Techniques and exercises to turn the breech baby

At how many weeks does the fetus turn?

Generally, breech babies turn cephalad by the 36th week.

This also means that you shouldn’t worry too soon if your baby isn’t in the head-first position, as they still have the ability to turn around on their own by 36-37 weeks of pregnancy .

How long can a breech baby be turned over?

At the 36th week, the position assumed by the fetus can be considered practically definitive.

However, it must be said that, in the event of a second pregnancy , there is still a 33.3% probability (1 in 3 cases) that the fetus will turn naturally after 36 weeks. Conversely, in the case of a first pregnancy , the probability that the baby will pass from the breech to the cephalic position after 36 weeks is only 12.5% ​​(1 in 8 cases) .

How to help the child to turn over in the cephalic position?

Fortunately, there are techniques that can help your child turn over in time. Among these we find:

1. postural exercises
2. moxibustion or moxa _
3. the turning maneuvers

Let’s see together what it is and what their success rate is.

1. Exercises to turn the breech baby

These are gentle gymnastic exercises which, performed regularly, should “convince” the fetus to assume the correct position.

During childbirth courses, midwives generally recommend one or more of the following exercises to turn the breech baby . It must be said that, however, there is not much scientific evidence on their real effectiveness .

Genupectoral position

This exercise should help your baby to “unhook” the bottom from the pelvic area, increasing the space available for him to turn around.

• On a mat, get on all fours and rest your head and chest on the ground , keeping your pelvis lifted .
• Spread your legs slightly apart , so they don’t press on your belly, and gently move your hips.
• Repeat the exercise several times a day , for about 15 minutes .

Upright position

This exercise also serves to increase the free space available to the baby, prompting him to change position. Here’s how.

• Lie on your stomach , placing pillows under your buttocks, so that your pelvis remains raised.
• Raise your legs and lean them against the wall or sofa . To be more comfortable, you can also add a pillow under your head.
• Stay in this position for 10 minutes and repeat it three times a day , preferably on an empty stomach and when you feel your baby is more active.

2. Moxibustion or moxa

The second possibility is the so-called moxibustion or moxa , a technique of traditional Chinese medicine which involves the use of a dried and compressed mugwort cigar to stimulate, through heat, the acupuncture point located on the outer edge of the foot, to last finger level.

Usually, the treatment lasts 60 minutes and is carried out by specialized midwives a couple of times a day for two times a week , starting from the 28th week of pregnancy up to the 37th .

Moxa can be associated with postural exercises or acupuncture .

Even in this case, however, there are no significant statistics on the effectiveness of this technique : the only certainty is that it is a risk-free method for both mother and child .

3. Turning maneuvers

A third possibility is represented by the so-called external turning maneuvers or external cephalic version .

Through this procedure, the gynecologist gently accompanies the baby’s bottom to the side and upwards, to allow the future baby to do a somersault forward and position himself correctly.

If necessary, the little head can also be guided downwards at the same time.

Usually, this maneuver is performed at the 37th week , after having carried out some checks to verify that there are no contraindications.

The demonstrated success rate is approximately 60% , and complications are rare . To minimize the risks, however, the external cephalic version must be performed in the hospital and the fetal heart rate must be monitored at all times .

Breech baby: how to sleep?

In the forums frequented by expectant mothers, you may have read that the position assumed during sleep can help the fetus to orient itself correctly. It is true? And if so, how to sleep to make the fetus turn?

In reality, there is no scientific evidence that sleeping in a certain position helps the breech baby to “get his head straight”. That said, all pregnant women are usually advised to sleep on their left side , to promote blood circulation and reduce swelling in the feet and legs, possibly with a pillow to support the belly.

If this position is uncomfortable, however, nothing prevents you from lying on your right side or supine with a pillow under your head and shoulders , to reduce the weight on the inferior vena cava (the vessel responsible for the return of blood from the lower limbs to the heart).

What if the baby doesn’t turn over?

In about 4% of full-term pregnancies , the baby arrives at delivery in the breech position .

When this happens, gynecologists generally recommend proceeding with a cesarean delivery , because in most pregnancies a vaginal birth would expose the mother and her baby to too high risks.