...

Breech Baby: Approaches

Acupuncture or Moxibustion (Moxa)

Both acupuncture and moxibustion aim to balance the body’s Chi, the vital energy. Acupuncture accomplishes this by inserting needles into specific meridian points, while moxibustion stimulates these points with a heated herb. Research on breech presentation suggests that treated breech babies tend to show increased activity and are more inclined to turn on their own compared to untreated babies.

Studies investigating the optimal timing for turning a breech baby with moxa have shown that intervention is most effective around week 34, before the baby becomes too large. However, as around 50% of babies naturally turn by the 36th week, some healthcare providers may wait until after this time to consider the possibility of the fetus remaining breech.

In clinical practice, it is preferable to see women as close to the 34th week as possible. If a woman arrives later, even up to 38 or 39 weeks, I still advise using moxa, as some babies do turn, especially if the patient has been pregnant before, which increases the chances of success.

Talking with the Baby

This approach involves the mother consciously acknowledging her relationship with the baby in the uterus and actively communicating with the baby to encourage movement.

Music/Light

Encouraging the mother-to-be to place light and/or music on the lower part of her abdomen is based on the belief that babies are attracted to these stimuli and might induce the baby to turn.

Diet

According to Chinese medicine, breech babies may have excessive Yin energy, so mothers are advised to consume more Yang energy foods, such as fish, poultry, eggs, red meat, dairy, and miso. To support this diet, mothers should decrease their intake of Yin energy foods like fruit, ice cream, oil, coffee, sweets, drugs, chemicals, cigarettes, and manage stress.

Water

Immersion in water or performing handstands in water is believed to stimulate the baby to turn. Encouraging expecting mothers to drink more water is primarily associated with amniotic fluid volume, although there’s been no significant difference noted in the fluid volume between cephalic and breech presentation babies.

Tilt Board

The tilt board method involves the mother lying with her feet and pelvis elevated for a specific duration each day (around 10 – 20 minutes) to facilitate the baby’s movement. Although one published study found no significant improvement, many midwives subjectively believe that tilt board usage is a secondary factor in babies turning.

Massage

While specific massage techniques for turning a baby are not well-defined, some believe gentle abdominal massage might assist in prompting turning.

Homeopathy

Using two doses of Pulsatilla (200 potency) at intervals of two days during the 35th week of pregnancy is a recommended homeopathic remedy.

Seraphinite AcceleratorOptimized by Seraphinite Accelerator
Turns on site high speed to be attractive for people and search engines.