What Does It Mean if a Baby Is Breech

Overview

Types of breech positions during pregnancy.

What is a breech baby?

A breech infant, or breech birth, is when your baby'due south feet or buttocks are positioned to come out of your vagina starting time. Your infant's head is upwardly closest to your breast and its bottom is closest to your vagina. Most babies will naturally motility so their head is positioned to come up out of the vagina first during birth. Breech is common in early pregnancy and most babies volition move to a head-first position past 36 weeks of pregnancy. This head-first position is called vertex presentation and is the safest position for nativity.

How common is a breech baby?

There is a minor chance that your baby will not motility into a head-showtime position before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Breech babies account for about three% to 4% of all full-term pregnancies.

What are the types of breech position a babe can be in?

There are several fetal positions your baby may present in. Ideally, your baby is positioned head-down, facing your back, with their chin tucked to their breast.

Breech babies can exist in a few dissimilar positions:

Frank breech: The baby's buttocks are aimed at the vaginal culvert with its legs sticking straight upwards in front of their trunk and the feet near their head.
Consummate breech: The babe'due south buttocks are pointing downward and both the hips and the knees are flexed (folded under themselves).
Fiddling breech: One or both of the babe's feet point downward and volition deliver earlier the rest of their torso.
Transverse lie: This is a form of breech presentation where your baby is positioned horizontally beyond your uterus instead of vertically. This would brand their shoulder enter the vagina first.

How does a breech baby affect pregnancy?

Your pregnancy is usually not afflicted. Nearly breech babies are built-in healthy, although there is a slightly elevated risk for certain nascence defects. Your infant's movements may feel a little dissimilar. Y'all will feel your baby's kicks lower in your belly. You may feel a hard lump closer to your ribs. This is your baby'southward head.

If y'all planned a vaginal delivery, a breech baby could modify these plans. When your baby is breech, a vaginal delivery can be complicated and dangerous. Your healthcare provider may feel comfortable attempting a vaginal breech delivery, but in most cases, they will recommend a Cesarean nativity (C-section).

How does a breech baby bear on commitment?

If your baby presents in a breech position after 36 weeks of pregnancy, your birthing program will likely alter. It's unremarkably unsafe for a breech baby to be born vaginally due to risks of injury. In virtually cases, a planned C-section is the safest way to deliver your infant. Some healthcare providers may be comfortable with a vaginal breech birth. In some cases, turning your baby to a caput-downward position while they are yet inside your uterus is an pick. Your baby is so born head first.

Symptoms and Causes

How tin can y'all tell if your babe is breech?

You may be able to tell if your baby is breech, especially if you have had past pregnancies where your baby was head-starting time. The places where you experience lumps and kicks might indicate that your baby is breech. Let your healthcare provider know where you lot feel movement. They volition feel your belly or do an ultrasound to confirm that your babe is breech.

What causes a babe to be breech?

It's not e'er known why a baby is breech. Some factors that may contribute to this position are:

Y'all are expecting multiples (twins or more than). This makes it harder for each baby to become into the right position.
There is likewise much or as well picayune amniotic fluid.
The uterus is not normal in shape or has aberrant growths such as fibroids. Nearly of the fourth dimension, the uterus is shaped like an upside-downwards pear. If it'south shaped differently, in that location might non exist enough room for a full-grown baby to move into position.
The placenta covers all or function of the neck (a condition chosen placenta previa).
The infant is preterm. This means they are less than 37 weeks gestation and may non have turned to a head-first position.
Your baby has a nativity defect that causes them to not turn head-down.

Diagnosis and Tests

How is a breech babe diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider may be able to tell which fashion your babe is facing by placing their hands at certain places on your abdomen. Past feeling where the babe's caput, back and buttocks are, it'southward usually possible to detect out what part of the babe is positioned to come up out of the vagina first. An ultrasound may be used to confirm the infant's position.

When is a breech baby diagnosed?

Most all babies are breech at some point. As your pregnancy progresses, your baby will naturally move to a caput-down position — probably between 32 and 36 weeks. Your healthcare provider volition experience your belly and determine where your baby is positioned. This will happen during most of your appointments in the tertiary trimester. After 37 weeks, a breech baby commonly does not plow on their ain. Your healthcare provider will discuss commitment options with you.

Direction and Treatment

What are the options for treating a breech baby?

If your baby is breech at 37 weeks of pregnancy, your healthcare provider may:

Try turning your baby in your uterus into the head-first position.
Plan a C-section nativity.
Plan a vaginal breech nascency.

What are some complications of having a breech infant?

The complications of having a breech baby ordinarily do non occur until it'due south fourth dimension to deliver. Some breech babies tin be safely delivered through the vagina.

The risks of attempting a vaginal breech birth are:

Injuries to your infant'southward legs or arms such as dislocated or broken bones.
Umbilical cord problems. The umbilical cord tin can be flattened or twisted during delivery. This tin can crusade nerve or brain damage due to a lack of oxygen.

Will my doctor attempt to flip my baby if it'due south breech?

If your baby is breech, your healthcare provider may consider turning your baby so that you tin take a vaginal delivery. In some cases, trying to turn your babe may not exist safe or the risks outweigh the benefits.

Flipping your baby may not exist safety if y'all have any of the following:

Haemorrhage from your vagina.
Placenta previa. This is when your placenta covers all or part of your cervix.
A nonreactive nonstress test.
An abnormally pocket-sized babe.
Low level of amniotic fluid.
Low or high fetal heart rate.
Premature rupture of the membranes.
Twins or multiples.

The nearly mutual method used to plough a breech babe is called external cephalic version (ECV). It'due south performed by your healthcare provider effectually 37 weeks of pregnancy. This procedure is performed in the hospital just in case an emergency occurs. Information technology involves placing hands on your abdomen and applying firm force per unit area to turn your baby to a head-down position while your babe is even so in your uterus. It is about 65% effective and carries some risks.

What are the risks of turning my breech baby?

The risks of ECV include the following:

Premature labor.
Premature rupture of the amniotic sac.
Blood loss for either y'all or your babe.
Emergency C-section.
Your infant might plow back to the breech position.

Although the gamble of having these complications is small, some healthcare providers prefer not to try to flip a breech baby.

Will my breech infant flip on their own?

Most babies volition flip to a head-downwardly position earlier they reach total term (37 weeks). If your baby is all the same in a breech position at this time, your healthcare provider will determine if you tin can deliver vaginally or if yous will need a C-section.

How can I flip my babe if it'south breech?

Some women volition endeavor at-home methods to flip their infant to a head-first position. They may help, but there is no scientific evidence that they work.

Bridge position: Lie on the floor with your legs bent and your feet apartment on the ground. Enhance your hips and pelvis into a bridge position. Concord this position for 10 or xv minutes several times a twenty-four hours.
Child's pose: Rest in the child'south pose for 10 to 15 minutes. It tin assist relax your pelvic muscles and uterus. You lot can also rock back and forth on your hands and knees or make circles with your pelvis to promote activity.
Music: Place headphones or a speaker at the bottom of your uterus to encourage your babe to turn.
Temperature: Try placing something cold at the top of your stomach where your baby'south head is. And then, identify something warm at the bottom of your tummy.

A chiropractic technique, called the Webster technique, can also help your uterus relax. Some providers even recommend acupuncture. Both of these techniques need to be done by a professional that your healthcare provider has recommended.

Prevention

How can I reduce my risk of having a breech baby?

There is aught you tin do to prevent your babe from being in a breech position. If your baby is in a breech position, it's not because you did annihilation wrong.

Outlook / Prognosis

Can you deliver vaginally with a infant breech?

It'due south possible to deliver a breech babe vaginally. It tin be more dangerous for the baby and the hazard of injury is much higher. If the umbilical cord is compressed during birth, the baby could be deprived of oxygen and this could harm their brain and nerves. The string could likewise skid effectually the babe'due south neck or arms, causing injury. Healthcare providers have various levels of condolement with vaginal deliveries of breech babies. Talk to your provider about the risks and benefits of different types of birth for a breech baby.

Living With

When should I see my healthcare provider?

Contact your healthcare provider if you feel any of the following symptoms during pregnancy:

Astringent cramping or contractions.
Vaginal bleeding.

What questions should I enquire my doctor?

Learning your baby is breech may give you concerns about your delivery. It's completely natural to take questions. Some questions to enquire your doctor can include:

How can I tell if my baby is breech?
Is my baby OK?
What are the benefits and risks of turning my baby?
What are my options for delivery if my baby remains in the breech position?
What are the health risks to my baby and me if they are born breech?

Frequently Asked Questions

Do birth defects cause breech position?

Birth defects are slightly more common in breech babies. It might be the reason that the baby didn't movement to the head-downwardly position. Nigh babies who are breech at delivery are born without any health complications.

Will I need a C-section if my baby is breech?

Most of the fourth dimension, a C-section is the safest way to deliver a breech baby. Your risks of developing complications are much college if y'all try to evangelize a breech babe through the vagina. Nevertheless, some healthcare providers may feel comfortable performing a vaginal breech birth.

How does labor starting time if your baby is breech?

Having a breech babe doesn't change some of the first signs of labor like contractions or rupturing of your membranes. In about cases, your healthcare provider volition recommend a planned C-section. If your delivery is planned, you may not have any labor symptoms.

If you are in labor and become to the hospital for delivery, your provider volition confirm your baby's position a final time. Your provider could attempt a vaginal commitment, but it'due south more likely they will proceed with a C-department to be prophylactic.

A annotation from Cleveland Clinic

Having a breech baby can be unexpected and modify the vision you had for childbirth. Talk to your healthcare provider about what to expect during a breech delivery. They tin can help you understand the risks and benefits of a breech nativity then that you and your babe are kept safety.

kanesully1994.blogspot.com

Source: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21848-breech-baby#:~:text=A%20baby%20is%20breech%20when,first%20position%20by%2036%20weeks.