<<The first and cardinal rule is HANDS OFF THE BREECH! Touching and
stimulating the baby,  even gentle guidence down can stimulate breathing
reflexes. Breech babes are very good at navigating their own way down and
out. Waterbirth is a great idea too, have the mum  squat so that the babe
has gravity to help.



In an old video--I think it was Leo Sorger, not Michel Odent--definitely one
of them--said "this is where a doctor's hands belong at a breech birth" and
his hands were in his pockets!! The reason docs today cannot do breeches is
more b/c they cannot keep hands off than b/c they cannot learn proper
techniques. Susan Buckley MD learned this herself when her fourth baby was
born at home alone--breech--she learned that undisturbed babies find their
own way.  From what I have come to learn--standing is the best way to  allow
a breech baby to find his way--not likely in an institution.>>



Hmmmmm. . . I don't agree that waterbirth would be a good place for a breech
birth.  I have attended water and land breech births and have come to the
conclusion that breech birth is best done out of water.  The airway needs to
be established for the baby as soon as poss.  The top of the head should not
be hurried out.  On dry land, the baby can stop at the nose and the mother
can slowly pant the top of the head out (this prevents sudden popping of the
top of the head which can lead to a tear of the cerebral tentorum).  I, too,
ascribe to hands off the breech but the whole reason it's tricky is that
sometimes the baby descends in a posterior position (back of baby to mom's
back) that is not ideal or the arms can be above the head.  It's not always
"hands off".  Sometimes the practitioner has to do manouevers.  There's also
a big difference between a 4th baby coming breech and a first or VBAC baby
coming breech. I like the breech techniques of Mary Cronk, a mw from
England.  She advocates knee/chest as the best position for breech birth and
I've found that to be most helpful in practice.
http://www.marycronkmidwiferyservices.co.uk/

 There are a lot of fine distinctions in keeping breech birth as safe as
poss.

Gloria Lemay, Vancouver BC

www.consciouswoman.org


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