« Return to Resources Index Ways to Turn a Breech Baby There are many ways to try to encourage a breech baby to turn. The following is a list of non-invasive, non-painful, benign suggestions. It does not hurt to try - not trying and winding up with a Cesarean Section will hurt! 1. Knee to Chest Position In one study of 71 breech babies, 65 turned when their mother adopted the knee-chest position. To do this, kneel with your hips flexed at slightly more than 90 degrees (but do not let your thigh press against your abdomen) and try to keep your head, shoulders, and upper chest flat on your mattress. Maintain the position for 15 minutes every two waking hours for five consecutive days. By positioning your body so your head is lower, gravity encourages the baby's head to "float" toward your fundus, flex her chin onto her chest and start to turn under. As pressure builds on the back of the back of the baby's head, she gradually rotates first into transverse, then all the way to vertex. 2. Breech Tilts Do when you have an empty stomach and times when the baby is active. Concentrate on the baby, avoid tensing the body (especially the abdomen). Lie on your back with your hips elevated 12" (use pillows) and your hips and knees flexed. Gently roll through 180 degrees from side to side for 15 minutes and repeat this maneuver three times a day. 3. Pelvic Rocking To do pelvic rocking get down on your hands and knees and gently tilt your pelvis as you arch your back, then return your back to a flat position and relax your pelvis. Do thirty to forty of these 3 times every day. 4. Ironing Board Elevate the pelvis by laying on a board or ironing board that has been propped up onto the edge of a couch - MAKE SURE IT IS STABLE! This position should be assumed for 8 to 10 minutes daily. This position has been shown to be as successful as an external version in some studies. 5. Massage with External Stimulation Give the mom a full rocking massage - it relaxes the whole body and is essential for the mom to feel the space for the baby to turn. Then, place pillows under her knees, tilt her slightly with a rolled up towel on the right side. Touch the baby (mom's belly, talk to the baby and rotate hands in the direction that they want to go). Have total faith and it will turn. 6. Cat Stretch with Light & Music Stimulation First, get in a "cat-stretch" position: on all fours, head lower than rear end. You can use pillows to kneel on. Take a flashlight, turn it on, and put the light against your lower abdomen directly the skin - the lower, the better. At the same time, use a walkman or portable CD player's headset against the lowest part of your belly, with music turned on (but not blasting-loud). The fetus will hear the music and see the light, both encouraging him/her to turn toward it, i.e., your pelvis. Try for 30-45 minutes. You may need to do deep breathing - the baby will be MOVING! 7. Moxibustion A form of acupuncture which is currently the subject of a research study to see if it could help turn breech babies. Some therapists claim an 80% success rate, but before trying it, seek advice from a qualified acupuncturist 8. Webster's Technique A technique used by specially trained and certified chiropractors to align the pelvis to let the baby turn. 9. Visualization A way to enlist your mental powers to help turn the baby. Combine visualization with other exercises. You can silently picture what you want to happen. Say to yourself, or have your partner say the following or something similar: "As I lie here in a tilt, I take long breaths and relax my body. Your head presses toward my chest. The pressure of your head makes you wiggle. Come on baby! Come around. Move your head, move your body to take the pressure off. Turn around, tuck your chin and come toward my cervix. My cervix and vagina are your opening to the world. Come close, so you will be all ready to come out when the time is right and Ill be ready to welcome you. Turn around...turn around. I'm relaxing my body to give you more room to turn around, to get ready to be born." 10. External Cephalic Version (ECV) MUST BE DONE BY A DOCTOR OR MIDWIFE!!! Should not be done on women who are rhesus negative, have experienced bleeding already, or whose placenta is situated low in the uterus. Risks associated with ECV including the possibility of causing distress to the baby and a chance of bleeding or premature rupture of the membranes. Baby is turned externally with strong guided pressure, which can be very painful. Success rates are about 65% in studies. 11. Change Doctors! Your next best option is to search for a doctor in your area who has experience delivering vaginal breech babies. The doctor would assess the size of your baby and your pelvic size and then make a decision concerning allowing the baby to be born vaginally.