Until you get to the last stages of pregnancy, as a new mother you don't give much thought for your baby's position, well I didn't anyway!
It was only until my 32 week check up, when they measure bump and feel baby's position, did it become a thing.
"I think your baby is breech," they said. "Great. What does this mean?," I said. I had no idea!
Thanks to a stint in journalism, I'm never one to be in the dark. Inevitably, I came away and researched the ins and outs of everything breech.
Having two babies, both breech, it's fair to say I know a thing or two about breech. Having turned one, and birthed a vaginal breech baby (say what?!), I have a lot to say on the matter.
Statistics show that by the final weeks of pregnancy only 4% of babies are presenting breech. Typically, the baby's head should be down which is medically known as the cephalic position.
A breech presentation is when the feed or buttocks are down first. Infact, there are three different variations of breech:
1) Frank Breech - the baby's legs are straight up in front of its body in a V shape, so its feet are up near its face
2) Complete Breech - the baby is in a sitting position with its legs crossed in front of its body and its feet near its bottom
3) Footling Breech - one or both of the baby's feet are hanging below its bottom, so the foot or feet are coming first
There are several reasons a baby can be breech. These may be:
a low lying placenta first pregnancy
multiple pregnancy, twins or triplets for example
too little or too much fluid around your baby
Or in my case for both babies, the umbilical cord was too short
The key is to act fast. As soon as you know your baby is presenting breech, if you want the best chance of turning baby, then seek advice and act fast. This is what I do - I'm a breech birth mentor who specialises in supporting mothers to turn their baby.
I successfully turned Lex, my first son using moxibustion. This is proven to be 50-80% successful in clinical studies. However, it's most effective at 33-36 weeks. After this, the success rate drops and your options to turn baby change. Fast forward another week and your options at 37 weeks are different again. However, unless you receive the right advice, or do extensive research, you may not be aware of this. This is why I am passionate about supporting mothers presenting breech. It's about knowing your options, making informed decisions and taking control over your journey and your birth. If you are presenting breech, or if you know someone who is presenting breech, get in touch.
For more information on what I do, visit my page on hypnobirthing here. You can find out more on my breech mentor services here. All my upcoming course dates are here.
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Until around 2001, breech babies were birthed normally. In 2001 a study took place called the Hannah Trial. The findings of this report suggested that breech babies were safer to be born via c-section.
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