When to start
30-32 Weeks:
Your doctor or midwife may not be too alarmed, since there is still ample room in your uterus for the baby to turn around. However, best is to start early especially with hypnotic suggestion which not only will help you turn the baby, but will also give you a wonderful boding time with your baby.
33-37 Weeks:
If this is your first baby, you may want to begin some of the breech turning strategies as early as 33 Weeks. Cardini’s study of moxibustion took place between weeks 33-35; 33 weeks is also the point at which the chance of turning is only 15.5% for women who have not had a baby before (or for women who’ve had at least one prior pregnancy with a breech baby at 37 weeks). In addition to the hypnosis I suggest you look for a chiropractor and acupuncturist to stimulate the body together with your unconscious mind to get things moving.
37-39 Weeks:
Your baby is now considered “full term,” and you may now be a candidate for a version. If you or your obstetrician/midwife is concerned about the risks of a version, you can choose to continue with alternative modalities This is when it will be very important for you to dedicate some time each day with our self-hypnosis CD for two primary reasons, one it can really help you turn your baby and this is the only way left that is safe for both you and the baby, and as importantly you can commune with the baby each and every day and accept that maybe he/she has decided to be born in a particular way.
HERE’S SOME GOOD NEWS
BABIES HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO TURN DURING LABOR, SO DON’T DECIDE TO HAVE A CESAREAN AT 39 WEEKS UNLESS THERE IS A MEDICAL REASON FOR IT. ASK YOUR DOCTOR TO ALLOW YOU TO GO TO FULL TERM AND EVEN START LABOR ON YOUR OWN.
Breech Turning Techniques
HAS SHE TRIED ALL THE WAYS TO TRY TO TURN A BREECH BABY?
Laying on her back on a board or using pillows so that her head is about 40 degrees lower than her feet.
Play music, preferably with headphones, placing them low down on her uterus.
Shine a very bright light low down on her uterus, or even between her legs.
Have someone (preferably the father) talk loudly but soothingly to the baby, low on the belly, close to the skin, telling the baby to turn around, to come towards the voice (have also heard that commanding works).
If all else fails, how about external version? This is where the mother is given drugs to relax her uterus, then the doctor uses his hands externally to turn the baby around. This, of course, has it’s pros and cons, which should be weighed. It also can be very painful for the mother, but not as much pain as she’ll have after a c-section.
Hypnotherapy is supposed to work really well because of the relaxation it induces.
A chiropractic technique called Webster’s technique.
Music & light -Light near the crotch area, especially while sleeping. -Music on lower abdomen also may work during the day. Use classical or other very soothing music.
Acupuncture and Moxibustion
Place some ice cubes on the top of your belly, sometimes babies flip to avoid the cold.
Something I have seen work with several of my moms and myself is having the Daddy put his mouth down where the babies head should be, then Daddy should talk to his baby and tell him/her to turn around and put its head where it should be. My last baby always responded to Daddy’s voice and did whatever he ask! Another thing I’ve seen work is playing music to the baby using headphones and placing them where the baby’s head should be. Sometimes babies will turn to hear the tunes!!
Have you ever heard of elephant walking? It has worked well for my students who carry breech near term. Elephant walking is walking on hands and feet instead of knees. As soon as you try it, you will see why it would work! It’s very difficult to do, but it definitely helps loosen the baby up and out of the pelvic ring. Some people feel the baby turn as soon as they start doing it.
OTHER METHODS THAT HAVE WORKED:
· Have the mother walk on her hands in a swimming pool.
· Place a transistor radio in the mother’s pants and play it for 10 minutes 6 to 8 times a day.
· Move a flashlight over the belly from the fundus to the pelvis while the mother is in the tilt position.
· Homeopathic Pulsatilla in 200C potency or higher. Have the mother take one dose every 3 days while doing tilt exercises.
· Stimulation of the acupuncture point bladder 67 (located on the little toe at the outer corner of the nailbed).
· Pelvic rocking and exercises to strengthen muscle tone.
· Drink plenty of fluids.
· Discuss the pros and cons of waiting to have a version performed by a doctor using ultrasound and uterine relaxing drugs.
· Have a chiropractor perform the Webster technique as appropriate.Here are some suggestions to turn your baby around:
1. Laying on your back on a board or using pillows so that your head is about 40 degrees lower than her feet. Try putting an ironing board on the couch and lie on it backward (head down). Be careful not to hurt yourself, make sure there are plenty of pillows around you, and someone to help you too!
2. Play music, preferably with headphones, placing them low down on your uterus.
3. Shine a very bright light low down on your uterus, or even between your legs.
4. Have someone (preferably the father) talk loudly but soothingly to the baby, low on the belly, close to the skin, telling the baby to turn around, to come towards the voice (have also heard that commanding works).
5. If all else fails, how about external version? This is where the mother is given drugs to relax her uterus, and then the doctor uses his hands externally to turn the baby around. This, of course, has its pros and cons, which should be weighed. It also can be very painful for the mother (but not as much pain as she'll have after a c-section!) Doctors usually don’t like to perform this too early in case you go into labor during the manipulation; they want to make sure baby is full term or close to it. Midwives usually are very good and gentle and can really do miracle with this one.
Many babies will flip around on their own. Keep the faith.
