Yesterday we went to our scheduled doctor’s appointment only to find we had a new problem upon doing our ultrasound. There appeared on the screen a breech baby at 32 weeks pregnant. I had heard of this term (breech) before but never really knew what it meant.
Basically, when a baby is in breech, their head is towards your rib cage rather than towards the birth canal. It’s a little confusing as the baby is suppose to be upside down but it makes sense given that the delivery is in that direction.
Our doctor asked me whether I had felt a shift or big movements during the week and I replied saying yes I had but it never occurred to me that she did a 360. Upon reflection there was one big shift that did happen and it did freak me out. Her leg or arm or something was pushed against the side of my belly. I remember feeling kinda scared for a moment as it happened but I wasn’t too worried as she soon moved in another position. The doctor explained that when I give birth, it’s important that the baby’s head comes out first, mainly to ensure the baby can breathe properly and there are no complications. It also means we could avoid a c-section.
Attempting the knee-to-chest position
As I am only 32 weeks pregnant, we still had a fair number of weeks to go. She gave me a small card with an image of an Asian lady doing the knee-to-chest position. It looked like the downward dog position you do in yoga.
It’s the position where you are suppose to go on all fours and have your chest tilted downwards, knees bent at 90 degrees and your elbows bent to support your body weight. The doctor told me do this do position 3 times a day, everyday until my next appointment, which was in 1 week.
When I got home, I decided to start trying to get the baby in the right position. After looking at the image she handed to me, I noticed that firstly, the lady was not even pregnant and secondly, when I tried the position it was difficult to know whether or not I was doing it right. My husband said my hips were not as high up and that I was not tilted enough. I couldn’t really hold myself up for long either. I was suppose to be in this position for a few minutes and could barely do it for 2 minutes. My arms were sore from my attempt in this position and found that having a massive bump didn’t help at all.
The Breech Tilt
The next day I looked up online for some more guidance in terms of what other positions or exercises I could do to encourage my baby to get out of the breech position naturally. There were a few option out there but I decided to try this one called the breech tilt. I found this video on Youtube. It was the best one.
Basically, you lie on your back making sure your hips are elevated and encouraging the baby to move towards the birth canal. I found that lying down in a declining position was most effective and practical with a big bump. I placed pillows underneath me and used the end of the couch to create a gradual decline. I laid there for 10 minutes while watching a TV show to pass the time.
I did it 3 times a day and it seemed to work. I could feel her moving, shifting, which was a good sign. The only problem I had with this position was that it was difficult to get out of the position being 32 weeks pregnant. Luckily my husband held my hands and slowly pulled me up every time. I continued (as best as I could) to do the first position I was told to do by my doctor as well as I figured it couldn’t hurt to do both. It will be a few days until I know whether or not it worked but I am definitely hopeful!
Update: After finishing my latest appointment we checked on the ultrasound and found that our baby girl had moved back in the right position! Hooray! Totally happy that we don’t have a breech baby at 32 weeks pregnant kind of situation anymore. The doctor said I no longer needed to do these exercises to maintain the position she is currently in. We’ll have to keep an eye on her but for now she’s good!