Breech Presentation

Pregnancy is one of the areas in life where there is a beautiful synchronicity between what goes on in the womb, and the poetic language and imagery of Chinese medicine.  Think of the Yin/Yang symbol with its swelling, interlocking areas of black and white.  We can almost imagine the dark yin area as representing a steadily growing foetus, which at its zenith must suddenly transform into its opposite: the white yang area, representing the intense activity of birth.  From the perspective of Chinese medicine, malpresentation of the foetus is a direct result of the body being unable to manifest this moving, intense, active yang energy.  Treatment is therefore directly aimed at stimulating yang energy in the body.

Breech presentation is a particular form of malpresentation where the bottom of a baby is positioned in the mother’s pelvis.  It is common in the mid-trimester of pregnancy, with most babies turning spontaneously to cephalic presentation (head first) before labour.  This head down position is ideal for labour, especially when the baby’s chin is tucked in towards their chest and its spine is facing outwards towards the mother’s abdomen.  Occasionally however a baby will not adopt this ideal position.  In cases where the baby is positioned bottom first, delivery can be more difficult, and there is a risk of further complications.  Often a caesarean section or physical manipulation before or during labour, are recommended.


Moxa - there is a smokless alternative too!Surprisingly, treatment in Chinese medicine for this condition does not involve acupuncture.  Instead it involves the application of heat in a procedure called moxibustion.  Here a herb is ignited and used to warm specific acupuncture points on the body.  In the case of breech presentation, the point to be warmed is BL-67, or Zhiyin, on the little toe of the foot.  This type of intervention is most successful at week 34, before the baby has grown too large, but can be used up to and after week 36.  It is a simple procedure that can be demonstrated by an acupuncturist to a woman.  She can then carry out the treatment for the required period herself (usually ten days, for 20 minutes a day).  The success rate for turning a breech presentation using moxibustion has been reported at up to 80%.  Women generally find that the deeply penetrating nature of the heat is quite calming.  Sometimes their partner will carry out the procedure for them.  This is often a rewarding idea, as a couple can have some quite face-time together and the reigns of responsibility can, for a brief period be handed over to someone other than the expectant mother.  The effects of the moxibustion are cumulative, with most women reporting increasing activity of the baby after each successive treatment.  Usually movement will come to a climax and the baby will turn under its own volition.  Considering the alternative, moxibustion provides an effective remedy to the problem of breech presentation that can be safely self-administered.