Reference; My Best Pro 2022-03-25; https://mbp-japan.com/jijico/articles/32287/
Translated and modified by CFJA
The number of people seeking acupuncture treatment to improve breech presentation is increasing today.
In the past, normal deliveries were carried out even in the case of breech babies, but in recent years more and more maternity hospitals are recommending cesarean sections at 38 weeks. We think the reason behind the increase in the number of visits for Acupuncture & Moxibustion is that more pregnant women want to avoid surgery where possible.
As the fetus grows, its head gets bigger, so the weight of the baby’s head naturally makes the head go down. The head position is the natural fetal position. The fetal position is the position of the fetus in the abdomen.
However, depending on the mother’s physical condition and the natural environment, the fetus can be inside the mother in various positions. Some children may be in a ‘transverse lie’ or ‘oblique lie’ position.
Another way of looking at it is through the fetal head orientation. The fetal head orientation refers to whether the fetus is facing the front or the back. The most common and safest combination of fetal orientation and position is called “left occiput anterior” or right occiput anterior. It is as follows
1. the head is downwards
2. chin drawn back
3. neck bent forward
4. face and body tilted to the right or left
5. arms crossed in front of the chest
6. looking backwards.
If the fetal orientation or position of the fetus is other than those listed above, vaginal delivery will be difficult. The fact that such information is more readily available today may be a reason why more people are seeking early treatment for breech presentations.
The probability of C-section delivery is high if the baby is still in the breech presentation.
Breech vaginal delivery is estimated in only 3-4% of babies. The causes of breech presentation are not known, but are generally thought to be due to uterine fibroids, congenital abnormal uterine morphology, placenta previa, multiple pregnancies (twins or more), previous C-section, abnormal fetal morphology (such as hydrocephalus), intrauterine delayed growth of the fetus, etc. In any case, the impression is that more and more maternity hospitals are opting for C-sections to avoid risk, because of the various risks associated with a breech presentation as a delivery.
The lower abdomen of a breech pregnant woman is often also cold to the touch.
A pregnant woman’s lifestyle can also be a cause of breech presentation. In Japan, many pregnant women nowadays are working up to eight weeks before the due date. Even if they are diagnosed with a breech presentation at around 26 to 28 weeks, they do not consider it as much of a problem and concentrate on their work if their doctor says that it may heal in time. Many pregnant women find it difficult to spend the time to improve their breech presentation even if they are told they remain with a breech presentation at 30 to 31 weeks.
When we ask about the lifestyle of pregnant women who continue to work and come for breech improvement, we feel that many of them go to bed after 11pm. Some of them even go to bed between 1am and 2am. Dinner time is after 10pm and bathing time is after 11pm or in the morning before going to work. Our impression is that pregnant women living in this way have difficulty maintaining their body temperature which impacts their internal health.
When a pregnant woman with breech presentation has their lower abdomen touched, it is cold almost every time. The earlier a woman is found to be breech, the greater the area tends to be cold. The range extends not only over the entire abdomen, but also over the lower extremities.
Breech presentation is a sign that a pregnant woman is unwell. If you are told that you have a breech baby, it is recommended that you immediately make changes in your lifestyle and use acupuncture to rectify the problem. The cause of breech birth is medically unknown, but we believe it is due to an irregular lifestyle. After 32 weeks, many pregnant women go on ‘maternity leave’ and can more easily live a regular lifestyle.