04/03/2026
What if my baby is breech?!
We get asked this question ALL the time.
Well…here is our response.
About 3-4% of babies at term will be in a breech position (meaning they are bum first or feet/legs first…non head presenting!).
If that happens then you have a handful of options:
1. Start various exercises to try to promote baby into a head down position. To be honest, if we see babies are breech around 30-34 weeks then we are usually already recommending exercises like Spinning Babies to help. Other things could include acupuncture, chiropractor adjustments, etc.
2. ECV (external cephalic version). This is when a provider manually uses their hands to try to turn the baby to a head down position. It usually happens in the hospital setting where they can monitor baby during & after the procedure. It has around a 50% success rate.
3. Cesarean birth
4. Vaginal breech birth. Our team at Heart of Iowa is trained in vaginal breech birth and we feel confident in our skills to offer this. We talk extensively with parents about this beforehand and provide lots of education on what to expect, statistics, making an informed decision about this, and more. We also bring additional team members along to anyone planning a breech birth at home. is a wonderful organization who provides education to providers and families all over the world about breech birth!
**In this photo (shared with permission) you will see a LOT of women supporting a mom who is about to give birth to a breech baby at home. 3 midwives, 2 nurses, 1 student midwife, and 1 doula all there for her & baby….to hold space, provide support & promote safety with vaginal breech birth 💪🏼
