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Breech babies

I have started to include a reprint of my article on turning breech babies using Moxa sticks in my workshop participant packs. The issue of breech birth always comes up when we are exploring ways of reducing the caesarean section rate and given the current protocol in western hospitals to manage all breech births with caesarean operations, it seem sensible to look for ways of turning the baby to a head down position during the pregnancy. Once the baby is in a vertex position the problem of the baby being breech disappears, along with the need for a scheduled caesarean.

The use of heat to encourage the baby to turn is simple, costs almost nothing, can be done by the mother in her own home and is safe. Moxa sticks can be bought very cheaply at any shop selling herbal remedies, especially Chinese remedies, or if there are none of these outlets available, then on-line.

The article can be downloaded by expectant parents, who can follow the diagrams, photos and instructions for themselves.

For midwives, I always recommend the book “Breech Birth, Woman Wise” by Maggie Banks. This straightforward, “how-to” manual sets out the basic principles of managing a breech birth safely in any settling and the research, photos and case histories offer practical tips and reassuring messages. Given that breech babies are still being born vaginally, often having been mis-diagnosed during pregnancy, midwives need to be prepared to manage an unexpected breech birth. This book is therefore essential reading for anyone working with labouring women.

Posted by andrea at September 15, 2006 11:53 PM