• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Pregnancy Logo 2018

Pregnancy Magazine

Pregnancy and infancy news, tips, and reviews

“Great
  • Pregnancy
  • Labor & Delivery
  • Baby
  • Breastfeeding
  • Buyer’s Guide
  • mom

Heads-up! What to expect when baby’s bottom-down

by Lizzie Goodman Leave a Comment

pregnancy ultrasound

Breech babies – what you need to know

Pregnant woman with ultrasound

When it comes to childbirth, the best advice we can give a mom-to-be is to expect the unexpected. A due date may come and go with no sign of labor. A natural delivery may leave you begging for an epidural – and a baby may never get into the correct birthing position in the first place. If the latter should happen, and your little one is labeled breech, here’s what you need to know:

What is breech?

A breech baby is one who never turns head-down inside the womb. In the early stages, most fetuses are bottom-down, but tend to turn before birth. Babies who enter the last weeks of pregnancy bottom-or feet-down may be headed for a surgical delivery. While vaginal birth is possible, the risks associated with it push most hospitals to mandate Cesarean sections. For this reason, many doctors no longer receive proper training to deliver breech babies vaginally.

What’s the cause?

There are several reasons a baby may be in the breech position. An ultrasound may help your doctor or midwife pin the problem on one of these issues:

  • Abnormal levels of amniotic fluid
  • Shape of your uterus
  • Position of the placenta
  • Large baby

 

How is it diagnosed?

Early on in your pregnancy, your doctor or midwife likely won’t pay too much mind to your little one’s positioning. As your pregnancy progresses and your uterus and baby grow, your health care provider will be able to feel for your little one’s head. He or she will do this by placing his or her hands on your lower abdomen and feeling for your baby’s head around your pelvis. To confirm positioning, your doctor or midwife may also order an ultrasound to have a better idea of where your baby is resting.

What can you do?

One out of 25 babies begin labor in the breech position. It’s important to note that most of these babies are born healthy and safely and that the positioning is not cause for concern. But because a breech birth limits your options for delivery, you may want to consider encouraging your little one to reposition. There are natural methods galore if you simply search for them online. There’s very little evidence-based research behind them and results vary. Acupuncture may be of assistance – and some moms-to-be even have luck visiting a chiropractor to help with positioning

Filed Under: Pregnancy Health

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Peaceful Discipline by Sarah Moore

More to See

parent coaching

Parent Coaching: 3 Ways to Create a More Joyful Home

By Sarah Moore

The perfect workout for pregnant women (sponsored)

By Isa Herrera, MSPT CSCS

how to be a good mother

How to Be a Good Mother: 5 Ways To Raise Children with Love & Respect

By Sarah Moore

Aligned Parents webinar

By Paul Banas

Footer

Copyright 2023 Pregnancy Magazine Group

Emails powered by Wishpond: PregnancyWishpond

Dedicated WordPress hosting: PregnancyFlywheel

WordPress Theme: PregnancyTheme

This website provides information of a general nature and is designed for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for an examination by your healthcare provider. If you have any concerns about your own health or the health of your child, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional. Please review the Terms of Use before using this site. Your use of the site indicates your agreement to be bound by the Terms of Use.

 

Recent

  • A Beginner’s Guide to Gentle Parenting: 5 Ways to Lead with Love
  • How to Be a Good Mother: 5 Ways To Raise Children with Love & Respect
  • Best Parenting Books: 28 Books That Will Change Your Life for the Better
  • Aligned Parents webinar
  • How to make sure your home is ready for the new addition to your family

Search

© Copyright 2023 Pregnancy Magazine Group · All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT