Turning a Breech Baby Protocol
This Turning a Breech Baby Protocol is based on the book “Helping Your Breech baby Turn”, by: Gail Tully, the Creator of Spinning Babies. This protocol should not be used without clearance from your care provider or in replacement of care by a medical professional or as a replacement for the book mentioned above. This protocol is intended as an aid to care by a medical professional, Gail Tully’s book, and to be used while you make a plan for your baby’s birth, weather that be an External Cephalic Version (ECV), C-section, or breech vaginal delivery. I also suggest you check out Evidence Based Birth’s resources on Breech.
Turning Breech babies recommendations by Gail Tully, of Spinning Babies. Below are my recommended schedules for following the protocol.
Belly Sifting: 1-3 times for 3 minutes each time
Side Lying Release: Do both sides 1 time for 3-5 minutes on each side
Standing Sacral Release: Do 1 time for 10 minutes
Forward Leaning Inversion: Do 1-3 times for 30-45 seconds each
Breech Tilt or Open-knee chest: Do 1-2 times for 3-10 minutes each time
Belly Sifting: 1-3 times for 4-5 minutes each time
Side Lying Release: Do both sides 1-2 time for 5-10 minutes on each side
Standing Sacral Release: Do 1 time for 10 minutes or more
Forward Leaning Inversion: Do 1-3 times for 30-45 seconds each
Breech Tilt or Open-knee chest: Do 2-3 times for 5-10 minutes each time
Belly Sifting: 3 times for 5 minutes or more each time
Side Lying Release: Do both sides 3 times for 10-20 minutes on each side
Standing Sacral Release: Do 2 times for 10-15 minutes or more
Forward Leaning Inversion: Do 7-14 times for 30-45 seconds each
Breech Tilt or Open-knee chest: Do 3 times for 10 minutes more each time
Flipping a Breech baby Schedule
Turning Breech Baby Days 1-2
Here is my recommended schedule based on the spinning babies protocol for turning a breech baby. Do them in any order that works best for you!
*Will take 15-20 minutes
- Positive affirmations
– Say some positive affirmations, as many as you feel you need to for as long as you need to, so you can enter the process with peace and confidence in your body. - Belly Sifting
– For 3 minutes. - Forward Leaning Inversion
– For 30-45 seconds - Breech Tilt or Open-knee chest
– For 3-10 minutes - Rest and meditate– as long as you feel you need to, to move from the session peaceful and confident in your body.
*Will take 20-25 minutes
- Positive affirmations
– Say some positive affirmations, as many as you feel you need to for as long as you need to, so you can enter the process with peace and confidence in your body. - Belly Sifting
– For 3 minutes - Side Lying Release
– For 3-5 minutes on each side. - Standing Sacral Release
– For 10 minutes - Forward Leaning Inversion
– For 30-45 seconds - Rest and meditate
– As long as you feel you need to, to move from the session peaceful and confident in your body.
*Will take 15-20 minutes
- Positive affirmations
– Say some positive affirmations, as many as you feel you need to for as long as you need to, so you can enter the process with peace and confidence in your body. - Belly Sifting
– For 3 minutes - Forward Leaning Inversion
– For 30-45 seconds - Breech Tilt or Open-knee chest
– For 3-10 minutes - Rest and meditate
– As long as you feel you need to, to move from the session peaceful and confident in your body.
Turning Breech Baby Days 3-5
*Will take 25-30 minutes
- Positive affirmations
– Say some positive affirmations, as many as you feel you need to for as long as you need to, so you can enter the process with peace and confidence in your body. - Belly Sifting
– For 4-5 minutes - Side Lying Release
– For 5-10 minutes on each side - Forward Leaning Inversion
– 30-45 seconds - Breech Tilt or Open-knee chest
– For 5-10 minutes - Rest and meditate
– Ss long as you feel you need to, to move from the session peaceful and confident in your body.
*Will take 25-30 minutes
- Positive affirmations
– Say some positive affirmations, as many as you feel you need to for as long as you need to, so you can enter the process with peace and confidence in your body. - Belly Sifting
– For 4-5 minutes - Standing Sacral Release
– For 10 minutes - Forward Leaning Inversion
– For 30-45 seconds - Breech Tilt or Open-knee chest
– For 5-10+ minutes - Rest and meditate
– As long as you feel you need to, to move from the session peaceful and confident in your body.
*Will take 25-30 minutes
- Positive affirmations
– Say some positive affirmations, as many as you feel you need to for as long as you need to, so you can enter the process with peace and confidence in your body. - Belly Sifting
– For 4-5 minutes - Side Lying Release
– For 5-10 minutes - Forward Leaning Inversion
– For 30-45 seconds - Breech Tilt or Open-knee chest
– For 5-10+ minutes - Rest and meditate
– As long as you feel you need to, to move from the session peaceful and confident in your body.
Turning Breech Baby Days 6+
*Will take 60+ minutes
- Positive affirmations
– Say some positive affirmations, as many as you feel you need to for as long as you need to, so you can enter the process with peace and confidence in your body. - Belly Sifting
– For 5 or more minutes - Side Lying Release
– For 10-20 minutes on each side - Standing Sacral Release
– For 10-15 minutes - Forward Leaning Inversion
– 5 times, for 30-45 seconds each - Breech Tilt or Open-knee chest
– For 10 or more minutes - Rest and meditate
– As long as you feel you need to, to move from the session peaceful and confident in your body.
*Will take 60+ minutes
- Positive affirmations
– Say some positive affirmations, as many as you feel you need to for as long as you need to, so you can enter the process with peace and confidence in your body. - Belly Sifting
– For 5 or more minutes - Side Lying Release
– For 10-20 minutes each side - Forward Leaning Inversion
– 4 times, for 30-45 seconds - Breech Tilt or Open-knee chest
– For 10 or more minutes - Rest and meditate
– As long as you feel you need to, to move from the session peaceful and confident in your body.
*Will take 60+ minutes
- Positive affirmations
– Say some positive affirmations, as many as you feel you need to for as long as you need to, so you can enter the process with peace and confidence in your body. - Belly Sifting
– For 5 or minutes - Side Lying Release
– For 10-20 minutes on each side - Standing Sacral Release
– For 10-15 minutes - Forward Leaning Inversion
– 5 times, for 30-45 seconds - Breech Tilt or Open-knee chest
– For 10 or more minutes - Rest and meditate
– as long as you feel you need to, to move from the session peaceful and confident in your body.
Activities to do between Sessions
1. Sitting on a Yoga Ball
Sit as often as you can on a yoga ball and do hip circles to keep mobility and flexibility in your hips
2. Meditation and Affirmations
Our words and mindset have a lot of power over our body. Help free your body to connect with turning your breech baby by saying affirmations and meditating on your goals as often as you can.
3. Music and Light to Encourage Baby
This can hopefully encourage your baby to move towards sounds that he/she likes.