by Caryne Darling

Created on: May 08, 2008

While the prospect of delivering a breech baby vaginally sounds intimidating, with a little help from a competent doctor it can be done successfully. The best scenario would be discovering that the baby is breech well before the mother goes into labor. This allows your doctor time to determine the best way to try to turn your baby around.

Years ago a cesarean was only performed in an emergency and breech babies were routinely delivered vaginally. Today a c-section is often offered as the best course of action once it is obvious the baby is breech.

There are alternatives to a scheduled cesarean however and it starts with things a mother can do to encourage her baby to turn around on his own. Certain exercises can be performed by the mother to encourage her baby to turn and they range from practical to odd. These include pelvic rocking, where the mother is on her hands and knees and literally rocks her pelvic region up and down. Swimming is also recommended as the buoyancy of the water allows more room for the baby to move. Another suggestion is for the mother to stand on her head for brief periods of time but regularly, until the baby changes position. This is not something you would want to try without assistance.

Other suggestions include use of light or sound positioned at the bottom of the uterus as the baby will often turn towards the light or sound. Drinking juice, with it's high natural sugar content, and then laying on your left side with your feet up is another option. Some also suggest gardening as a good form of exercise that encourages the baby to turn in a head down position.

If in the event the mother reaches the end of her pregnancy and the baby is still in the breech position, the doctor may reassess the situation and recommend manually turning the baby close to the due date, around 37 weeks. While not a particularly comfortable procedure, if it is successful the baby can be delivered vaginally in normal labor and delivery.

This is not to say that a breech baby cannot be delivered if they continue to remain in the breech position once the mother is in labor. A frank breech baby, where the baby's buttocks are first, is the easiest to deliver vaginally. During the delivery the doctor would continue to monitor the baby's stress level to assure that no complications arise. A footling breech or feet first baby would be harder but not impossible to deliver. Delivering the baby's shoulders and head would be of most concern in this case. A complete breech baby would be the most difficult and most doctors would probably recommend a c-section before the mother goes into labor naturally.

Ultimately the health and well being of both mother and baby are the goal in any pregnancy and delivery. With the help of a doctor who understands the mother's desire to deliver her baby naturally and avoid a c-section there are many options available. A baby who is in a breech position is not automatically a candidate for a c-section.

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