Shanghai Mama

The vast majority of babies will settle into a head-down position between the 32nd and 36th week of pregnancy. When this does not occur the doctor will define the baby as having a ‘breech presentation.’
Nowadays it is rare for a doctor to agree to a vaginal delivery of a breech baby, especially if there are any other factors that put the pregnancy in the high-risk bracket. Make sure to discuss this with your doctor and be clear of what their thoughts and policies are on breech delivery. In Shanghai it seems that most breech presentations are delivered by C-Section, however I have heard that Dr. Mahady at Shanghai East Medical Center will deliver a breech baby vaginally; worth checking out.

Mothers who’s babies haven’t quite yet turned to the head-down position should not be alarmed, as it is possible for the baby to turn round even after the 36th week, even hours before labour sets in, and there are a few tricks and exercises which can be practiced daily to encourage the baby to turn.

Homoeopathy and Acupuncture are effective methods which can be tried, otherwise gentle inversions practiced daily several times a day will encourage the turning of the baby or will at least prevent the buttocks from engaging in the pelvic brim.

1. Raising the buttocks- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your buttocks raised on a stack of 2 or 3 cushions or pillows, rest here for at least 10 minutes. Repeat a few times per day.
2. Knee-chest position- Come to the ground on all fours. Lower the chest to the ground by bending your elbows and resting your head on the forearms. Keep the buttocks high. Practice this regularly throughout the day.
3. Walk for at least an hour each day as the natural pull of gravity will help the head (heaviest part of the baby) to descend.

Once the baby has turned practice squatting to allow the head to engage.
If the head is not down after 35 weeks don’t practice squatting as the baby’s buttocks might engage in the pelvic brim making it harder for he or she to turn head-down.

There are a couple of great website that offer tips on how to turn the baby, these sites are written by midwives and make a really interesting read:

www.spinningbabies.com – for tips of baby positioning in general, it also has pdf you can download for baby mapping, i.e. teaching you how to figure out what position your baby is in.

www.breechbabies.com – Lots of info on how to turn the baby right here

www.gentlebirth.org- Midwives giving their opinions on differnt topics, one of which is breech presentation, click here for that particular page