Breech Baby? 9 Ways to Support & Encourage Baby to Turn Head Down Naturally
Finding out your baby is breech can bring up a lot of questions.
Will my baby turn? Is there anything I can do? What happens if my baby stays breech? Can I still have the birth I was hoping for?
If you've been searching for answers, you've probably found a long list of things people say might help a breech baby turn. Some have more research behind them than others, and many are traditional practices, or what moms and birth professionals have found helpful through experience.
As a doula, I've been hearing about and seeing more breech babies lately! I’ve even heard several stories from moms recently who had babies that turned during labor—and it’s really got me thinking!
Instead of thinking about the techniques in this blog as ways to make your baby turn, I like to think about them as ways to support and balance your body so your baby has as much optimal space as possible to move and navigate.
A note about safety: These are suggestions to explore, but do not guarantee a specific outcome. Every pregnancy and every baby is different, and some techniques may not be appropriate for you depending on your pregnancy or medical history. Talk with your provider before trying anything new.
Why Is My Baby Breech?
First, it's important to remember that breech positioning is common earlier in pregnancy. Babies have plenty of room to move and may change positions frequently before eventually settling into a head-down position later in the 3rd trimester.
As pregnancy progresses, there are many factors that can influence baby's position. The shape and structure of the uterus, the location of the placenta and cord, the amount of amniotic fluid, baby's size or position, and the amount of space available can all play a role. Sometimes there is an obvious reason a baby is breech, and sometimes there isn't.
Although we may not know why most babies are in a breech position, there may be things you can do to support your body and create space. But, ultimately, your baby's position isn't something you can completely control.
Ways to Support Your Body & Create Space
The goal of these practices isn't to physically force your baby into a head-down position. Instead, think about supporting balance, mobility, and space throughout your body so your baby has the opportunity to move and find an optimal position.
1. Spinning Babies® Movements
Spinning Babies® offers a variety of movements and body-balancing techniques designed to support balance and space in the pelvis and surrounding tissues. The Daily Activities and Three Balances include practices such as the Jiggle, Forward-Leaning Inversion, and Side-Lying Release, and there are also specific breech suggestions like the breech tilt. These practices aren't about pushing your baby into position but about creating an environment where your baby has room to move.
2. Inversions
Inversions are another technique you'll often come across when researching breech babies. The idea is to release the tension in uterine ligaments and surrounding tissues & help baby lift slightly up out of the pelvis to potentially create more space for your baby to move. Some women use a Forward-Leaning Inversion, while others explore different supported inversions, including pool handstands.
3. Bodywork
Your baby isn't the only one who deserves attention—your body is part of the picture, too. Working with a prenatal chiropractor, massage therapist who specializes in breech presentation, or acupuncturist may help address areas of tension or restriction and support mobility and balance throughout your body. The goal isn't to push your baby into position but to support the tissues and structures surrounding your baby.
4. Moxibustion
Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that uses burning mugwort near a specific acupuncture point on the little toe. There is some research suggesting that moxibustion may increase the likelihood of a breech baby turning head-down, although it isn't a guarantee. As for the science behind it, don’t as me, ask the moxibustion experts! LOL
5. Belly Massage
Gentle belly massage can be another way to support your body while connecting with your baby. You can do this at home as a winding down exercise at night, moving your hands in a clockwise movement around your stomach while visualizing your baby moving head down and even talking to your baby. As is the case for most body work, the goal isn't to manually turn your baby but to support the space and tissues around your baby.
6. Music & Light
You've probably heard the suggestion to use music or light to encourage a breech baby to move. The idea is that babies can respond to sound and light, so some parents place music or a light near the lower part of the abdomen in hopes that baby will move toward it. There isn't strong evidence that this will turn a breech baby, but some parents choose to experiment with it as a gentle way to interact with their baby.
7. Pulsatilla & Homeopathy
Pulsatilla is one of the homeopathic remedies you'll often see mentioned when searching for natural ways to turn a breech baby. Pulsatilla is meant to relax the muscles in your uterus. The suggested dose is Pulsatilla 30C twice daily for 2 weeks, combined with the breech tilt.
8. External Cephalic Version (ECV)
External cephalic version, or ECV, is a medical procedure specifically intended to turn a breech baby. A trained healthcare provider uses their hands on the outside of your abdomen to encourage your baby to move into a head-down position, typically around 37-39 weeks depending on your individual situation. ECV is successful about 50% of the time, depending on the provider and circumstances. Your provider can help you understand whether you're a good candidate and discuss the potential benefits and risks.
9. Surrender & Prayer
There can be a point in pregnancy where you're doing all the things and still don't know what your baby is going to do. You can move your body, explore bodywork, try different techniques, talk with your provider about ECV, and gather information—but you also have to come to God through it all saying “God, I've done what I can. I trust You with what I cannot control.”
Surrender doesn't mean you stop preparing or asking questions. It means you can prepare without believing that you have the ability to control the outcome. You can pray for your baby to turn while also preparing your heart for the possibility that your birth may look different than you imagined.
And if you're looking for a simple way to bring your faith into your birth preparation, I've created a 5-day birth prep devotional with Scripture, reflection, and practical practices to help you prepare your heart for birth. Get the 5-Day Birth Prep Devotional here!
What If My Breech Baby Doesn't Turn?
This may be the hardest part of a breech diagnosis, because you can do everything you feel like you're supposed to do and still have a breech baby.
If that happens, it doesn't mean you failed at anything. It doesn't mean you didn't pray enough, prepare enough, stretch enough, or do the right things. Sometimes babies turn, sometimes they don't, and sometimes there isn't a clear reason why.
If your baby remains breech toward the end of pregnancy, you can start gathering information about your options. Talk with your provider about ECV, ask how much experience they have with breech birth, and find out whether a vaginal breech birth is an option where you live.
A vaginal breech birth can be an option for some women when they have an appropriately trained and experienced provider and meet the criteria for their individual situation. If you're local to Louisville or Southern Indiana, I've also put together a [local resource guide] to help you find resources and providers as you explore your options.
You may need time to process the fact that your original plans have changed. That's okay. You can be disappointed and still move forward. You can have questions and still have faith. You can want your baby to turn and still surrender the outcome.
And remember: your baby's position is not a reflection of how well you prepared or how much you trusted God.
You Don't Have to Figure This Out Alone
If your baby is breech, I hope this gives you a place to start. There are things you can explore to support your body, create balance, and give your baby room to move, but none of these techniques can promise a particular outcome.
As a doula who has supported many moms through this, I know how overwhelming it can feel to sort through all of the information and figure out what makes sense for you. If you'd like personalized support talking through the different options, questions to bring to your provider, or ways to prepare your body and mind for the possibilities ahead, reach out to me about coaching! I would love to support you as you navigate this!
You can prepare. You can be informed. You can do what you can. And you can trust God with the rest.
