How can I turn my breech baby naturally?

There are some natural turning techniques that may help you change the bottom-first position of your breech baby. If your baby turns without any medical help, it's called spontaneous cephalic version.

There isn't much evidence available to prove how effective these techniques are, but they're claimed to have worked for some mums-to-be.

If you’ve had backache, pelvic pain or hip pain during your pregnancy, talk to your doctor, midwife or physiotherapist before trying any of these techniques. And if you feel pain at any point, you should stop. Most women who try these techniques do so after 34 weeks of pregnancy.

• Adopting a knee-to-chest position. Kneel on a mat on the floor with your bottom in the air, and your head, shoulders and upper chest flat to the floor. The aim is to tip your baby back up and out of your pelvis, to give him more room to turn around. Don't let your thighs press against your bump and keep your knees hip-distance apart. Maintain this position for 15 minutes, several times a day.
  
  
• Lie on your back with your hips slightly elevated (breech tilt). Place a pillow under your hips and have your knees bent. Repeat up to three times a day for 10 minutes at a time. Try to do this when you have a reasonably empty tummy and when your baby is active.
  
  
• Moxibustion (moxa) is a form of traditional Chinese medicine used to try to turn breech babies. It uses a moxa stick, which looks like a big cigar, on an acupuncture point on the body. This is usually between the toes for breech presentation. Practioners claim that when the herbal stick is burned, it may encourage your baby to move and hopefully turn from breech (bottom first) to cephalic (head first). It may increase your baby’s movements if nothing else!
  
  Moxibustion is considered safe and has no adverse side effects. Although it hasn’t been shown to make a difference on its own, some women say it helps when combined with traditional acupuncture (with needles) or the positions mentioned above. You can use moxa sticks yourself at home, once a day for about 30 minutes. You may need to use them for a minimum of 10 days.
  
  Before trying moxibustion, seek advice from a registered, qualified acupuncturist, preferably when you’re 34 to 35 weeks pregnant. Contact the Australian Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine AssociationOpens a new window for more information.

Despite all your efforts, your baby may just prefer to lie in the breech position. If your baby remains in the breech position at 36 weeks, you’ll be referred to an obstetrician to discuss your options. It may be recommended that your doctor tries to turn your baby by hand during a procedure called external cephalic version (ECV).

Read about safe and proven methods to turn your breech baby.