Breech Births And How To Avoid Them

"The baby's turned".  With that statement, tears welled in my eyes and I had to leave the adjusting room for a moment.  The woman who told me this wonderful news was referred last week by her midwife and a friend at work to receive the adjusting protocol to turn her 34-week-old baby boy.   Her midwife reported that her baby was now in the proper position after only three adjustments using this technique.  I was so excited for her and so excited for her baby--what a much better start to his life!

The approach used by Chiropractors to normalize fetal presentation was developed by Dr. Larry Webster and is known as the "Webster In-Utero Constraint Turning Technique".  Dr. Webster's research indicated that this technique is successful in 97% of adverse presentations.  The Webster technique involves an analysis of resistance in the musculature of the legs, pelvic subluxation and in-utero constraint.  If there is a difference in leg resistance, this indicates a subluxation in the pelvis on the side of increased resistance.  The woman is then given a side posture adjustment and placed upon her back.  The next step of the technique involves releasing pressure over a trigger point of the rectus abdominus muscle which overlays the broad ligament of the uterus.  The trigger point is held for 1-2 minutes, or until the trigger point is released.  When the trigger point is released, there is less tension on the uterus and more room for the baby.

With the Webster technique, the baby can turn in one adjustment, but usually success is seen in three to ten sessions over a two to three week period.  It is therefore so important to start the process as soon as possible after the diagnosis of breech presentation is made in the third trimester.  As the baby gets bigger, it is more difficult to turn, so the earlier the better.  Some obstetricians are skilled in an external turning procedure and report an approximate 50% success rate.  However, side effects are many:  uterine rupture, premature placental separation, fetal-maternal hemorrhage and failure.  An ultrasound diagnosis is used to confirm fetal position and a drug is given to the mother to relax the uterine muscle.  The physician attempts to manipulate the fetus by pressing and pushing on the abdomen.  (This is why we call what we do adjustments--manipulation is so very harsh a term, especially in this instance.)

Thankfully, because the Webster technique uses the innate intelligence of the mother and the baby, there is no risk--it corrects pelvic imbalances and reduces tension in the uterus to give the baby more room to turn.  The technique stimulates the baby to reposition itself, rather than having a forceful, dangerous manipulation applied.  This is why it is so important that women who have been told they are going to have a breech delivery learn about this technique.  About 3-4% of all term deliveries involve breech presentations and are associated with higher perinatal morbidity and morbidity than term normal presentations.   The caesarean birth rate for breech babies is also extremely high with their inherent dangerous complications.

In consideration of the many changes that occur in pregnancy, it is of great value to have a baby adjusted long before conception!  The time to get adjusted is when a woman is in the process of becoming pregnant.  The healthier the nervous system, the healthier the mother, the better the pregnancy, labour and delivery.  And, the better experience of childbirth for the entire family.  Women have depended upon their Chiropractic adjustments for years to ensure healthier pregnancies, shorter labour and delivery times, less caesareans, less episiotomies and the chance to have their miracle child enter the world in the best possible manner. If every baby had the chance to have a wonderful, calm, relaxing birth without trauma, without drugs, and without surgery what a difference it would make for the rest of their lives.

Welcome new Lifeline subscribers from California and Toronto.  I was truly honoured to have the opportunity to address you.  Life West College of Chiropractic is one of the world's best and if you're reading this and thinking of becoming a Chiropractor, please let me know and we'll get you in touch with the kind folks at Life West.

Until next time, keep your power on!
Martha and Carl, Anne, Nina and April