What does breech presentation mean for you?

Pregnant Woman in Atlanta

With all of the new terms and words that you learn during pregnancy, you might not always fully understand what they mean. The term "breech presentation" is applied to a baby who is all set to be born feet or bottom first. While most babies present head-down, about three percent of babies hold a horizontal position, which could mean changes to your overall birth plan. Find out your options when your Atlanta OB/GYN tells you that your babe is breech.

Wait it out. If it's before 38 weeks, your baby still has time to turn before delivery. In fact, before 38 weeks, your little bouncing bean has plenty of room to swim around, which means near-constant changing of positions. If your little one is breech at your 20-week ultrasound, there's still plenty of time, and there's a high likelihood that nothing needs to be done.

Turning around. When it's getting close to the wire and your baby still hasn't turned, your OB/GYN might suggest a procedure called external cephalic version, or ECV. An ECV is completed when your doctor essentially applies external pressure to your belly to essentially push your baby into a better position. With a 58 percent success rate, it's usually worth a try and doesn't hurt your baby in any way; you might feel a little discomfort, though.

C-section. Since breech presentation births can be be painful and even dangerous, most breech babies end up being delivered via cesarean section. It's common practice and something that you'll need to discuss with your doc before it gets to crunch time. This usually occurs just before 38 weeks, when most planned c-sections are performed. Still, your doc will do one last ultrasound to ensure that your baby hasn't changed positions before the surgery begins. A c-section is the last stop between you and meeting your tricky little one for the first time!