When is caesarean section recommended for a breech baby?

Breech presentation means the baby's bottom or feet are positioned to come first instead of the head. Some babies change position before labour. Your maternity team may use an examination or ultrasound to confirm the position and assess the baby's size, growth, placenta and fluid.

The team may discuss an external cephalic version, which uses pressure on the abdomen to try to turn the baby. If the baby remains breech, the safest birth plan depends on the type of breech, your pregnancy history, labour progress and the hospital's experience with vaginal breech birth.

Ask when the position will be checked again and whether turning is suitable for you. Discuss the benefits and limitations of planned caesarean birth, the circumstances in which labour could change the plan, and how monitoring would work if a vaginal breech birth is considered. Keep your planned hospital contact details available.

Contact your maternity unit urgently for vaginal bleeding, leaking fluid, regular painful contractions, severe abdominal pain, or a clear reduction in your baby's movements. Do not wait for a scheduled appointment if labour begins or you feel unwell.

Which breech position is my baby in? Is an external cephalic version appropriate? What would make a planned caesarean safer in my situation? If labour starts before the operation, where should I go?