If you crawl around on all fours on the bed, your breech baby will turn to the head-down position.
This is one of the unproven myths and traditional solutions for those having a breech baby. Some of the others are that you should walk more, shine a torch light at your belly and drink a glass of orange juice.
Lee Swee Yen, 32, has probably heard most of these myths. She was advised by well-meaning friends to walk more. She is due any day now and her baby has not turned to the head-down position.
In most pregnancies, the baby turns to a head-down position before delivery. If the baby has not turned by the 36th week, it is highly likely he will not turn as the space to turn becomes more limited as he gets bigger.
Says Lee: “Some friends seem to think I must be sitting a lot because my baby hasn't turned but I do walk a lot. From the very beginning of my pregnancy I have been walking a lot, especially when I go shopping. I can walk the whole day.”
Finding out
This is her first pregnancy. She and husband paediatrician Dr Lim Ee Tang, 35, were informed at 34 weeks that their baby was breech.
It was no surprise to the couple as Lee could feel her son's head was still in the same position as weeks ago.
“I didn't worry so much because the doctor said this is normal and my husband also said he had seen several breech births.
“Initially, I told my husband I was afraid of going for natural birth and that I would feel better going for a Caesarean. But a lot of my friends told me that natural birth is better because the recovery is faster and you get to experience giving birth naturally. So, after talking to them, I changed my mind. But now because our baby is breech it looks like I will have to go for a Caesarean after all.
“We asked the doctor why our baby isn't turning. He said it could be a lot of reasons such as fibroids or a problem with the placenta but after checking he could find no reason,” says Lee.
Her husband Dr Lim explains:
“Our obstetrician Dr Paul Ng did a detailed scan and found no reason for our baby not to turn. So, probably baby just prefers being in that position.
“We could have the baby turned manually but there is a risk of placental abruption where the placental lining separates from the uterus.
“A vaginal birth is possible but there are also risks involved. Because of the risk of complications, we decided that having a C-section would be the best option.”
Factors involved
Obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Ng explains that breech babies are not uncommon. In fact, the incidence is probably about 4% of all births.
Among the associated factors that contribute to the baby not turning are:
- The baby's size may be a bit big in relation to the mother's pelvis.
- A reflection of the baby's behaviour; the baby just chooses to be in that position and doesn't turn.
- There may be a slight increased risk of congenital abnormalities that can contribute to a breech presentation but these form a small proportion of all breech babies.
- Preterm delivery – when the mother goes into preterm labour, the likelihood of having a breech presentation is higher because the baby has not had time to turn. Of course, as they approach term, usually most babies will turn head down and only 4% remains in breech position.
