Turning a Transverse Baby
Turning a Transverse Baby
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Q:
Now at 34 weeks, we've been told for over a month that the baby's been consistently in a transverse position. we've heard there are exercises to help the baby adjust positions. is there any truth to that, and what are those exercises?
A: Yes, there is truth to that....there are exercises to help turn the baby to a more favorable position for birth. That position is usually a vertex anterior position, meaning that the baby is head down with its face turned towards the mother's back. It is important for you to try some of these exercises, since, if your baby remains in a transverse position, a cesarean section is inevitable. While the exercises are usually recommended for breech babies, they can be helpful for the baby who is transverse (laying across mom's belly). Most babies assume their birth position sometime between 34 and 36 weeks, so there is still plenty of time for the baby to move. One of the most well-known exercises for turning a baby into the head-down position is called the "breech tilt"exercise. Place a board at about a 45 degree angle between the floor and a couch. Mom gets on the board with her head down at the bottom of the board and her feet up at the top, and stays in the position for about 5-10 minutes. It may be more comfortable for mom to lay on her back and raise her bottom about 15 inches off the floor, with some help from some pillows, of course. Another option is for mom to get into an extreme knee-chest position. The point is to get the hips higher than the head so the force of gravity will encourage the baby to move up out of the pelvis and into a more favorable position. This is a harmless exercise and can be coupled with such things as placing headphones near the pubic bone and playing music to encourage the baby to turn, and talking to the baby (or having dad talk to the baby near mom's pubic bone). If this fails, you may want to consider asking your doctor or midwife about a procedure called an external version. This procedure involves the doctor moving the baby manually/externally while using an ultrasound to guide the movements. It is a riskier way to get the baby to turn, since there is the chance of detaching the placenta from the wall of the uterus. However, most times an external version is successful in getting the baby to a head-down position and in avoiding a cesarean section. Keep in mind that sometimes nothing will get a baby to turn, or a baby will be stubborn and turn back into the previous position after having turned head-down. For this reason, it is important to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally for the possibility of a cesarean section. Women who are prepared ahead of time for the possibility of a medically necessary cesarean section report having a more positive birth experience than those who thought that "it wouldn't happen to me." Best wishes, Valerie Copyright, Valerie Malott 1999 |
