Often a drug is given to the mother first to relax her uterus. The doctor places his or her hands at certain key points on your lower abdomen and then gently tries to push the baby into the head-down position, much as if the baby were doing a slow-motion somersault inside the uterus. This technique consists of manually moving or turning the baby into the head-down position.

In some cases, the babyвЂ™s position can be changed by a method called external version. The chances of that are very small because most of those defects would have been seen at previous ultrasounds. Birth defects are also more common in breech babies and may account for why these babies have not turned into the proper position before delivery. Early in pregnancy, the shape of the uterus and the shape of the babyвЂ™s head and body are such that breech presentation is more common. Premature babies (those born 3 or more weeks early and weighing less than 5 1/2 pounds) are also more likely to be breech.

The baby is unable to turn itself for some reason.

The placenta (the tissue inside the uterus that is connected to the baby) partly or fully covers the opening of the uterusвЂ“a condition known as placenta previa.

The uterus is not normal in shape or has abnormal growths, such as fibroids.

The uterus holds too much or too little amniotic fluid (the liquid that surrounds the baby inside the uterus).

There is more than one fetus (twins or more) in the uterus.

The mother has had more than one pregnancy.

It is known, though, that breech presentation is more common when other factors are present: The causes of breech presentation are not completely clear. Because your baby may keep moving around up until the end of pregnancy, we may not be able to tell for sure whether your baby has settled into a breech presentation until labor has begun. If the doctor thinks that the baby may be in a breech presentation, ultrasound may be used to confirm the diagnosis. Placing his or her hands at certain points on your lower abdomen, the doctor can try to make out the general position of the babyвЂ™s head, back, and buttocks. One way for the doctor to tell what position the baby is in is to carefully feel the baby through the motherвЂ™s abdomen and uterus. The baby will appear to be sitting in the uterus, with its head up and its buttocks, feet, or both down-at the entrance of the birth canal, ready to emerge first. Most of the babies who donвЂ™t turn by then will be in a breech presentation when itвЂ™s time for delivery.

Breech PresentationД«y 3-4 weeks before a motherвЂ™s due date, most babies move into the head-down, or vertex, presentation. Your doctor may advise cesarean birth or try to turn the baby into the proper position with a procedure called external version. So if nothing has been identified to this point then most likely the baby is normal. Most of these problems are detected by 20 week ultrasounds. It occurs in about 3 out of every 100 full-term births.ДЄlthough most breech babies are born healthy, they do have a slightly higher risk for certain problems than babies in the normal position do. But if this doesnвЂ™t happen, the babyвЂ™s buttocks, or buttocks and feet, will be in place to come out first during birth. Most babies move into the normal, head-down position in the motherвЂ™s uterus a few weeks before birth.

Breech position