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11 Natural Ways to Turn a Breech Baby Instantly
Knowing you are expecting can be an exhilarating time in your life; you are carrying a little life inside of you and as the pregnancy draws to an end, you can’t wait to meet your little one.
Each of my pregnancies filled me with this eagerness, especially when they began to move. I began to imagine what they looked like and that moment when they first get placed in your arms in the delivery room.
However, fate can put a little dampener on this joy when you find out you are having a breech baby; your baby is lying in the bottom first position and doesn’t seem to be making any moves to turn.
Breech babies are more common than you know and as many as three to four women will experience this.
(Having a baby that lies in the breech position and refuses to turn before the 36th week can make having a vaginal delivery difficult).
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However, for most expecting mothers with breech babies, these babies usually assume the head-down position by the 30 – 32 weeks; you would hardly be aware of it as your baby flips over heads down by itself without any medical intervention and positions to come out the expected way (an act called a spontaneous cephalic version).
On the other hand, if your breech baby is yet to turn by 34 – 36 weeks, then you should consider going for medical help is usually sought. Now while some babies have been known to make that miraculous flip at the last minute or a few hours before being born, you don’t want to wait for this (it just might now happen in your case).
Instead, you want to make a very conscious effort to ensure everything is right before you actually fall into labor.
There are some natural techniques you can adopt and the good news is that most are so easy as to be done even without any medical supervision.
Read Also: The Right Diet for a Pregnant Woman (What Experts Say)
Here are Three Proven Exercises to Help Turn a Breech Baby
1) The External Cephalic Version
The first natural way to turn a breech baby you want to try is the external cephalic version (ECV). This procedure is typically done by your obstetrician in which they manually turn the baby from the outside of the mother’s abdomen.
While the easiest of all, most people shy away from it as it is not always successful, and can be uncomfortable for the mother. It can also cause some level of distress to the baby.
2) The Breech Tilt
To do this, place a mat on the floor and lie flat on it. Elevate your hips a little, with your knees bent, and place a pillow under this.
Remain in this position for 5 – 10 minutes at a time and try to do this often; like three times daily. You should also do this prior to eating and target when your baby appears active so she has ample energy to turn.
3) Go Moxibustion
Moxibustion is a Chinese herb said to induce flipping with a breech baby. The way it works, you burn the herbs just outside your little toe and this encourages the release of estrogen and prostaglandins, two hormones that cause the uterus to contract, thereby forcing the baby to turn.
To achieve this though, you would need to purchase some Moxibustio sticks and perform this treatment 3 – 4 times daily.
4) The Dolphin Pose
The dolphin pose has also been used severally with great success to turn a breech baby.
This yoga pose basically involves you forming a V with your legs firmly on the ground and your head as well as your elbows also touching the ground.
Other Methods to Help Turn a Breech Baby
5) Playing Some Music
You will know a child who will grow to become a music lover from the womb. This is a very gentle but it is effective in getting a breech baby to turn.
Since a baby’s hearing is well developed by the third trimester, this method is used to lure a baby towards the sound of music or noise.
There is no one-type of music that works best for this. You will know our baby’s preference over time from how they react to different genres of music you play.
You should place a headphone or your phone just on your lower abdomen and let the music play. Your baby would most likely not turn immediately, but she definitely would make the gradual turn over time. Do this as often as you can throughout the day.
Be sure, however, that the music isn’t turned on too loud so it doesn’t end up harming the baby.
6) Go for a Massage
If all else fails, which is unlikely, you should opt for a massage. A massage is great in so many ways as it doesn’t just have great potential to flip a breech baby over, but also improves circulation and gets rid of whatever kinks you might have in your muscles.
There are persons experienced in helping to turn a breech baby to the right position and you want to search them out.
Sometimes, all you would need is just one massage therapy from these persons to set your baby on the right path. However, some babies have been known to go back into the breech position after being turned and you might have to repeat the process a few times.
7) The Ice Method
This method, while it appears mean, is employed for a good cause and usually gets the job done.
Unlike the music method where you try to lure the baby towards a direction, this is used to repel the baby from a spot.
The idea behind it is that, if a baby won’t turn after being petted through other means, then he will b cajoled into doing so.
You should place an ice bag just at the top of your abdomen where your baby’s bead is and let this sit for some minutes.
Do this 2 – 3 times daily and the breech baby, in trying to avoid the coldness, will turn away.
Before doing this though, be sure to place a towel on your skin to fill the intensity of the ice so it doesn’t end up hurting your skin.
You also want to place something warm or just slightly hot on your lower abdomen so that your baby turns from the cold, it gets attracted to the promise of the warmth at the bottom.
Babies like it warm.
8) The Hands and Kneels Squat
The hands-and-knees position is another popular natural method for turning a breech baby, if not the most recommended.
This position involves you going on your hands and knees and remaining in that position for a few minutes each day. Doing this helps to loosen the ligaments that may be holding your baby in the breech position and encourages the baby to move into the head-down position.
9) Acupuncture
Acupuncture is another natural way to turn a breech baby and involves the insertion of very thin needles into specific points around your body.
This is done to relax the muscles of the uterus and encourage the baby to turn.
Acupuncture as a natural way to turn a breech baby works wonders but should only be done by a qualified acupuncturist who is experienced in working with pregnant women.
10) Using a Rebozo Shawl
Believed to be an Old Wives’ tale, some people swear by the success of this method.
A few research has suggested that using a rebozo shawl may help turn a breech baby. The expectant mother lays on her back with the shawl draped over her abdomen. It is then gently pulled downwards, creating a swaying motion that is thought to help the baby turn.
11) Essential Oils
Peppermint also oil also works wonders in helping to turn a breech baby. This oil is mixed with a carrier oil like fractionated coconut oil and then applied all over the belly. Do this for 15-30 min for 3 hours or until you slowly feel baby shift
You also have the option of using other oils like clary sage, frankincense, myrrh, and helichrysum.
Yet more natural ways to turn a breech baby include:
- Yoga
- Chiropractic
- Hypnosis
- Swimming
- Sleeping on your sides with a pillow between your legs
Overall, there are several natural ways to turn a breech baby that mothers can try. It is important to remember that these methods may not always be successful and that medical interventions may be necessary. However, these natural practices can often provide expectant mothers with a sense of comfort and control over their birthing process.
Tags: natural ways to turn a breech baby, proven ways to turn a breech baby, turning a breech baby
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