According to the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology (ACOG), breech babies account for about 3% to 4% of all full-term pregnancies. Breech babies are positioned body first, rather than head first, in the weeks leading up to giving birth (36 weeks and beyond). Fortunately, moxibustion and acupuncture have high success rates in helping breech babies reposition head-first in the uterus.

There is no cause for concern if a baby is feet or bum first up to about 32 to 36 weeks or so. This is not uncommon, and most babies work with the uterus to turn into a head-down position during that window. However, at the 36-week point, your midwife or OB will begin to discuss methods for helping the baby to change positions to optimize chances for a natural, vaginal birth.

Moxibustion: Turn A Breech Baby Naturally

One method, called external cephalic version (ECV) involves manually massaging the abdomen and manipulating the uterus in an effort to slowly move the baby’s head around and down. In addition to manually working with the baby and the abdomen, your OB or online research may lead you to explore the ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment for breech babies: moxibustion and acupuncture.

Both of these treatments work with meridians that activate the uterus, and the uterine movement helps the baby engage into the correct position. According to published medical studies, moxa successfully turns breech babies about 75% of the time when combined with postural exercises (more on that below). Another reason mothers love moxa sessions is because they’re a guaranteed way to get the baby moving, and babies frequently respond to the energized uterus with kicks and push as they begin repositioning to increased uterine movement.

What Is Moxibustion?

Like acupuncture, moxibustion has been used for thousands of years to promote healthy energy flow and circulation along the body’s main meridians. While acupuncture uses thin, painless needles to stimulate particular pressure points, moxibustion (moxa) uses a combination of heat and herbs - typically mugwort - to warm particular acupressure points.

Acupuncturists typically introduce moxa for women with breech babies at the end of the second (around 28 weeks) and the beginning of the third trimesters. However, we also accept first-time patients in their third trimester who use moxibustion and/or acupuncture to turn their breech babies. It is completely safe and backed by thousands of years of research by both Eastern and Western healers and physicians.

How Does Moxa Treat Breech Presentation?

If your baby presents in a breech position, we’ll immediately recommend moxa. The good news for mothers-to-be is that - in addition to being effective - a moxa session provides added benefits, including complete relaxation and a chance to restore and rejuvenate. You also have the opportunity to explore other pregnancy-supportive treatments, such as acupuncture and acupressure massages - both of which support getting the baby into a prime birthing position.

During the moxa session, we’ll heat mugwort bundles or sticks and orient them at specific points along the meridian pathway. In the case of a breech baby, we concentrate on a specific point on the bladder meridian - BL 67 - which activates the uterus. Once we’ve shown you how to do it, we provide moxa sticks for mothers to use at home to continue promoting the natural repositioning of the baby.

Risks Of Using Moxibustion To Turn Breech Babies

No physical or prenatal risks are related to using moxa treatments to turn a breech baby. Women polled after studies are most likely to report minimal risks or discomforts, like:

Not liking the smell of the smoking moxa sticks
Some abdominal discomfort from the activated uterus and moving baby
Mild nausea
Heart palpitations (non-threatening)

Benefits Of Using Moxibustion For Breech Presentation

In addition to helping breech babies turn around, Lamaze.org cites a range of other benefits for women whose moxa treatments were successful, including:

Increased comfort by avoiding repeat ECV manipulations
Significant reduction in the use of oxytocin to stimulate labor
Reduced risk of C-section

DIY Moxa To Turn Breech Baby At Home

BL 67 is located on the side of the pinky toe, just near the lower-outer corner of the pinky toenail. Once you’ve seen how we use moxa in our clinic, you can replicate moxa sessions at home. Optimally, you’d use moxa to turn a breech baby no later than 33 to 34 weeks, but it still has success rates for women who begin breech moxa treatments after that.

Benefits of doing moxa at home

Learning how to do moxa treatments at home means the opportunity to:

Give the baby more chances since it can be done up to 10 times per day for up to two weeks.
Take some quiet time to yourself (10 to 15 minutes at a time), breathing deep and envisioning your baby turning around to be head-down in the uterus.
Know you’re doing everything you can to support the baby’s healthy birth position.
Save money on professional treatments as you prepare for your maternity leave.

How to do moxa at home

It’s best to use moxa treatments on both UL 67 points at the same time whenever possible. If your partner, friend, or family member cannot help you, it’s easy to do moxa on your own.

Read The University Midwifery Associate’s instructions on Moxibustion For Turning a Breech Baby. Then, when a partner is available, we recommend taking advantage of the ability to lay down on your back, toes facing upwards, so they can hold the moxa sticks at the correct points, and you can relax your body, mind, and spirit.

Combine moxa with postural exercises for best results

The best moxa results (that 75% we mentioned above) occur when mothers use a combination of moxa treatments and postural exercises that shift the baby’s position. Read How to Turn a Breech Baby for examples, and then discuss them with your midwife or OB before trying them at home.

Schedule Moxibustion To Treat Breech Presentation At Mitchell Family Acupuncture

Mitchell Family Acupuncture specializes in acupuncture for fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and wellness for women and men. We have years of experience using moxibustion to treat breech presentation, and we’d love to help you and your baby get ready for a healthy labor and delivery. Contact us to learn more about moxa, acupuncture, and other fertility-friendly treatments to support your well-being in this last stage of pregnancy.