What are the treatment options for a breech baby?

In a breech presentation, the baby's bottom or feet are positioned toward the birth canal rather than the head. Position can change during pregnancy, so an ultrasound or examination may be used to confirm it and check the baby's position, placenta, fluid, and growth.

The care team considers gestational age, the type of breech position, the baby's wellbeing, your womb and placenta, previous births or caesareans, and local maternity-unit experience. A breech position is not caused by something you did.

If the baby remains breech later in pregnancy, an external cephalic version may be offered. During this procedure, a trained clinician applies pressure through the abdomen to encourage the baby to turn. Monitoring is used before and after, and it is stopped if concerns arise.

If turning is unsuccessful, declined, or unsuitable, the team may recommend a planned caesarean section. In selected settings, a vaginal breech birth may be discussed with an experienced team, but the plan depends on detailed clinical factors and can change if labour or fetal concerns develop.

Contact your maternity unit urgently for vaginal bleeding, leaking fluid, regular painful contractions, reduced or changed fetal movements, or severe abdominal pain. If labour begins before a planned birth, tell the team that the baby was known to be breech so they can assess you promptly.

Ask whether the position has been confirmed, whether external cephalic version is suitable, what monitoring and pain relief are available, how birth options affect you and the baby, and what to do if labour starts early.