In the last few weeks of your pregnancy most babies turn to a head-down position known as a cephalic presentation. This happens in your third trimester, usually by week 36 of pregnancy. In some cases, a baby may remain breech until week 39 or 40. In most cases, there is enough room in the fetus for your baby to turn to the standard head-first cephalic presentation on schedule. In about 4% of the birth, the baby is not turned properly.
There are three breech positions. Each of these positions are different and may require your doctor to treat each with a different approach. See the breech baby video below for a visual understanding of a breech presentation.
Frank Breech
The fetus’ buttocks are aimed toward the birth canal and the legs stick straight up in front of the body with buttocks are set to be delivered first. The feet are near the head. This is the most common breech position. This occurs in about 50-70% of the breech presentations.
Complete Breech
The buttocks are down, with the legs folded at the knees and the feet near the buttocks. The hips and knees are flexed. This occurs in about 5-10% of the breech presentations.
Kneeling Breech
The baby is in a kneeling position, with one or both legs extended at the hips and flexed at the knees. This is extremely rare and is excluded from many classifications.
Footling Breech
One or both of the fetus’ feet are pointing down and will come out first. This occurs in about 10-30% of the breech presentations.
What Causes a Breech Baby
There are many factors that can cause a baby to remain the the head-up position. Fortunately, there are a number of things you and your doctor can do to have a successful birth. Below are a few of the main causes of a breech fetus.
- Early Labor – labor that begins before week 37 of pregnancy. The baby may not have yet be ready or able to turn itself to a normal cephalic position.
- Position of the Umbilical Cord – in some cases the umbilical cord prevents the baby from rotating.
- Incorrect Amount Of Amniotic Fluid – The amount of fluid in the uterus may prevent the baby from turning properly.
- Twins – With twins there is limited room for mobility in the uterus. This may cause or increase the likelihood of breech babies.
- Past Pregnancies – Weakened uterine muscles or other prior complications may cause a breech pregnancy. The more pregnancies a woman has, the higher the chances of having breech presentation during delivery.
- Placenta Previa – The placenta implants over the cervical opening rather than the side of the uterus. This is a common cause of a breech baby.
How To Treat A Breech Pregnancy
In some cases it’s possible for your doctor to turn the baby from a breech position to a head-down position by using a procedure called an External Cephalic Version. If the baby can be turned head-down before labor starts, you may be able to have a vaginal birth. The average success rate of this procedure is about 65%. Even if the procedure works at first, there’s still a chance that the baby will turn back around to the breech position. If your baby is unable to turn to a standard position, it’s likely your doctor will opt for a cesarean deliver (c-section). If a c-section is planned, which is likely for most women, it will usually be scheduled for 38 or 39 weeks. To make sure your baby hasn’t changed position in the meantime, you’ll have an ultrasound at the hospital to confirm his position just before the surgery.
Breech Babies: Alternative Medicine?
When you first hear from your caregiver that your baby is breech it can be scary. The most important thing you can do is to remain calm and listen to the advise of your doctors. There are a few alternative techniques that have worked for some women. Review each of these and consult your doctor or midwife for their input before taking part in an alternative therapy.
- Chiropractic care
- Relaxation, visualization and soft music
- Body position exercises to help the fetus to turn
- Chinese natural medicine
- Homeopathy
- Walking
- Crawling on all-fours
- Breech Tilt or Pelvic Tilt exercises
- Water bath
- Meditation and mental exercises
