Breech baby? What you need to know

#breechdelivery #safedelivery #vaginalbreechdelivery

What is Breech Presentation?

A breech baby is in a bottom-down or feet-first position instead of the normal head-down position.

Baby up to 37 weeks of gestation period are in different lie, and usually fixed by 37 weeks in primi women. Breech position after 37 weeks usually need intervention, or planned cesarean deliveries.

Types of Breech

It’s classified on the basis of position of fetal legs.

👶 Frank Breech – Bottom first, legs up

👶 Complete Breech – Cross-legged position

👶 Footling Breech – One or both feet coming first

Why Does It Happen?

It can happened due to many reasons, most common are.

• Premature birth

• Twins or more

• Too much or too little amniotic fluid

• Abnormal uterus shape

• Placenta problems

• Fibroid uterus

  

How Is It Found?

Routinely it’s diagnosed during regular antenatal checkup, and confirmed by vaginal and ultrasound by your healthcare provider.

• Routine pregnancy check-ups

• Ultrasound in late pregnancy

• Feeling baby’s position through the belly

What Are My Options?

If breech is diagnosed before 37 weeks of gestation, then you just to be reassured and wait patiently it to rotate to cephalic position.If it’s still persistent after 37 weeks then depending on your overall health, your health care provider will give you options for delivery.

What all can be done if it’s still persistent ?

1.External Cephalic Version (ECV)

A gentle manual technique done around 36–37 weeks to try to turn the baby head-down. It need training and can be done in a well equipped centre, should be performed by well trained person with good previous experience.

There are certain contraindications to perform this procedure, can be only done in a patient who is completely normal with no other associated conditions like

Flexed engaged breech

twins,

placenta previa ,

previous cesarean deliveries or

problem with fluid around baby and

obesity,

✔️ About 50–60% effective

✔️ Safe with monitoring

Complication if done by an untrained person are more .

Most common are failure to rotate, sometimes it can rotate back later on to breech, bleeding or rarely rupture of uterus.

During and after procedure there can be Slight discomfort, rarely emergency delivery Due to fetal or maternal complications.

2.Planned Cesarean Birth

Safest mode to deliver breech is by cesarean section, with least maternal and fetal complications, can be done by any obstetric trained to do cesarean delivery.

Most breech babies are born by C-section to ensure safety for mom and baby.

3.Vaginal Breech Birth

Can be tried in a patient whose multigravida with previous normal delivery, in an average size baby with good space in pelvis for babies head to deliver.

Possible in special cases with careful monitoring and experienced doctors.

Most common complications is failure to deliver babies head, after the body of the delivered. It can happen due to big fetal head or small pelvis .

Fetal death due to struck head or rupture of uterus sometimes during delivery of struck head.

Vaginal breech delivery should be done only by trained person in a institution only .

Vaginal breech delivery needs special manuvers to deliver.

Call Your Doctor If You Notice:

• Less baby movement

• Vaginal bleeding

• Fluid leaking

• Early labor signs

Remember:

A breech baby doesn’t always mean a problem. Many babies turn on their own!

Talk to your healthcare provider to plan the safest birth for you and your baby. ❤️