An Alternative Approach for Breech Babies
4% of pregnancies are breech by week 36.
A breech presentation is when the baby is positioned with the buttocks down, the opposite position that t he baby should be in. The proper position of the baby in the uterus should be head down with its body slightly curled in “fetal position” to the left or the right. Any position other than the proper presentation places unnecessary stress on both mom and baby which may lead to long term problems. Research concludes that any existing biomechanical stress to the baby may cause abnormal developmental effects to its musculoskeletal system, longer labour and increased use of intervention and operative measures. The need to turn the baby in the later stages of pregnancy has become an all too common occurrence resulting in a discouraging use of C-section delivery as the method of choice. Here is how chiropractic can help.
During the first 2 trimesters of pregnancy there is a lot of room in the pelvis for the baby. It will be felt moving around and flipping positions on a regular basis, but in the 3rd trimester, specifically after the 7thmonth, when the size of the baby increases and the room in the pelvis decreases the baby will settle into a fixed position- one that we hope is correctly positioned head down. It has been scientifically stated that any position other than the proper presentation will create a constraint of the fetus to one degree or another – constraints that place stress on the fetus during one of its most crucial developmental phases.
The chiropractic technique used to encourage the baby to turn from a breech to a vertex position is called the Webster In-Utero Constraint Technique. This highly respected chiropractic technique is a completely safe, gentle procedure that facilitates THE BABY TO TURN ITSELF back to its natural position. It is not an attempt to physically turn the baby as in an ECV (version). The technique involves a chiropractic adjustment of the sacrum and the release of certain pelvic muscles and ligaments through gentle pressure work. Ultimately, the goal of the “Webster Technique” is the creation of an optimal uterine environment with the understanding that once the baby experiences its new comfortable surroundings it will turn on its own and position itself in the proper position, one that places the least amount of stress on the baby and mom.
We realize that late stage breech presentation may be alarming and disturbing to new moms. Complementary, alternative healthcare offers a multitude of solutions to turn the baby and assist in a healthy, natural, vaginal delivery.