HOW TO TURN A BREECH BABY NATURALLY

BREECH BABY

Did you know that about 3-4% of babies are born in the breech position? A breech baby is when the baby’s head is upwards where the feet are to come out first upon delivery. There are different types of breech such as: Complete breech - baby is sitting on heels, Footling breech - feet first, Frank breech - bottom first, with feet up by head

Breech is common in early pregnancy, and by weeks 36-37 most babies have turned naturally to a head-down position. 

This can cause a lot of extra stress for women in the fourth trimester about whether or not their baby's position is good for a vaginal birth. OBGYNs and Midwives can try to move the baby by hand, but there are also some natural ways to do it.  One of these ways is using Acupuncture and moxibustion. This ancient therapy has been used to help turn breech babies and get them to move into the ideal position for birth and has a 70-85% success rate. 

Moxibustion, also called Moxa, is a Traditional Chinese Medicine therapy in which a herb called Mugwort is used. This herb is burned close to the skin to gently warm it. When moxibustion is used to help turn a breech baby, it is burned above the fifth toe of both feet. Moxa is used on a specific acupuncture point called Bladder 67 (Zhiyin). This point stimulates the womb space by sending Qi (energy) to it. 

Having moxibustion on BL67 (Zhiyin) stimulates the body to make more prostaglandin and estrogen, which makes the uterus contract more and moves the baby. These contractions aren't meant to induce early labor. Instead, they're meant to get the baby moving into the proper position. Traditional Chinese medicine says that fetal malposition can be caused by an imbalance of Qi and Blood. Since acupuncture can improve Qi and blood flow, this is why it is said to work. It is also thought to improve the tone of the muscles in the woman’s uterus, making it more likely for the baby to stay in the proper position. 

So does Moxibustion really work? A unblind, two-armed randomized controlled study trial from September 2017 to April 2020 concluded that incorporating acupressure at the BL-67 (Zhiyin) acupuncture point of pregnant women helped to reduce the rate of cesarean section and avoid its related complications. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34764014/. Another study https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15280133/ concluded that acupuncture plus moxibustion is more effective than observation (non acupuncture moxibustion group) in revolving fetuses in breech position.

For most women moxibustion is a safe choice however there are some situations where it would be advised not to do this type of treatment. If you have had a previous cesarean birth, if your placenta is low lying, if you have had bleeding from your vagina or your water has broken, or you're expecting twins.  It is always best to check with your midwife or doctor before starting treatment.  Moxibustion can be done with a qualified acupuncturist. In my practice I also sent patients home with a moxibustion kit (moxa sticks and instructions) so treatment can continue 2x per day for 7 days. 

Other options: Yoga poses to help encourage breech babies to turn on their own:

  • “Butt up” child’s pose

  • Supported bridge pose

  • Dangle

  • Low lunge (Anjaneyasana)

*always check with your midwife or OBGYN before doing yoga poses if your baby is breech.






Kelli Taylor