What if your baby is breech? Part TWO.

Let me begin by saying that what I am about to share is not only for mothers of breech babies, it is for any mother who wants to help her baby be in an optimal position for labor which in most cases helps to make the labor shorter and easier for mother and baby. I can hardly believe that I have not written a post about this resource before, as I feel very passionate about its content. I can usually barely refrain from telling any woman about it, let alone you all!

Gail Tully, a local midwife, has some wonderful information and evidence that suggests babies CAN and DO turn before labor and even during labor, if you work to encourage the baby to get into a good position. These techniques she uses do not work 100% of the time, but many women have had very positive experiences when they practiced these techniques daily. Gail is well known around the country and travels to various locations to teach these non-invasive methods. We are so lucky to have her right here in the heart of MN! Her website is spinningbabies.com.

Yes, there are positions that are more optimal than others. Even more than that, there are things you can do daily to encourage your baby to be in those most optimal positions (it is not too hard or time consuming-- I promise!). How can you tell what position your baby is in? Sometimes a doctor will know based on the ultrasound. You can look for clues yourself: Where does the Doctor listen to the baby's heart beat? Where do you feel your baby kick? Where do you feel little flutters (likely little fingers and hands)? Can you feel a big bulge (a butt) or are the feet closer to the front? For detailed instructions, you can visit http://www.spinningbabies.com/baby-positions/belly-mapping. This fetal compass rose shows all of the general positions your baby can be in.

(Used with permission.)

So IF your baby is breech or not in an optimal position, Gail Tully offers helpful hints about how you can try to persuade your baby into a different, more optimal position. 

For breech babies, she encourages doing the forward leaning inversion as well as the breech tilt. The forward leaning inversion positions the mother on a slope from a higher surface to the floor, such as from the seat of a chair, couch, or stairs. The mother keeps her knees and legs on the higher surface and slowly moves her head and arms into the lower position, so that her rear is sticking up into the air (http://spinningbabies.com/techniques/the-inversion). The breech tilt is also recommended in which the mother lies down on a flat surface sloping downward with her head at the bottom of the slope, and her feet at the top of the slope (see http://spinningbabies.com/techniques/activities-for-fetal-positioning/breech-tilt). 

For every mother, there are 6 things you can do everyday to help your baby be in the most optimal position for labor and birth, including resting smart, balancing your body, using the rebozo, maintaining good nutrition, balancing the pelvis, and doing at least one inversion daily (see her detailed list at  http://spinningbabies.com/more-info/for-pregnancy/what-to-do-first). 

Gail covers a multitude of information on her site, including if you could cause your baby to be in a bad position and what you can still do during labor to help your baby come into a good position. Let me end by saying that babies do come out in all ways, these techniques are simply available to you so that you can empower your birth by knowing you did all you could to help your baby the best way that you knew how. It is such a simple thing you can do for your body and your baby. As always, please check with your care provider to see if the techniques can work for you.