Hopefully now that you have prepared your body as well as your mind, you have now become pregnant. Your pregnancy is going along smoothly, your are feeling well, excited about the arrival of the baby. But what can you do if your doctor tells you past your 28th week of pregnancy that your baby is breech? First thing is to not panic; there are options that can be attempted (hopefully with success) to avoid a cesarean section.
One methodology that has been known to assist in ensuring the normal head down position of the baby is Webster technique. All pregnant women, once they discover they are pregnant, should be under the care of a competent chiropractic physician certified in Webster technique. Sacral misalignment can cause tightening and torsion of specific pelvic musculature and ligaments. It is these tense muscles and ligaments and their constraining effect on the uterus which prevents the baby from comfortably assuming the best possible position for birth.
Webster technique is defined as a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment that reduces interference to the nervous system and balances maternal pelvic muscles and ligaments. This in turn reduces torsion in the uterus, thus allowing for optimal fetal positioning in preparation for birth. In expectant mothers presenting breech, there has been a high reported success rate of the baby turning to the normal vertex (or head down) position. In our office, Webster technique has been successfully used in women whose babies present transverse (lying sideways), posterior (sunny side up) as well as with twins. Any position of the baby other than the suggested position of the baby lying on the right side with the back of the head facing the pubic bone (ROA) may indicate the presence of sacral misalignment and therefore intra-uterine constraint. At no time should this technique be interpreted as an obstetric, "breech turning" technique, known as ECV or external cephalic version.
When an expectant mother comes in for chiropractic care during pregnancy, a thorough history will be taken to ensure the best possible care and safety for both the mother and the baby. Once that is accomplished, and mom has taken a bathroom break, the examination will take place including Webster technique and analysis. So that you understand what will happen during Webster technique and analysis, allow me to give you a bit of a synopsis.
First, mom gets to lie face down on the table. Yes I said face down, the position you have not been able to achieve for possibly some time now, and yes it feels like heaven all by itself. The table has a special piece that drops down to accommodate the growing baby inside of you. We also have special pillows with abdominal and breast cut outs if needed to alleviate any pressure on your abdomen or breasts. As you lie comfortably on the table, the doctor will analyze which side of the sacrum might need to be mobilized. The mobilization or adjustment is given in the same position by the aid of a toggle piece, known as a drop piece, built within the table. This piece provides speed with very low force as the progesterone and relaxin of pregnancy make adjusting mom-to-be very easy.
Then mommy turns over to lie in a semi-reclined position on her back to check the round ligaments located on each side of the body serving to support the uterus. The tighter ligament will gently be released using light pressure. We even show mom how to find it and rub it at home if it helps alleviate any discomfort. Once the ligaments and sacrum are balanced, we usually encourage regular chiropractic care to help maintain this state of balance, leading to a healthier pregnancy and hopefully an easier birth.
One methodology that has been known to assist in ensuring the normal head down position of the baby is Webster technique. All pregnant women, once they discover they are pregnant, should be under the care of a competent chiropractic physician certified in Webster technique. Sacral misalignment can cause tightening and torsion of specific pelvic musculature and ligaments. It is these tense muscles and ligaments and their constraining effect on the uterus which prevents the baby from comfortably assuming the best possible position for birth.
Webster technique is defined as a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment that reduces interference to the nervous system and balances maternal pelvic muscles and ligaments. This in turn reduces torsion in the uterus, thus allowing for optimal fetal positioning in preparation for birth. In expectant mothers presenting breech, there has been a high reported success rate of the baby turning to the normal vertex (or head down) position. In our office, Webster technique has been successfully used in women whose babies present transverse (lying sideways), posterior (sunny side up) as well as with twins. Any position of the baby other than the suggested position of the baby lying on the right side with the back of the head facing the pubic bone (ROA) may indicate the presence of sacral misalignment and therefore intra-uterine constraint. At no time should this technique be interpreted as an obstetric, "breech turning" technique, known as ECV or external cephalic version.
When an expectant mother comes in for chiropractic care during pregnancy, a thorough history will be taken to ensure the best possible care and safety for both the mother and the baby. Once that is accomplished, and mom has taken a bathroom break, the examination will take place including Webster technique and analysis. So that you understand what will happen during Webster technique and analysis, allow me to give you a bit of a synopsis.
First, mom gets to lie face down on the table. Yes I said face down, the position you have not been able to achieve for possibly some time now, and yes it feels like heaven all by itself. The table has a special piece that drops down to accommodate the growing baby inside of you. We also have special pillows with abdominal and breast cut outs if needed to alleviate any pressure on your abdomen or breasts. As you lie comfortably on the table, the doctor will analyze which side of the sacrum might need to be mobilized. The mobilization or adjustment is given in the same position by the aid of a toggle piece, known as a drop piece, built within the table. This piece provides speed with very low force as the progesterone and relaxin of pregnancy make adjusting mom-to-be very easy.
Then mommy turns over to lie in a semi-reclined position on her back to check the round ligaments located on each side of the body serving to support the uterus. The tighter ligament will gently be released using light pressure. We even show mom how to find it and rub it at home if it helps alleviate any discomfort. Once the ligaments and sacrum are balanced, we usually encourage regular chiropractic care to help maintain this state of balance, leading to a healthier pregnancy and hopefully an easier birth.
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