Author: Lee Matthis, DC

I recently had a lady join our practice who was pregnant.  She became a patient because her baby was in the breech position (head up in the womb) and she heard I could help.  This patient  was aware that my daughter had also been breech during my wife’s pregnancy and that a chiropractic technique had greatly aided in her “turning” prior to labor.

We were taught in chiropractic school that a breech position in late gestation is often due to an intra-uterine constraint.  These are often caused by improper tension on the uterine ligaments due to a misaligned pelvis.  A technique is also taught in our pediatrics curriculum known as Webster’s Technique, named after its inventor, Dr. Larry Webster (http://icpa4kids.com/about/webster_technique.htm).  This technique addresses the improper pelvic alignment as well as the ligamentous constraint.  The correction of both problems allows for freer fetal movement, often resulting in the baby moving itself into the proper head-down position for labor and delivery.

After the history and evaluation, we began working with our “mother-to-be” using the analysis and adjustments as needed.  She reported, after several visits, a great increase in the baby’s movement after she received an adjustment.  She also reported sleeping better and a strange disappearance of her headaches! And after roughly six visits, she came in smiling and said, “Dr. Matthis, this baby is head down!!”

There was a great joy in my office that day.  A patient was impacted in a way that would allow her to continue in her pregnancy with one fewer stress.  Mother and baby will now be able to experience birth, a natural process, with one less intervention.  While, my wife and I eventually had to seek other professional interventions to aid in our daughter’s turning (Thank you, Dr. Roberts!!), I was able to help this patient avoid an unnecessary visit to the delivery ward prior to her labor.