When the time comes to deliver the baby, your doctor knows what’s best for you and your baby. It is not always easy to say which position is your baby is in. Only as the pregnancy progresses, it will become easier to determine your baby’s position inside the womb.
When the baby gets to head-down position, labor becomes easier and stress-free. Most babies get into the anterior position by the end of pregnancy. This is a position where the baby fits snugly into the curve of your pelvis by pointing the head downwards, closer to the birth canal and toward your back.
It is likely that most babies naturally place themselves in this position, there are cases where it does not happen. Some babies get into breech position which might become a problem during labor, but just because your care provider said it’s a breech, doesn’t mean you’ll get into a C-section.
If you find that your baby is breech and are probably freaking out, don’t! First of all, don’t stress too much, especially, if you have not gone beyond 32 weeks. Don’t get too overwhelmed, there are a lot of options and techniques to bring back your baby to position. Although, the most simple and inexpensive way to bring back from breech is to just give some time.
First-time moms and women who are extremely fit might have trouble getting the baby to move out of breech position. This is due to tighter pelvic and abdominal muscles.
4 Things To Do To Flip A Breech
1. Keep Your Knees Up
The technique called optimal fetal positioning (OFP) is a way to encourage your baby to come into anterior position by changing your posture, particularly, when you are sitting down. So when you are sitting, always check that your knees are lower than your hips. Do not sit in a chair which makes your bottom go down and your knees up. Sit on a cushion in the car to lift your bottom up. If you have a job which involves a lot of sitting, take regular breaks and move around.
2. Walk A Lot And Exercise
Walking and stretching the calf muscles help loosen the connecting tissues of your pelvis and uterus. This gives more space in the pelvis for the baby to come back to anterior position. Move your body to make your baby move. Doing squats is another great exercise which can give extra space for the baby to move in the womb. Consult your doctor before doing any exercise. Scrub the floor! The old wives tales say that scrubbing the floor by squatting is a good way to prepare for the labor. When you are on all fours, your baby’s head swings to the front of your belly.
3. External Cephalic Version Could Help
This is a procedure that externally rotates the fetus from a breech position to a cephalic presentation. It is done by applying external pressure on your abdomen and make the baby move to the right position. This is done most often before the labor begins around 37 weeks.
Doctors believe that this procedure will reduce the cesarean rate. Get to know the risks of this procedure before undergoing one. Potential risks of the procedure can be reduced with the fetal monitoring. Just before the attempt, your doctor will give an injection of tocolytic medicine which will relax the uterus and prevent uterine contractions.
4. Get Prepared To Ease Delivery
When you know that your baby is in breech position, you need to prepare yourself well for an easy delivery. Posterior babies push against your tailbone which can cause discomfort. To prepare yourself for this back labor pain, you can practice sitting on a birthing ball and apply pressure on your hips. Sit till you dilate enough to get relief from the pain.
It is OK if you cannot get your baby into the right position, relax and don’t panic if it’s breech. Try these exercises, consult your doctor, and monitor the pregnancy to be safe.
