What sleeping position will help turn my baby into a baby?

You’ll want your baby’s head to be the first to emerge when they are ready. It’s best to have your baby head down for a vaginal delivery. This is called a vertex birth. While most babies are born head-first, there may be instances where your baby decides to come out feet-first or butt-first. This is called a breech delivery.

You don’t have to worry about breech positioning. As you approach the end of pregnancy, your doctor or midwife may check to see if the baby is breathing. You might be wondering what you can do if an ultrasound confirms your baby’s breech position. Many pregnant mothers wonder if the position they sleep in can encourage their baby to turn.

What is the best position for my breech child to sleep in?

It may be difficult to come up with a definitive sleep position that will help a breech child turn. You’ll also find expert opinions about the best positions to sleep during pregnancy that may encourage a breech child to turn. Rue Khosa is a certified family nurse practitioner, owner of The Perfect Push, and ARNP. She says that you should maintain a posture and position that allow for an open pelvis. Take a moment before you go to sleep, sit or stand, or even take a nap. Ask yourself, “Does the baby have room?”

Khosa recommends sleeping on your side with a pillow placed between your ankles and knees. She says that the more space your baby has to move around, the easier it is for them to get into a vertex position. Diana Spalding is a certified nurse midwife, pediatrician, and author of The Motherly Guide to Become Mama. She says that sleeping with a pillow in between your legs, with as much leg as possible on the pillows, can create an optimal position for a child to turn.

Roll over so that your belly touches the bed and the rest of you is supported by many pillows. Spalding says that this can help your baby lift out of the pelvis and turn.

The best positions for mothers to sleep

If you are nearing your final weeks of pregnancy and your stomach is increasing by the day, then lying on your left side is ideal. The days of sleeping on your stomach or on your back are over.

Years ago, we were told to sleep and rest on the left during the last months of pregnancy. It has to do with blood flow. The IVC is a large vein that carries blood from your heart to your baby. Some healthcare providers claim that sleeping on the left side can reduce the risk of compressing a vein and allow for optimal blood flow.

Recent research by 2019, a review of medical studies by TrustedSource, has shown that either side sleeping is safe. It all comes down to personal preference. Aim for the left side if you can. If your body wants to roll left, then relax and sleep. You will spend many sleepless nights when your baby is born.

Experts agree that sleeping on your side with pillows under your belly to support you is the best position for a pregnant woman. Khosa warns pregnant women to avoid sleeping on their backs, especially as they get further along: “The baby’s weight can compress blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to your uterus and the baby.” Khosa advises her patients to sleep on their stomachs for as long as they feel comfortable, unless their healthcare provider has advised them otherwise.

How to turn a baby who is breech

Your provider might suggest external cephalic variation (ECV) when you’re considering how to turn a baby that is breech. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, an ECV can help turn a breech baby so that the head is facing down. Your doctor will apply firm pressure to your stomach to roll the baby in a head-down position. This technique, which works about 50% of the time (trusted source), can increase your chances of having a vaginal delivery.

The ECV procedure is not without complications. ACOG warns that complications can occur due to placental rupture or preterm labor. Your doctor will stop the turn immediately if you or your baby experience any issues.

Khosa suggests that if your baby’s breech positioning does not resolve itself, you should consider attending a Spinning Babies Workshop, which is offered in certain parts of the nation, or taking the video class. This method is based on a specific trick for turning breech infants by optimizing the “physical relationship between the body of the mother and the baby.”

There are many other ways to help your baby turn. Be sure to ask your doctor or midwife for permission before you try alternative treatments, such as visiting a chiropractor.

Spalding suggests a few things you can try:

• Acupuncturists can perform moxibustion, a technique that uses moxa sticks containing the leaves of mugwort plants. These (and other traditional acupuncture methods) will be used by an acupuncturist to stimulate the BL67 acupuncture point.
• You may want to consult a chiropractor certified in the Webster Technique. This technique can help correct pelvic alignment and relax your ligaments and joints.
• Prenatal massage is best performed by a prenatally certified massage therapist.
• Prenatal Yoga
• Dip in the pool for a few minutes to relieve the downward pressure on your pelvis.
• Spend 10 minutes each morning and evening in the cat-cow yoga position.
• Sit with both feet flat on the ground and your knees below your belly.

The bottom line

Take a deep breath and relax if you are a few months away from giving birth. You still have time to wait for your baby’s head to be down.

Your doctor or midwife may explain to you the various options that are available for turning the baby. Ask your caregiver if you have any questions regarding the methods they don’t mention. Before attempting any technique, it is important to get the OK from your provider.

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