Acupuncture and Moxibustion for Breech Presentation
Posted Jul 28 2009 11:53pm
Contributed by Liz Richards, acupuncturist at Blossom Clinic, Portland, Oregon.
I occasionally get calls from former fertility patients who need help turning their breech babies into a better position for labor and delivery. Chinese Medicine works beautifully in many of these patients. I always work closely with their midwife or doctor and make sure that the position of the baby will be monitored regularly to ensure that the baby has been turned to the cephalic position (head down). Once the baby turns into the vertex position, the patient is instructed to discontinue the moxibustion (moxa) treatment.
The treatment I do is based on research studies published in American Journal of Chinese Medicine in 1991 by Cardini, et al., and again in 2001 by Kanakura, et al. These studies showed that moxibustion on acupuncture point Bladder 67 turned babies in a significant number of their test subjects. Bladder 67 is what we call an “empirical point”- a point that has been proven over time (thousands of years) to be effective for a particular issue.
In addition to the moxa treatments I advise my patients to do knee to chest position and other exercises to facilitate the baby’s movement from breech to cephalic position. In my experience, the moxa treatment combined with these exercises works very well. Many breech babies turn by week 32 into the head-down position on their own, but if they haven’t by week 32, I recommend coming in to see a licensed and well-trained acupuncturist who can work with your midwife or doctor.
Having had a c-section with my first son and a vaginal birth with my second, I have a desire to help any woman avoid a c-section. Hospitals and midwives usually do not want to (or legally cannot) deliver breech babies so I strive to do anything I can do to facilitate a vaginal delivery and avoid c-section.
Have you had this treatment done with your breech baby? If so, I would love to hear about your experience.
I occasionally get calls from former fertility patients who need help turning their breech babies into a better position for labor and delivery. Chinese Medicine works beautifully in many of these patients. I always work closely with their midwife or doctor and make sure that the position of the baby will be monitored regularly to ensure that the baby has been turned to the cephalic position (head down). Once the baby turns into the vertex position, the patient is instructed to discontinue the moxibustion (moxa) treatment.
The treatment I do is based on research studies published in American Journal of Chinese Medicine in 1991 by Cardini, et al., and again in 2001 by Kanakura, et al. These studies showed that moxibustion on acupuncture point Bladder 67 turned babies in a significant number of their test subjects. Bladder 67 is what we call an “empirical point”- a point that has been proven over time (thousands of years) to be effective for a particular issue.
In addition to the moxa treatments I advise my patients to do knee to chest position and other exercises to facilitate the baby’s movement from breech to cephalic position. In my experience, the moxa treatment combined with these exercises works very well. Many breech babies turn by week 32 into the head-down position on their own, but if they haven’t by week 32, I recommend coming in to see a licensed and well-trained acupuncturist who can work with your midwife or doctor.
Having had a c-section with my first son and a vaginal birth with my second, I have a desire to help any woman avoid a c-section. Hospitals and midwives usually do not want to (or legally cannot) deliver breech babies so I strive to do anything I can do to facilitate a vaginal delivery and avoid c-section.
Have you had this treatment done with your breech baby? If so, I would love to hear about your experience.