How Traditional Chinese Medicine Can Be Used to Turn a Breech Baby

by | May 8, 2019 | All Posts, News, Services | 0 comments

Pregnancy is something that while is a wonder to behold, can also be something that a lot of first-time mothers can bet fairly anxious about. The one thing that all mothers want for their unborn child is for their child to be born happy and healthy.

Because of this, whenever something is out of the ordinary for the pregnancy, they will seek out various forms of treatment to make sure that the child is born healthy. Something that happens in a lot of pregnancies but is something that is easily remedied is a breech baby.

A breech baby is when a baby is in the bottom or feet-first position in the uterus, as opposed to the usual head-first position. A breech baby is concerning because it makes it difficult.to carry out natural childbirth.

There are a number of ways to turn a breech baby, but some mothers are not allowed to undergo this because of certain medical complications. This has led to the rise in the use of natural methods to turn a breech baby, including the use of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Here is everything you need to know about a breech baby and the usage of TCM to turn one.

What Causes a Breech Baby?

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There is no true defining factor that contributes to the reason why a baby becomes breech during pregnancy. Some babies become breech early on in the pregnancy and end up turning head-first later on in the pregnancy. However, the fact of the matter is, some babies simply end up becoming breech for no apparent reason.

While nobody really knows what exactly causes a breech baby, there are a few factors that may affect a baby’s chances of becoming breech. Here are some of the factors that may indicate that your baby is more likely to be breech:

  • If the baby is premature.
  • If there is an abnormal level of amniotic fluid.
  • If the mother’s uterus is abnormally shaped.
  • If the baby is part of a multiple birth.

Why Use Traditional Chinese Medicine to Turn a Breech Baby?

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When it is determined that a baby is breech, there are traditionally medical ways to turn a breech baby. The most common way to turn a breech baby is through the use of external cephalic version, which is where the doctor will apply pressure on the stomach of the mother to turn the baby from the outside.

As effective as this method is for turning a breech baby, there are some expectant mothers who are not allowed to make use of this method because certain medical restrictions may cause complications with the pregnancy.

Women who are undergoing multiple births are not allowed to undergo ECV. Other complications that prevent the use of ECV to turn a breech baby include a low level of amniotic fluid in the sac, if the mother is experiencing vaginal bleeding, and if the placenta is covering the opening of the uterus.

Your doctor will assess you before they decide to perform ECV to turn a breech baby. If the mother cannot undergo ECV to turn a breech baby, she is more likely to seek out more natural methods like TCM to turn a breech baby.

How is Traditional Chinese Medicine Used to Turn a Breech Baby?

When it comes to pregnancy-related issues like turning a breech baby, two of the most common methods used are moxibustion and acupuncture. Here is a breakdown of how these two Traditional Chinese Methods are used to turn a breech baby and help with other aspects of pregnancy.

Moxibustion

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Moxibustion is a form of TCM that is carried out by burning moxa or mugwort near the acupoint of the body. This method is usually carried out in two ways: direct and indirect. Direct moxibustion involves burning the moxa right on top of the acupoint.

The burning mugwort is usually removed before the patient feels any pain from the burning herb. The indirect method involves burning the mugwort a few inches above the acupoint until the skin turns pink. This method can also be carried out by wrapping the ends of acupuncture needles in mugwort, inserting the needles, and burning the herb, which transfers the heat from the herb to the acupoint indirectly.

The warming effect of the mugwort on the right acupoint on the body helps encourage the baby to turn from the breech position.

Acupuncture

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Acupuncture is arguably the most popular form of TCM that is still being used today. Acupuncture is performed by inserting sterilized needles into various acupoints of the body to help regulate the body’s Qi, restoring the body’s natural flow of Qi.

When combined with moxibustion, acupuncture can help turn a breech baby to the normal childbirth position. However, acupuncture is also widely used to treat various issues in pregnancy, from morning sickness to headaches and back and pelvic pain.

Are There Any Risks Involved With This?

Of course, if you’re considering the use of TCM to help turn a breech baby or to help treat various issues with your pregnancy, you will definitely be concerned at the risk factor involved with working with Traditional Chinese Medicine. You will be happy to know that because of its natural properties, there is very little risk involved in using moxibustion and acupuncture in turning a breech baby and treating pregnancy issues.

However, if you suffer from respiratory issues like asthma, moxibustion might be difficult for you to work with. To be safe, it’s highly recommended that you consult with your medical provider before you seek out natural treatments for a breech baby and other pregnancy-related issues. It’s very important to remember that natural forms of treatment are used to complement, not replace medical treatments, especially when using it for pregnancy.

If you’re seeking out an acupuncturist, make sure that their acupuncturists are fully licensed to carry out the acupuncture and use sterile, single-use needles to make sure that there is no risk of infection caused by reusing needles.

At Westchester Acupuncture, all of our acupuncturists are fully licensed and qualified to handle the acupuncture treatment that we provide. We also only use surgical sterile, single-use needles to reduce the risk of infection during acupuncture.

At our center, we also provide a variety of Traditional Chinese Medicine treatments that can be used to treat heath-conditions naturally. If you want to learn more about your services, give us a call at (917) 273-8912 and we’ll get back to you right away!

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