Turning a Breech Baby with Hypnosis: Tools, Benefits, and Research
When a baby is in the breech position—bottom or feet first instead of head down, or even across (transverse breech)—it can be a source of anxiety for expectant parents.
Hypnosis and hypnotherapy may not be the first thing to turn to for help, though you may be surprised to hear that it offers a gentle and effective way to support both the physical and psychological processes involved in turning a breech baby.
In this blog, we’ll explore why a baby might be breech, how hypnosis can help address psychological and physical barriers, and some research-backed benefits of incorporating hypnotherapy into this process.
It’s always good to bear in mind that breech can be a normal physiological presentation, and that a breech birth with a trained practitioner is safe option for many parents. Babies, especially second babies, sometimes turn very late, maybe a day before or even during birth! Do your research, and if there are risks always look at preparation that are preventative, for example the risk of tearing can reduce with perineal massage, warm compresses and optimal positioning. This is an interesting article on the use of water during breech births. https://activebirthpools.com/exploring-breech-water-birth/
Why Is a Baby Breech?
Babies may settle into a breech position for various reasons, including:
- Physical Factors:
- Uterine shape: A bicornuate uterus or fibroids can limit space for the baby to turn.
- Excess or insufficient amniotic fluid: This affects the baby’s ability to move freely.
- Placental positioning: A low-lying placenta (placenta previa) can contribute to breech positioning.
- Psychological Factors:
- Maternal stress or anxiety: Chronic stress may influence the uterine environment, potentially impacting the baby’s position.
- Unresolved fears: Deep-seated fears around childbirth or motherhood may manifest as tension in the body, subtly affecting the baby’s positioning.
Understanding these factors is key to creating an effective hypnosis strategy for turning a breech baby.
How Can Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy Help?
Hypnosis works by tapping into the part of the mind that is outside of your conscious awareness, it which governs involuntary processes like muscle tension and relaxation.
A study by Mehl (1994) showed that in a study of 100 pregnant women with breech presentations at 37-40 weeks gestation 81% of babies turned compared t 48% in a comparison group.
It also supports emotional and psychological wellbeing, making it an ideal tool for this situation. Here are some ways hypnosis can assist:
- Fear Release:
- Many mothers unknowingly hold fears about childbirth or parenting. Hypnosis can identify and release these fears, creating a more relaxed and welcoming environment for the baby to turn.
- Relaxation before and during External Cephalic Version (ECV):
- For mothers undergoing an ECV, hypnosis can help reduce anxiety and promote deep relaxation, increasing the likelihood of a successful procedure. ( Guittier 2010 and Louwen, F, Daviss (2017)
- Visualisation Techniques:
- Guided imagery of the baby turning head down can encourage this process. Mothers are guided to connect with their baby, using imagery to invite the baby into the optimal position.
- Body Awareness and Relaxation:
- Hypnosis can help mothers release tension in the pelvic region and abdominal muscles, creating more space for the baby to move.
- Connection and Communication:
- Some hypnotherapists use techniques to encourage the mother to communicate with her baby, fostering trust and alignment.
Let me tell you a story:
A woman came to see me after she had had a caesarean following a breech baby for her first birth. Her second baby was breech, her mother was a hypnotherapist and had suggested she see me. We did some general hypnotic relaxation and the I did some imagery work. It was part-guided. Once in a room, I asked her to describe it, she did and said that there was a small window looking out onto a beautiful garden. I asked her if she could get into the garden, and she said no the window was too small to crawl through. We did some further work, and, to shorten a long story, we change changed the window into a large set of doors, that opened into the garden. She walked through the doors into a beautiful garden. Then we did lots of reinforcement and hypnotherapy suggestion about her ability to birth her baby, with some fear release.
Her baby had turned after the session, and her second birth was a super-fast homebirth with no compilations.
There are many other stories but only room for one here! But it you are thinking about hypnosis for turning a breech baby you are definitely on the right tracks.
You can download my set of audio tracks for breech birth here or book an online session. You can also come and see me face to face where I mix hypnosis with some positioning work.
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