Sleeping Positions To Turn Breech Baby

Best Sleeping Positions To Turn Breech | Types – causes – Prevention

Pregnancy

If your baby is in the breech position, there are only 3% chances that the baby will remain in the same position. If you are experiencing this problem in the earlier weeks of pregnancy (20-25), you should wait until the 32nd week.

In fact, first-time pregnant mothers often become too upset when they come to know about the breech position of the baby and immediately look for treatments. We cannot neglect the fact that if the baby remains in the breech position, it can cause a lot of problems for the mother as well as the child.

This article will guide you on How to turn a breech baby naturally. Without further ado, let’s dive in!

Types Of Breech Babies

If a baby spends 50% to 70% of the time in the breech position until the 36th week, we can say that it is a breech pregnancy. This position must be changed to a normal position to ensure the normal supply to the brain at the time of birth. It can also cause a lot of complications for the mother like hip dysplasia.

There are two major types of breech babies.

Completely Breech

When both legs of the baby are bent and touch the buttocks, we can call this condition completely breech. In simple words, the doctors have to look for the adjustment of two problems:

First thing is to straighten the bent legs, and the next thing is to reposition the baby with the head in the downward direction. There are some exercises and sleep positions that can help the mothers in this matter.

However, it is a rare problem and at the time of delivery, there are only 10% chances that your baby will be born in a complete breech position.

Incomplete Breech

If the legs of your baby face the straight down direction, the state is called an incomplete breech position. The presenting portion can be one foot or both feet, so this condition is also known as the Footling breech. 

It is a less dangerous situation as compared to the completely breech position of the baby. 25% of the breech pregnancies are due to the incomplete breech positions of the babies.

Causes of breech baby

There are a lot of factors that can contribute to the breech position of the baby.

1. Quantity Of The Amniotic Fluid

If the amniotic fluid is present in a large quantity in the 20-25 weeks, the baby can easily change the position and turn into a breech position. Still, there is nothing to worry about as long as the quantity of amniotic fluid remains high.

The problem arises when there is a little quantity of amniotic fluid in the late weeks of pregnancy, and the baby cannot get in the head-down position.

2. A premature baby

It is a common observation that premature babies often turn to the breech positions as their sizes are small and they can easily move inside the womb, as compared to the twin babies who may not be able to turn their position.

3. Natural Size of the Womb

Some women have naturally large uterus, while others may have smaller ones. In the large uterus, babies get plenty of space to move around. So the baby easily recovers the breech position in the big uterus.

4. Position Of Placenta

In some cases, the placenta gets lowered and covers the full cervix or some portion of it. This condition is called placenta previa. If the woman suffers from placenta previa, there are greater chances of C-section or breech delivery.

The reason is quite simple. The placenta previa covers the downward portion of the uterus, making it difficult for the baby to turn his/her head in the downward direction. In other words, the placenta previa causes the blockage of the overall mobility and can prove to be fatal for the life of the baby or the mother as well.

5. Congenital Abnormalities

On one side congenital abnormalities result in the inability of the baby to move. While on the other side there are some unknown causes of this problem as well.

The good news is that…

These abnormalities can easily be discovered upon the ultrasound scans and can be treated even during pregnancy. Congenital abnormalities are responsible for 30% of breech baby deliveries.

If all the solutions fail, ask yourself:

Has my womb enough space to turn? If the answer is yes, reapply the above techniques and your issue will be resolved at the comfort of your home.

Now that we have studies about the basics of breech baby position along with the causes, it is time to dive deep and find the best sleeping positions to turn your breech baby.

Best sleeping position to get baby engaged

No one can provide you with the definitive answer as every sleeping position works differently for everyone. However, you can choose the best position that can surely encourage your baby to turn. These ways are shown in front of you.

1. Sleep with Pillow Under The Legs

In normal circumstances, your breech baby acts in your womb as if he is standing with the legs in the downward direction. Keeping the pillow under the legs will bring a change in the overall behavior of the baby and he/she will try to move the head in the downward direction.

Raising the legs above the head level is something that not every mother considers, but she should.

2. Keep Pillow Between Your Legs

When you keep the pillow between the legs and sleep on the sides, it creates the optimal positioning of the baby and there are a lot of chances that he/she will retain his/her normal birthing position.

This technique increases the area of the uterus, and your baby finds enough space to turn. It can also help your baby lift out of your pelvis and position his/her body.

3. Prefer To Sleep On Left Side Of The Body

According to careful research, when the breech mother lies on the left side, her baby gets the maximum blood supply as the Inferior vena cava works freely without any pressure.

If you are in the final months of your pregnancy, you should never sleep on your back. Sleeping on the left side is the best option in the later weeks, as the baby can get optimal blood supply.

4. Prop Your Hips Up With Pillows

When the above-mentioned sleeping positions leave you without any relief, you must look for some more effective sleeping position.

So, here is the kicker for you!

This technique is also known as the breech tilt in which you elevate your hips above the head.

It may sound uncomfortable in the beginning but it will benefit you in turning the position of your baby.

5. Sleep Without the Pillow Under The Head

When you sleep with the pillow under the head, it ultimately reduces the blood flow towards the brain, resulting in a more severe breaching position of the baby. Remember that a baby needs very good blood circulation, and a pillow under the head of the mother can cause a lot of problems.

5. Lean With One Knee Bent

This position may help in turning the baby. Although there is no strong evidence that if a position can really help in turning the breech baby or not, however, there are chances that it will rightly position the baby inside the uterus.

You will have to practice daily and try to sleep with any of your knees bent while keeping the other leg straight.

How to avoid breech position in pregnancy?

It is a reality that during pregnancies the mothers are sensitive enough to detect any changes in the sleep position. The reason is pregnant mothers usually cannot get too sound and deep sleep. So, if you are ready to put in a bit of your effort just by changing the sleep positions, what are you waiting for?

It is all about caring for your body and the baby.

Here is it worth mentioning that you should not take any kind of exercise without the help of your gynecologist. However, you can adopt the convenient sleep positions mentioned above on your own.

The core of the matter is to avoid too much medication and use these physical attempts to maintain the breech position. If you always sleep on the right side during the pregnancy, it can cause a breech position and other problems. So, try to keep your body in an active state.

The Bottom Line

Now you have read all about breech babies and the sleeping positions to turn your breech baby, did this article help you in solving the problem? Which sleeping position do you prefer the most?

Share your thoughts, ideas, and experiences in the comment section below.

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