Description

A breech birth refers to the position of the baby inside the uterus. Most babies will move into delivery position, with their head moving near the birth canal, if this does not occur the baby’s feet and/or buttocks will emerge first.

The increasing size of the baby near term traps the fetus into the head down position normally. Other factors influencing breech births include multiple pregnancies (twins, triplets, etc), excessive amounts of amniotic fluid, fetal and uterine abnormalities, and subluxations.

 

How Chiropractic Care Relates to Breech Births

Larry Webster, D.C., of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, developed a technique which enabled chiropractors to release stress on the pregnant woman's pelvis and cause relaxation to the uterus and surrounding ligaments. The relaxed uterus would make it easier for a breech baby to turn naturally. The technique is known as the Webster Breech Technique.

By correcting the mothers’ subluxations' using this technique, a significant amount of babies are turning inside the uterus which helps avoid birth trauma associated with breech birth. This technique has been shown to reduce constraint to the mother's uterus 82% of the time, allowing the baby to get into the vertex position for birth.

The best time to try to turn a breech baby is between 32-37 weeks of pregnancy. There are many different types of methods to use and all have different levels of success. The Webster technique replaces high-cost operations and the use of harmful medications.