Breech Babies

I was recently discussing breech positioning with some students, and what to do if your baby is breech, so I thought I would share.

0-24 Weeks Gestation

This is the time fetal position is generally determined even though the baby’s final position isn’t typically set before 34 weeks gestation. The body adapts to how the soft tissues, ligaments, muscles, and alignment of the pelvis move during pregnancy, and become set in this pattern. The baby follows this basic pattern.

Before 30 weeks

Routine good posture with walking and exercise will help most babies be head down as the third trimester gets under way.

30-34 Weeks Gestation

By 32-34 weeks, chiropractic adjustments are suggested. The best time to flip a breech is now. Oxorn and Foote recommend external version at 34 weeks, but most doctors want to wait for baby’s lungs and suck reflex to be more developed in case the maneuver goes wrong and starts labor or pulls the placenta off the uterine wall. There is often enough amniotic fluid for an easy flip before 35 weeks.

There are some great natural, non-invasive techniques for flipping a breech baby on the Spinning Babies website, which is where this timeline was adapted from. Often, the baby will end up changing position at night, and not during a movement or positioning technique. Be sure to check with your healthcare practitioner before beginning any of the maneuvers.