Your Child Birth Position or Baby Birth Position.

Knowing your child birth position is also important.

I heard a woman at the doctor's office say her baby was in a breech position. What did she mean?
A breech presentation means the baby is not in a head down position, and the legs or buttocks come into the birth canal first.

If my baby is breech, is that bad?
Early in pregnancy, breech is common. By the last 4 to 6 weeks, your baby should be in a head-down position. If your baby is breech when it is time to deliver, your doctor may try to turn the baby or you may need a Cesarean delivery.

What causes a child birth position of baby to be in a breech position?
One of the main causes is prematurity of the baby. Near the end of the 2nd trimester, it's more common for the baby to be in a breech position. As you progress through the 3rd trimester, the baby usually turns into the head-down position for birth.

How is a baby in the breech position delivered?
There is some controversy about this. For a long time, breech deliveries were performed vaginally, then it was believed the safest method was by C section. Many doctors still believe a Cesarean delivery is the safest way to deliver a baby in the breech position. However, some doctors believe a woman can deliver a breech baby without difficulty if the situation is right.

I've heard that sometimes the doctor will try to turn a baby in the breech position. Is that true?
Yes. Your physician may attempt to change its position by using external cephalic version (ECV).

How is the baby turned?
The doctor places his or her hands on your abdomen. Using gentle movements, he or she manually shifts the baby into the head-down position. An ultrasound is usually done first so the doctor can see the position of the baby. Then ultrasound is used during the procedure to guide the doctor in changing the baby's position.

When is external cephalic version usually done?
Most physicians who use this method do so before labor begins or in the early stages of labor.

How successful is ECV?
It is successful about 50% of the time.