Breech pregnancy involves abnormal positioning of a baby where the buttocks is presenting to moms pelvis before the head. When we are aware of breech positioning, our goal is to create as much balance and space in the pelvis and surrounding ligaments as possible to allow baby to position his or herself in the best way possible.
How can Prenatal Chiropractic and the Webster Technique Help?
Prenatal chiropractic, specifically the Webster Technique, is designed, according to the American Pregnancy Association, to “reduce stress on the pregnant woman’s pelvis leading to the relaxation of the uterus and surrounding ligaments. A more relaxed uterus makes it easier for a breech baby to turn naturally.” If you have not yet been in our office for your prenatal chiropractic consultation, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at 732-945-5033.
With the Webster technique helping to ensure proper biomechanics of the pelvis and balance on associated ligaments, we will often recommend specific exercises unique to you, your health history, and our objective examination findings. When breech is present, one of the most common recommendations that we make is the Breech Tilt.
How to do the Breech Tilt
Check out this excerpt from one of my favorite prenatal resources, Spinning Babies, describing the breech tilt.
Spinning Babies demonstrates the Breech Tilt for Breech Pregnancy
We recommend doing this technique 1-3 times per day for about 10-20 minutes each time following a 30 second Forward Leaning Inversion. We typically recommend this starting around 30-32 weeks. If you aren’t a patient in our office and haven’t had this recommended specifically for you, make sure you consult your doctor before performing any exercises or activities.
The positioning of the breech tilt, as mentioned in the video above, allows the ligaments to slightly stretch and relax, allows the lower uterus to become more balanced, and allows gravity to help facilitate baby’s motion towards their head.
Start by grabbing an ironing board or broad plank of wood and angling it against a couch or chair. Put pillows at the base to prevent any tipping and one under the neck. Make sure you’re seeing your chiropractor on a regular basis, though, because that neck position resembles Tech Neck!
Lie on the board with your feet off and resting on the couch. Hang out for 10-20 minutes – the closer to 20 the better. Three times per day is ideal. Come out of it gently and let your body do the work.
There are alternatives to the breech tilt that can be done as well, make sure you consult a prenatal chiropractor, like Absolute Chiropractic, to see if an alternative might be better for you. You can schedule a consultation in the office by utilizing the button on our website or calling 732-945-5033.
