't in position yet. Mine didn't flip until 38 weeks.

[hubris]

Since you mentioned that you're 27 weeks pg, I thought I'd paste this info from Spinning Babies (from the breech section):

Until about 24-26 weeks most babies lie sideways (transverse lie).

Between 24 and 29 weeks many babies will be breech and by 30-32 weeks most babies flip head down. The head becomes heavy enough, then, for gravity to bring the head down in a symmetrical womb. The shape and tone of the womb influence fetal position as well. Too tight or loose in the muscle tone, or too much amniotic fluid or too little amniotic fluid and the baby may not be able to get head down.

About 3-4% of babies are breech at full term, from 37-42 weeks.

At 26 weeks I got a little wigged out because my little guy is currently head-up. My midwife seemed unconcerned and I've been making an effort to have good posture throughout this pregnancy, especially when sitting. But I was still getting worried...then I saw that quote and it helped me to relax a little. Now I'm just telling him to grow grow grow his little head so it will get heavy and sink 'im.

[mama_y_sol]

Originally Posted by hubris

But I was still getting worried...then I saw that quote and it helped me to relax a little.

I read the same quote a few weeks ago, and haven't worried about it since then! I know baby is okay for now, and he will find his way head-down eventually

[Momma Aimee]

1. crawl -- hand and knees with belly swining

2. soak in a tub or pool of water -- forwards -- leaning on the edge with tummy hanign or on all fours. crouch if you need to to get the belly int eh water

3. head down and hips higer -- lay on a board from sofa to floor, head down... or lay on floor -- put your feet flat and have someone put pillows under your butt till it is higer than your head

4. sit leaning fowards, legs apart so the tummy ahngs (giving baby as much room to move as you can at all times)

5. sit on birth ball, sway or make circles.

6. on all fours, arch back up and then push it down (angery cat i thinkin yoga).

Acutpucture if you are still breech at say week 35 or 36 -- call the acutputist and ask what week they suggest ... most won't worry till week 36 as the baby is so likily to either go unbreech alone, or go back if you change it too soon.

also have heard suggested

ice on the top of the tummy in a warm bath to make baby want to move its head

putting head phones on the lower tummy to make the baby move to hear the music better

and i admit to poking and proding

I got mine to turn -- just last night i think

HTH

[leafwood]

Dd was head up until 36 wks. I did the cold pea trick at my MWs suggestion. Every night/evening I would lay with my bottom against the wall and my feet up in the air (leaning on the wall). I would be propped up on pillows and I would place a bag of frozen whatevers on the top of my belly where her head was and dh would read to her with him head down toward my pelvis.

Personally, this was quite an uncomfortable way to spend 14 evenings, and my belly got so cold! I joked that dd would be in therapy years later and keep coming back to early memories of frozen peas.

She turned in the middle of the night right at 36wks. It hurt like, well, it really really hurt. I was crying in my sleep and dh woke me up. I was worried, but it stopped after a few minutes and when I got up to go to the bathroom I waddled and could breathe and knew she had turned and dropped. Not sure if the peas had anything to do with it, but may be worth a try.

Good luck!

[Shanana]

I read somewhere that craniosacral therapy could be used to turn a posterior baby, so I'm sure it could be used for this, too. It is a very light touch therapy, and I believe that instead of manually trying to turn the baby, it's more that a request is made for the baby to turn, you know? You can read more about it here, and search for a practitioner here. I would call and ask if they have any experience doing this. But I also agree with pps that you probably don't need to worry yet.