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5 Yoga Poses To Try If Your Baby Is Stubborn & Breech
When you first get pregnant, you imagine how things will progress. You might plan exactly how you want your pregnancy and labor to unfold, but your baby may have plans of his own. In some cases, babies are stubborn and refuse to get in the ideal position for delivery. If you’ve been told your baby is breech, there are some yoga poses to turn a breech baby that can encourage your baby to turn around naturally.
Before you do any yoga or exercises, it is super important to clear it with your doctor first. Every pregnancy is different, so you’ll want to make sure that any yoga positions or exercises are safe for your individual situation. Even if your doctor gives you the green light, you should be mindful of your individual comfort level and stop any exercises if you feel pain.
There is one position you should avoid altogether — squatting. Doula Ellen Lee tells Romper that when you squat with a breech baby, you could help push the baby down deeper into your pelvis in the wrong position, making it harder for them to turn around. There are also inverted positions that you should avoid if you have high blood pressure or heart conditions, suggested Restore 353 Therapies, because they could put extra strain on your heart.
Once you get the OK from your doctor, go ahead and try these yoga positions, and hopefully, get your birthing plans back on track.
1Dolphin Pose
If your baby is breech, you could benefit from doing the Dolphin Pose. In traditional yoga, the pose is called Ardha Pincha Mayurasana, and according to Yoga Janda, it can prompt your baby to turn into the ideal head-first position for delivery by giving it extra room to move. To do the Dolphin Pose, Fitness Goals suggested that you get down on your hands an knees, and then press your forearms and palms on the floor. You then lift your hips up and back, while straightening your knees and hold for 20 seconds.
2Downward Dog
When you're trying to get your little pup to turn, the Downward Dog pose can help. Similar to the Dolphin Pose, the Downward Dog can also help by allowing your baby some space to turn, noted Prenatal Yoga Center. You can do the pose, traditionally called Adho Mukha Svanasana, by starting on your hands and knees, and then walking your feet back while you lift your hips and butt upwards and hold for a few minutes (or as long as it’s comfortable), explained Yoga Journal.
3Supported Bridge
To get your baby to turn, you can try to do the Supported Bridge Pose, noted Prenatal Yoga Center. Traditionally known as Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, this pose requires your to lie flat on your back with your knees bent while you lift your butt and back off the floor for 30 seconds at a time, explained Restore 353 Therapies. The weight of your belly might make this position hard to do, so you can use a bolster or pillow under your back, the article noted, which can make it easier to hold.
4Child's Pose
Another pose to try to turn a breech baby is the Child’s Pose, mentioned Today’s Parent. This pose is traditionally called Balasana, and according to Yoga Yippie, you can alter it for pregnancy by getting on your hands and knees, then stretching your arms and forehead out in front of you on the floor. Your butt and hips should be higher than your heart, but if you have heart or blood pressure issues, this inversion position should be avoided.
5Cat Cow Pose
The Cat-Cow position, also called the Marjaryasana/Bitilasana pose, can also be helpful in turning your baby around, noted Restore 353 Therapies. For this position, the article explained that you need to get down on the floor on your hands and knees, and then arch your spine like a cat or move your spine around in a way that feels good to you.
Check out Romper's new video series, Bearing The Motherload, where disagreeing parents from different sides of an issue sit down with a mediator and talk about how to support (and not judge) each other’s parenting perspectives. New episodes air Mondays on Facebook.
