Swimming to Flip a Breech Baby
The Deal:
There are some pretty great stories of women who have swam their babies around. I read one account of a birth worker who had a very high success rate with deep water diving for breech mamas. (I’ve also seen at least one midwife say that stubborn breeches often happen to women who are in the pool a lot. So if you have been swimming a lot during pregnancy, maybe stop and this one is not for you.)
There are some pretty great stories of women who have swam their babies around. I read one account of a birth worker who had a very high success rate with deep water diving for breech mamas. (I’ve also seen at least one midwife say that stubborn breeches often happen to women who are in the pool a lot. So if you have been swimming a lot during pregnancy, maybe stop and this one is not for you.)
How To:
The trick seems to be in the diving. (More time upside down!) Go to the deepest water you can and dive down, kicking hard to the bottom and do a handstand. Kick down as far and as long as you can, handstand as long as you can. Repeat.
The trick seems to be in the diving. (More time upside down!) Go to the deepest water you can and dive down, kicking hard to the bottom and do a handstand. Kick down as far and as long as you can, handstand as long as you can. Repeat.
Why it might work:
The reason this works, according to very scientific sources, is first because of the buoyancy the water creates with your big belly. It makes your baby somewhat weightless and freeeeeee! to do twirls and somersaults. Apparently just taking a warm bath also helps. The more of you and baby you can get underwater the better, though. The pressure of the water rushing past you as you dive pushes on baby’s head and encourages rotation.
The reason this works, according to very scientific sources, is first because of the buoyancy the water creates with your big belly. It makes your baby somewhat weightless and freeeeeee! to do twirls and somersaults. Apparently just taking a warm bath also helps. The more of you and baby you can get underwater the better, though. The pressure of the water rushing past you as you dive pushes on baby’s head and encourages rotation.
