Did you know that when a pregnant woman is told that her baby is in the breech position, she is typically only given two options?
She can either:
1. Schedule a cesarean section or
2. Do an External Cephalic Version (ECV)
Both options can be very scary for a pregnant woman! A c-section is a major surgical procedure that involves serious trauma to the abdominal structures and requires a long healing time. The ECV is typically very uncomfortable for the mom and only has an approximate success rate of around 50%.
There Has To Be A Better Option
The late Larry Webster, D.C., Founder of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, developed a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment which enables chiropractors to establish balance in the pregnant woman’s pelvis and reduce undue stress to her uterus and supporting ligaments.
This balanced state in the pelvis makes it easier for a breech baby to turn naturally, and this has become known as the Webster technique.
This specific technique is an analysis and adjustment of the sacral and pelvic regions of pregnant women. When this area of the spine is out of balance, the muscles and ligaments in the pelvic region can become torqued and twisted, leading to a breech presentation because the developing baby is unable to turn to the normal vertex position.
It is considered normal by some people for a baby to present breech until the third trimester – and most birth practitioners are not even concerned with breech presentations until a patient is 37 weeks along!
The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics actually reported in the July/August 2002 issue that there was an 82% success rate of babies turning vertex when doctors of chiropractic used the Webster Technique.
Currently, the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association recommends that women receive chiropractic care throughout pregnancy to establish pelvic balance and optimize the room a baby has for development throughout pregnancy.
With a balanced pelvis, babies have a greater chance of moving into the correct position for birth, and the crisis and worry associated with breech and posterior presentations may be avoided altogether. Optimal baby positioning at the time of birth also eliminates the potential for dystocia (difficult labor) and therefore results in easier and safer deliveries for both the mother and baby.
Using the Webster Technique, chiropractors are able to determine if an imbalance exists and deliver a gentle and specific adjustment, which helps to restore proper function. When this is restored, the baby is usually able to turn to the vertex position in the majority of cases. We say usually because if there is something other than pelvic and ligament balance causing the baby to be breech, the Webster Technique may not result in proper positioning of the baby, but we encourage all mamas to get checked!
If you’re pregnant, or know someone who is, give our office a call to schedule an appointment so we can help them have the most optimal pregnancy 🙂