Breech Position And Breech Birth: Home Treatment

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Home Treatment

Healthy pregnancy choices

Whether or not your fetus is known to be in breech position, you can help with delivering a healthy baby.

• Have regular prenatal checkups throughout your pregnancy. Knowing your fetus's position before you go into labor will help prevent breech birth complications.
• Eat a balanced diet.
• Avoid substances that are dangerous to your fetus, such as tobacco, alcohol, and illegal drugs.

For more information about staying healthy during pregnancy, see the topic Pregnancy.

Managing your breech pregnancy

If your fetus is in a breech position, ask your doctor if you can try postural management, using certain positions that use gravity to turn your fetus. Although this method has not been proved to turn the fetus into a head-down position, it isn't known to be harmful and may work for you.

It is normal to feel disappointed and worried when learning about a breech pregnancy, especially when attempts to turn the fetus are not successful. If you have concerns about your fetus's health, talk to your doctor. Most breech babies are healthy and do not have problems after birth.

After delivery by cesarean section, you will need extra help with basic household and infant care tasks for a few weeks. Although you will be able to get up and walk around within a few days, you will not be able to do any heavy lifting. For more information, see the topic Cesarean Section.

Last updated:	April 28, 2008
Author:	Bets Davis, MFA
Reviewed By:	Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine, William Gilbert, MD - Perinatology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC