At my last pregnancy appointment, my midwife casually mentioned that in both ultrasounds my baby was in the breech position. In my medically UNtrained mind, the word breech is synonymous with C-Section. With a deployed spouse and a toddler to take care of, I want to avoid a C-Section at all costs. So, I immediately became proactive about nudging this baby into the head down, or vertex, position.

There is good news–babies typically settle into the head-down position between 32 and 38 weeks, and breech presentations occur in less than 5% of term pregnancies. But there are things you can do to encourage the baby to turn in preparation for the birth. Of course you will want to check with your practitioner to make sure these are safe for you and your baby.

Five techniques for turning a breech baby

1. Go to a chiropractor who performs the Webster’s Techniques: The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association defines the Webster Technique as:

“A specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment that reduces interference to the nerve system and balances maternal pelvic muscles and ligaments. This in turn reduces torsion in the uterus, a cause of intra-uterine constraint of the baby and allows for optimal fetal positioning in preparation for birth.”

In other words, as your spine is aligned, you have increased nerve function and less tension in the ligaments. When there is less tension with the ligaments, the baby can freely move around. Since my doula highly recommended that I try this method, I have been going to a chiropractor for the last two weeks.

2. Rock back and forth: Rock back and forth while on your hands and knees with your buttocks higher than your head. This is similar to the “cat” poise in yoga, although your head is closer to the floor.

3. The Breech Tilt: When the baby is active and your stomach is empty, place pillows under your hips until they are elevated to 12 inches off the ground. Rest in this position for 10-15 minutes.

4. Hot/Cold method: Place a bag of frozen peas, or the like, at the top of your belly and place something warm at the bottom for 20 minutes. The baby is encouraged to move away from the cold and into the warmth. My doula suggested a sock filled with rice that is warmed, but anything similar should be fine as long as it’s not hot.

5. Visualization: Activating your mental powers with any of the above techniques can be very effective. It can be as simple as relaxing, calmly breathing and imagining your baby turning. Some mothers talk to their babies as they actively visualize the baby turning into the vertex position.

Whether you choose one or all of these methods to turn your breech baby, find comfort in the fact that odds are in your favor. Remember less than 5% of term pregnancies result in a breech presentation. If you’re like me, though, you want to be proactive and help nudge your baby in the right direction.