Hearing that your baby is breech can feel like an immediate ticket to a C-section.

💡 But did you know that breech birth is simply a variation of normal?

✔ It’s not an emergency in itself.

✔ It doesn’t automatically mean you need surgery.

✔ You have the RIGHT to a vaginal breech birth if that’s what you want.

Today, we’re breaking down:

✔ What actually happens when a breech baby is diagnosed.

✔ Why ECVs (External Cephalic Versions) aren’t always the best option.

✔ How breech birth has been medicalised—despite the evidence.

✔ How to find a provider who understands physiological breech birth.

Because this isn’t about whether breech is safe—it’s about whether your care provider is skilled enough to support it.

🔄 What Happens When a Breech Baby is Diagnosed?

At around 36 weeks, if your baby is still breech, most hospitals will:

🚨 Switch you from midwifery-led care to obstetrics.

🚨 Offer an ECV (External Cephalic Version) to try and turn baby.

🚨 Strongly recommend a planned C-section, saying “breech isn’t safe.”

💡 What they often DON’T say:

✔ Breech is a normal variation of birth.

✔ Vaginal breech birth is an option—but many providers aren’t trained in it.

✔ The studies used to justify automatic C-sections for breech were later REDACTED.

🚀 Breech birth is not inherently dangerous—but lack of skilled support is.

⚠️ The Problem with ECVs (Turning Baby Manually)

An ECV (External Cephalic Version) is a procedure where a doctor tries to turn the baby from breech to head-down by manually pressing on your belly.

✔ It works only about 50% of the time.

✔ Even when successful, many babies turn back to breech.

✔ It carries risks, including distressing baby or causing placental issues.

✔ It can cause a “chin deflection” where baby’s head is tipped backward, making vaginal birth harder.

💡 Before agreeing to an ECV, ask your provider:💬 “Of the babies you successfully turn, how many actually go on to have a vaginal birth?”

🚀 Because flipping baby doesn’t guarantee avoiding a C-section!

🤰 Why Are Breech Babies Denied Vaginal Birth?

The main reason? Lack of skill. But don’t confuse your body’s ability with your care providers.

✔ Midwives are trained in breech birth—but they never get to practice.

✔ Most hospitals automatically send breech women to obstetricians.

✔ If you’re lucky, you’ll be offered a “medical breech birth” in hospital—but be careful.

💡 Why? Because most doctors are ONLY trained in supine breech birth (on your back).

🚨 If your doctor doesn’t understand upright, physiological breech birth—RUN A MILE.

🚀 Many “failed” breech births happen because the provider didn’t understand how to support them properly.

📉 The Breech Trial That Changed Everything (And Was Retracted)

In 2000, a study called the Term Breech Trial concluded that C-sections were safer for breech babies—leading to a massive drop in vaginal breech births worldwide.

BUT…

🔹 The study was heavily criticised for its flaws.

🔹 It was later retracted.

🔹 Despite this, most hospitals never went back to offering breech vaginal birth as normal.

💡 Today, the evidence shows that:

✔ Breech babies have the SAME risk of mortality whether born vaginally or by C-section.

✔ The main issue is lack of skilled providers—not breech birth itself.

🚀 You have EVERY RIGHT to have a vaginal breech birth if that’s what you want.

🌿 Natural Ways to Encourage Baby to Turn

If you want to try turning your baby before birth, these methods are gentle and non-invasive:

✔ Moxibustion – A Chinese medicine technique using heat near acupressure points to encourage movement.

✔ Spinning Babies Techniques – Exercises and positions designed to create space in the pelvis.

✔ Chiropractic Care (Webster Technique) – Helps align the pelvis so baby has room to turn.

✔ Swimming or Forward-Leaning Inversions – Gentle ways to encourage baby into a head-down position.

💡 Even if baby doesn’t turn, you STILL have the right to choose a vaginal birth.

⚖️ How to Find a Breech-Skilled Provider

Most hospitals will tell you breech = C-section, but that doesn’t mean all providers think that way.

🚀 Things to ask your care provider:

💬 “What is your experience with vaginal breech birth?”

💬 “Do you support upright (hands-off) breech birth?”

💬 “Are you trained in physiological breech birth or just medical breech birth?”

🚀 If they hesitate, find someone else.

💡 Reach out to WPCTS if you need support finding a breech-positive provider.

💡 What This Means for You

✔ Breech is a variation of normal—not an automatic emergency.

✔ Vaginal breech birth is safe with a skilled provider.

✔ ECVs don’t always work—and can cause other issues

.✔ You have EVERY RIGHT to decline a C-section if you choose.

✔ You deserve to be fully informed about ALL your options.

So today, ask yourself:

💡 Do I fully understand my options if my baby is breech?

💡 Is my provider truly skilled in breech birth—or just trained in surgery?

💡 Am I making decisions based on facts—or hospital policy?

🚀 Because birth choices should be based on knowledge, not fear.

22. The Truth About Breech Birth: Your Rights, Your Choices

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