Midwives have also acknowledged that a certain Chinese Medicine technique can be used to turn breeched babies. The method involves warming an area on the little toe with a soothing Chinese herb called moxa. This non-invasive procedure increases the chance, of the baby turning, up to 60% and it is advisable to try it before using more invasive methods.

Moxa (mugwort) is found in a variety of forms and in my practice, it is normally used in it’s condensed form which appears like a stick or cigar. The end is burned (ideally using a blue flame) and once the stick is lit, there is often not a need to relight. The ash is knocked or scraped off with a metal implement, like a spoon. Much caution should be observed here as the moxa stick is extremely hot and care must be taken not to burn one’s skin.

Once lit, the stick is held over a specific acupuncture point on the lateral  side (outside) of the corner of the nail on the smallest toe (called Bladder 67). This is carried out using one stick on each toe at the same time. Heat the point until it feels almost too hot, move the stick away until the skin again feels comfortable, and then reapply the heat. Continue doing this for 20 minutes and ideally this should be carried out twice a day.

The reasoning behind this treatment lies in the theory that baby position relies on the sufficient amount of Kidney Yang energy contained within the mother’s system. On occasions where perhaps the mother is depleted resulting from (for example) a difficult pregnancy; older age; exhaustion; vitamin and mineral inadequacies etc., this can all have an impact on the amount of Yang energy available. This type of energy is important to hold the child in it’s optimum position and can also be an indicator if the baby is going to arrive on time.

The point, Bladder 67, is the optimum Yang tonifying point in the body so using this point with an incredibly Yang herb like moxa, simply boosts the amount of this energy available to turn the baby.

In fact, I can vouch for this from personal experience- my second son was found to be positioned ‘back-to-back’ during labour and once I administered treatment on this point, he quickly turned around and I gave birth naturally shortly after!

In conventional medicine, it is found that this point has a direct association with the uterus and has an influence on the body’s endocrine system, specifically the cortico-adrenal secretions which in turn raises basal tone and enhances uterine contractility. This then stimulates foetal mobility and makes turning more probable.

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