Right before vaginal childbirth, most babies are in a head down position in the mother's uterus. Sometimes, the baby is in a bottom first position. When a baby is in that position before birth, it's called a breech birth or breech baby.
Many unborn babies are breech early in pregnancy, but most of them turn to the headfirst position near the end of the pregnancy. Babies who are born early are more likely to be breech. If more than one baby is in the uterus at a time, one or more of the babies may be breech.
Sometimes a doctor can turn a baby from a breech position to a head-down position by using a procedure called an external cephalic version. If the baby can be turned head-down before labor starts, you may be able to have a vaginal childbirth.
External cephalic version (ECV) is a way to try to turn a baby from breech position to head down position while it's still in the mother's uterus. Your doctor will use his or her hands on the outside of your abdomen to try to turn the baby.
With a breech presentation, your doctor may recommend a C-section if:
- Labour is not progressing normally
- The umbilical cord comes out before the baby
- The baby is not in complete or frank breech position
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