Baby's position in pg. When should he be head down?

[StaceyinLA]

Dd is concerned because her baby is not head down. I do not recall this ever being an issue for me, so I don't know at what point you are likely looking at a breech.

 

Dd is 32 weeks tomorrow, and she is measuring about a week behind in uterine size (no huge surprise since she is small, hasn't gained a large amount of weight, and was a small baby).

[LittleIzumi]

Baby turns head down by 34 weeks usually. :)

[KidsHappen]

My last one finished turning while I was in labor (she was transverse and the midwife turned her), not pleasant, let me tell you. They like to see them turn by 36 weeks with a first timer but you aren't looking at a breech until you go into labor and the baby hasn't turned. I wouldn't be worried this early.

[happypamama]

My first was questionably breech at 32 weeks, after having been head-down earlier, and she was definitively breech at 34 weeks. The midwives weren't worried at 32w but were at 34w and had me do the ironing board thing to get her to turn. She did turn by 35w and stayed head-down (although posterior, which is not uncommon for breech babies, apparently -- but it did make for a gentler labor and pushing, albeit longer, than my subsequent babies, so it wasn't tood bad).

 

I'm 34.5 weeks with #4, and I'm pretty sure this little one is head-down and has been for a while, so I am not thinking he/she'll go breech now, even though I likely have six weeks still. But at 32w, I don't think it's a big deal.

 

Hope your daughter's last few weeks of pregnancy go smoothly!

[Annie]

I wouldn't worry, but I would start sung the positions at: http://www.spinningbabies.com/. :)

[texasmama]

She has plenty of time for the baby to get head down. My last two babies did not get head down until after 37 weeks. In fact, baby #3 was not head down until about 38 weeks.

[Carrie12345]

I get nervous at 36 weeks. I usually start spinningbabies around 32-34 if they're not head down by then. 37 weeks is usually external version talk time.

[Mrs Mungo]

My middle dd was breech until I was 38 weeks. The fear is that at some point some babies get too big to be able to turn easily. But, I am 5'2", weighed 140 at the time I gave birth to her and she was 7 lbs, 14 oz. I did exercises that the midwives gave me and she turned.

[abbeyej]

She could start doing the Spinning Babies exercises now, but it's not a real concern 'til ~36 weeks. (And babies *do* turn in labor, so even 36 weeks isn't panic-worthy, just a concern.)

[dirty ethel rackham]

Babies can turn during labor. My brother flipped twice during labor, much to the doctor's surprise. However, these days, not many docs are going to wait that long before wanting to do an interventions (whether it be an external version or recommending a c-section.)

 

According to one study I saw in the Green Journal (Obstetrics and Gynecology), a baby who is breech at 35 weeks has a 45% chance of turning vertex before labor begins. There is usually time. Chiropractors experienced in the Webster Technique can be a good option if the baby is not turning. I knew a chiro who was 59 for 61 in helping babies turn. This is not like an external version where the doctor manipulates the baby to force him to turn, which has some risks. These adjustments help remove any impingements to turning. Some babies are breech for a reason (cord problems or some other variation.)

[texasmama]

According to one study I saw in the Green Journal (Obstetrics and Gynecology), a baby who is breech at 35 weeks has a 45% chance of turning vertex before labor begins. There is usually time. Chiropractors experienced in the Webster Technique can be a good option if the baby is not turning. I knew a chiro who was 59 for 61 in helping babies turn. This is not like an external version where the doctor manipulates the baby to force him to turn, which has some risks. These adjustments help remove any impingements to turning. Some babies are breech for a reason (cord problems or some other variation.)

 

I had the Webster method by a chiro with baby #4. It was painless, effective and did not involve manipulation of the baby at all. My chiro said that if babies don't turn with the help of the Webster method, there is probably an underlying reason and a c section is needed. That seemed like a sound approach to me.

[UnsinkableKristen]

My 2nd and 3rd babies didn't turn until 38 weeks. DS was breech and DD was transverse. Both of them turned on their own just in time to be delivered at 38 weeks, 1 day :D

[StaceyinLA]

I told dd and she is feeling better about it. Hopefully by her next appt, he'll be right where he needs to be!

[PinkInTheBlue]

My youngest sat like sleeping in a hammock until a couple of weeks before he was born. I also used spinningbabies.com That little rascal laid left to right from the very first ultrasound until then. I feared nothing would make him turn but he did within a week of starting the recommendations. :)

[Gailmegan]

My first was sitting cross-legged on his bum with head up my ENTIRE pregnancy. My OB scheduled me for a version at 37 weeks, so at 36 weeks I saw an acupuncturist for moxibustion. She gave me some moxa to take home and burn at Bladder 67, twice a day for up to a week. A day and a half later I was lying in bed and felt my insides go completely topsy-turvy. I knew he had turned. OB wouldn't believe me and still wanted me to go in for U/S and version. Obviously the tech did the U/S and confirmed he had turned.

 

The Chinese have been using moxibustion for centuries, but there was also a clinical study reported in JAMA some years back. 75% of first time pregnancies with breech presentation are turned by moxibustion.

 

If baby hasn't turned in a few weeks, i would recommend moxibustion first, Webster technique second, and version as a last resort.

[Heather in OK]

I don't start suggesting turning techniques until 36 weeks. If they are still breech at 38wks I have her go to a chiro in town who does Webster.

 

And yes, they can turn during labor.

 

Typically a persistent breech is that way for a reason. They can turn but my experience has been they stay breech. A baby who has been in other positions usually will go vertex for the birth. Very rarely does a baby who has been persistently one way or the other flip at the last minute. I've seen it happen though and a high % of the time it's a mental/emotional issue going on with the mother.

 

The fundal height isn't a huge issue. It could be measuring that way because of baby's position. But even still, it's not uncommon for that measurement to be + or - one or two centimeters.

[Gailmegan]

Typically a persistent breech is that way for a reason. They can turn but my experience has been they stay breech. A baby who has been in other positions usually will go vertex for the birth. Very rarely does a baby who has been persistently one way or the other flip at the last minute. I've seen it happen though and a high % of the time it's a mental/emotional issue going on with the mother.

 

So what exactly are you implying? :tongue_smilie: ;)

 

I have chronic problems with my sacrum pressing in significantly; and I was not seeing a chiropractor during my first pregnancy. I was doing stretching to help alleviate the problem, but I do believe my poor guy just didn't have room to turn. Thankfully the moxibustion got us over the hump. I saw a chiro for my two subsequent pregnancies and never had a problem. #2 was head down the whole time. Number three flipped a lot, but was head down the last four weeks or so.

[Mommy22alyns]

I had a C-section with Sylvia at 36 weeks and she was transverse as late as 35 weeks. I also measured small with both girls.

[Barb_]

She's in Hawaii, right? Tell her to spend time in the pool. I got my stubborn 5th baby to turn by diving down head first in the pool and standing on my hands. Once the babe turns, get out and stay out :) http://www.naturalhealthtutoring.com/breech-baby-turning-techniques-swimming-pool/

 

Barb

[StaceyinLA]

but she could get in and do handstands...

[dani3boys]

When I was pregnant with my twins, one of them was breech until 35 weeks. He flipped over during the night, and boy was I sore the next morning.

[GoVanGogh]

 

My youngest sat like sleeping in a hammock until a couple of weeks before he was born.

So did my son. He was born at 33 weeks (emergency c-section) and laid low hip-to-hip the whole time. :tongue_smilie:

[Barb_]

but she could get in and do handstands...

 

LOL, that's what I meant. Laughing at the image of me 9 mos pg doing flips off the board.