Babies move into the delivery position a few weeks before the birth. Usually the head of your baby is closer to the birth canal.
If this is not the case, your baby’s feet and/or buttocks will be in the delivery position. This position, known as breech presentation, happens in one out of 25 full-term pregnancies.
Generally, there are no symptoms to detect that the baby is in breech position, though some women feel the baby’s position by their kicks.
Most women, however, are unable to determine in which position their baby is in at any given moment.
Your doctor can outline the baby’s position by feeling it through the abdominal wall.
Another clue to determine your baby’s position is the position where the baby’s heartbeat is heard well. However, the pregnancy ultrasound examination is the best way to determine the baby’s position accurately.
While there are no known genetic causes for breech presentation, certain conditions can increase the chances of presenting a baby in breech position:
The head is the biggest part of the fetus’s body. At the time of birth, if the head fits neatly in your pelvis, the body slips out very easily. If your baby is born with bottom first, its body may fit through your pelvis, but your baby’s head will become trapped at the chin level, which is especially a dangerous position.
If your baby’s head becomes trapped, there is a greater chance for injury. At this time, the umbilical cord stops pulsating after birth, which can lead to the termination of oxygen supply from you to your baby. If the head is still within your uterus, your baby will be unable to breathe alone. In this case, quick delivery or delivery by caesarean section is essential.
The breech position can be corrected by using a procedure called external cephalic version, in which the practitioner uses an ultrasound test to change the fetal position with his hands on your abdomen and pushing the baby.
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Great post. Here's a little more info on the External Cephalic Version.
Not all breech babies result in a c-section but a great many of them do. The external cephalic version is a good option and has about a 56% success rate, however the chance to do this procedure can be lost if labor speeds up or the amniotic sac ruptures.
Doing the cephalic version at 36+ weeks of pregnancy helps increase chances for a vaginal birth. Not guaranteed but more hopeful. Before 36 weeks the fetus is more likely to slip back into the breech position and it's usually not done if there are twins.