At the end of most pregnancies, the baby's head is near the birth canal (vagina). But sometimes a baby's rear end or feet are near the birth canal. This position is called breech.
If your baby stays in this breech position, you will probably need a cesarean section (C-section). Most breech babies are healthy and don't have problems after birth.
Your doctor may try to turn your baby. To do this, the doctor presses on certain places on your belly. Sometimes this causes the baby to turn. The medical name for this process is external cephalic version.
During the process of trying to turn your baby, your doctor will carefully watch your uterus. There's a chance that the pressure and movement might start contractions. There's also a chance that the umbilical cord will twist or get damaged.
If your baby turns, your doctor may send you home. But the doctor will check you often until your labor starts. If your baby's head stays down, you may be able to have a vaginal delivery. But a small number of babies move back into a breech position.
You might choose to have your baby turned if you'd like to have a vaginal delivery.
Doctors may try to turn a baby when:
Version is usually not done when:
Version may pose a slight risk of opening a previous C-section scar. Limited research has shown that women with a cesarean scar have had no such problems. But larger studies are needed to fully assess the risk.
In some cases, a doctor will choose not to try a version when there is less amniotic fluid than normal around the baby.
Turning a breech baby has an average success rate of 58%. It's most likely to succeed when:
Turning the baby is least likely to succeed when:
Compared to the first attempt, repeat attempts to turn the baby are less likely to be successful.
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