🤰🏽 When Baby’s Bottom Is Down: Understanding Breech Babies & Natural Ways to Encourage Turning
Finding out your baby is breech—meaning their bottom or feet are pointed down toward the cervix—can stir up a lot of emotions. You might feel surprised, anxious, or even pressured to schedule a cesarean. But take a deep breath. Many breech babies turn head-down before birth, and there are several gentle, evidence-informed ways to support that shift.
This guide is for birthing families who want to understand what breech positioning means, explore their options, and feel empowered—not fearful.
🌀 What Is a Breech Baby?
By the third trimester, most babies settle into a head-down (vertex) position in preparation for birth. A breech baby is in a different position:
Frank breech: Buttocks down, legs extended up toward the head (most common)
Complete breech: Buttocks down, legs folded (like sitting cross-legged)
Footling breech: One or both feet positioned to come out first (rare and more complex)
About 3–4% of babies are still breech at term (37+ weeks), but many turn on their own earlier in the third trimester.
🔄 Why Do Some Babies Stay Breech?
There are several possible reasons:
Uterine shape or fibroids
Placenta previa or low-lying placenta
Twin pregnancies
Short or tangled cord
Emotional or physical tension in the birthing parent’s body or pelvis
Sometimes, we don’t know why. And that’s okay—it doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong.
🌿 Gentle, Holistic Ways to Encourage Turning
If your baby is breech, here are natural options to explore—ideally between 32 and 37 weeks:
1. Spinning Babies® Techniques
Daily inversions like the Forward-Leaning Inversion and Breech Tilt
Pelvic balancing exercises and stretches
Focused bodywork and alignment
✅ Often used by doulas, midwives, and chiropractors
2. Webster Technique (Chiropractic Care)
A specialized chiropractic adjustment to balance the pelvis and soft tissues, making more space for baby to move.
✅ Gentle, safe in pregnancy, and often very effective
3. Moxibustion (Traditional Chinese Medicine)
A form of heat therapy using mugwort over specific acupuncture points (often on the little toes) to stimulate fetal movement.
✅ Usually done between 34–36 weeks, often paired with acupuncture
4. Acupuncture
Specific points can help release uterine tension and support fetal rotation.
✅ Safe when done by a licensed practitioner trained in pregnancy care
5. Swimming or Water Play
Deep water buoyancy can help relax abdominal muscles and pelvic ligaments, encouraging baby to turn.
✅ Breaststroke and “flip turns” in the water are sometimes recommended
6. Rebozo Techniques
Gentle belly sifting or jiggling with a rebozo scarf (guided by a trained doula) to relax the uterus and help baby move into an optimal position.
✅ Safe, soothing, and often fun
🏥 Medical Option: External Cephalic Version (ECV)
If baby hasn’t turned by 36–37 weeks, your provider might suggest an ECV—a hands-on technique where an OB manually turns the baby from the outside, often using ultrasound guidance.
Success rate: ~50–60% depending on experience, baby size, and other factors
Often done in the hospital setting with monitoring
Mild discomfort is common; serious complications are rare
👉 Some families try holistic approaches first and schedule an ECV later if needed.
🧘 Emotional & Energetic Support
Your emotional state matters. Some people find babies turn when we release fear, connect to baby, and soften internally.
Consider:
Guided meditations or visualizations
Talking to your baby
Pelvic floor relaxation and breathwork
Craniosacral therapy or somatic bodywork
📦 Planning for Birth
If baby remains breech:
Ask about your provider’s comfort with vaginal breech birth (many aren’t trained anymore)
Get informed about gentle, family-centered cesarean options
Work with a doula or birth team who supports you in processing emotions and building confidence
💛 Final Thoughts
A breech position doesn’t mean something is wrong—it means your baby might need a little extra space, time, or encouragement. Trust your body, ask questions, and know that you have options. Whether baby flips or not, you deserve support, respect, and care.
Refrences
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). (2018).
Practice Bulletin No. 161: External Cephalic Version.
Obstetrics & Gynecology, 131(1), e1–e14.
https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000002404Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). (2017).
The Management of Breech Presentation.
Green-top Guideline No. 20a.
https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/gtg20a/Gupta, A., Sood, A., & Bajaj, N. (2013).
Effectiveness of external cephalic version: a systematic review.
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 33(8), 721–726.
https://doi.org/10.3109/01443615.2013.802496Hofmeyr, G.J., Hannah, M.E. (2018).
Planned Cesarean Section for Term Breech Presentation.
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (10):CD000166.
https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD000166.pub3Sutton, A., & Chestnut, D. H. (2015).
External cephalic version and other methods of cephalic version.
In: Chestnut’s Obstetric Anesthesia: Principles and Practice (5th Ed.). Elsevier.Smith, V., Begley, C. M., & Devane, D. (2017).
Women’s experiences of planned cesarean section for breech presentation: a qualitative study.
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 17(1), 336.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-017-1517-2Simkin, P. (2012).
Helping the Breech Baby Turn Naturally: Moxibustion, Pelvic Tilt, and More.
Midwifery Today International Midwife, Issue 101, 24-29.World Health Organization (WHO). (2015).
WHO Recommendations: Non-clinical Interventions to Reduce Unnecessary Cesarean Sections.
https://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/maternal_perinatal_health/cs-recommendations/en/
