# Breech Baby Mamas?



## NaturalMama311 (Aug 4, 2008)

I'm not sure if this is posted in the right section so if anyone has any suggestions on a better place to post please let me know.

I am currently 37 weeks with a breech baby and I have been trying EVERYTHING to get her to flip over with no success. I saw an acupuncturist and she told me that breech babies, mainly Frank Breech which is what this baby is, tend to need physical therapy after birth. She said that due to the way the baby has been position that the hips joints do not develop normally and the baby will need PT so the joints will develop normally after birth and the child won't have any trouble learning to walk.

Has anyone ever heard this before? I still need to do some research to see how true it may or may not be. She said not to worry too much about it, but as a first time mother how can I not worry when I hear something like that!?!?!


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## kltroy (Sep 30, 2006)

Ok she's probably talking about hip dysplasia. This is, in fact, associated with breech babies (though not exclusively) because their legs are put at such a weird angle for so long. This is also something that your doc will check routinely for the baby during the newborn, 2 week, and 1 month checkup (maybe even 2 month too). They check for a "hip click" and if they detect one they recommend that your baby have a hip ultrasound to check the shape of the socket. If your baby does have dysplasia and they detect early then they put the baby into a brace/harness for a couple months and generally they have no problems aftewards.

My son was a frank breech (delivered vis c/s) and had a hip click in one of his hips. We brought him in for an ultrasound and everything was fine. He's never had a problem since. There are some other things you as a parent can do to promote normal hip development - mostly things that spread your baby's legs apart. So carrying with a wrap sling (where baby is straddling your torso) is good. Cloth diapering is good since there's a little more bulk btwn the legs.

Anyway, don't worry about it - most babies are FINE and don't need anything. It's just something to be aware of. Good luck with your birth - I hope your baby turns!!!


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## Robinna (Aug 11, 2003)

*some* frank breech babies have hip displaysia. *most* frank breech babies are fine. a breech baby will be watched for this more carefully than vertex babes. If you diaper in cloth it can help because the bulk between the legs keeps them separated and the legs firmly in their sockets. They often tell sposie diapering parents to use 2 diapers to create this same bulk.

You may also get told that breech babies have a higher "risk" of Downs Syndrome... this is because for some reason, Downs babes often choose to be breech - so statistically, there is a higher rate of Downs babies among the breech babies than there is among the vertex babes. but try not to let that one scare you either, a babe can be breech for many reasons and *most* breech babes are NOT Downs, it's not a higher *risk* (although they may phrase it that way, it's misleading), just a higher *incidence* which isn't quite the same thing. I hope I explained that properly and haven't muddled you further!

I'd encourage you to visit my website (in my sig).









xo Robin


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## hapersmion (Jan 5, 2007)

My frank breech baby (natural birth) has no hip problems.







He never did the thing you hear about, either, where you lay the baby down and their feet naturally go up to their head, just because that's the position they're used to. So don't worry, I don't think it's that common.









Also, if you have any other questions about breech birth (you don't need a c-section!), there are lots of people with breech births around, so feel free to ask.







My son's birth story is in my sig - couldn't have gone better.


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## hobbsandbean (Sep 20, 2008)

Hi! I'm brand new here, but a regular over at DiaperSwappers and had heard lots of good things about all the mamas over here.







Anyway, I am in the same boat as the OP with my third - 37 weeks, frank breech. She shows absolutely no signs of turning and her bottom is waaaay down in my pelvis. My OB wanted to do a version next week, but we just aren't comfortable with it at this point (this has been a very long pregnancy with HG and I'm not in the best, strongest shape imaginable







). So now I'm hunting a chiropractor and going to start the inversion things. I'll be following your story too, so keep posting!


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## Breeder (May 28, 2006)

2 Frank Breech babes here. The big one learned to walk with no issues, (little guy is just mastering flipping over at this point) neither of them have had hip clicks and both are healthy as horses. It's one of those "don't worry because it probably won't happen and then you wasted all that time worrying" kind of things.

Congrats on your bundle! I hope that the baby decides to flip for you!


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## violets8 (Mar 9, 2008)

My cousin had hip issues which were corrected in early infancy by tripling up on her cloth diapers. The extra thickness kept her hip in line and in the socket. It was what her ped. recommended but that was 25 years ago. She has been fine ever since.


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## vesper0 (Jun 19, 2007)

PP's said it. Some breech babies have hip dysplasia, while most breech babies are fine. Some physical anomolies or issues can cause the child to sit breech, while others can be caused by the presentation(another one that comes to mind is torticollis), but that isn't always the case. Just in case this may cause one to lean toward c-section for a breech baby, c-section does not improve the outcome for babies in these situations, as the issues weren't related to the breech birth(see Obstetric Myths vs. Research Realities by Goer). I have given birth to two frank breech babies(UC). Both of them were checked out by a pediatrician. My older one saw an orthopedic surgeon as well and had an u/s done. But, they were both fine and there was no hip dysplasia. If your child does have hip dysplasia they will use a brace and pt to ensure proper development. I know someone who had this problem after a frank breech birth, but they cleared up the problem rather quickly, before the child was even trying to crawl. The orthopedic surgeon said as much when we talked with him--before the u/s confirmed there wasn't dysplasia.


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## hobbsandbean (Sep 20, 2008)

I meant to put in my other post that I looked up statistics on hip dysplasia and frank breech babes and I was surprised at how low they were. For boy frank breech babies, it was only 2.9% and girls were something like 9.6% (they aren't sure why it's higher for girls). I had only heard scary talk about it, so I was expecting higher stats. HTH!


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## happy2bamama (Apr 29, 2006)

My DS was a frank breech until he flipped at the end (with help from my wonderful midwife who did her version of a version on me)







: He had NO hip problems at all. I had been warned about it, but he was fine. Good luck with the flipping!


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## UmmAbduRahman (Jan 17, 2006)

My second baby was breech until ECV at 37 weeks.

Thank God, no hip problems so far (now she's 13 months)


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