Legs up!

People always ask me what the lasting effects of a breech birth are for the baby.  In the case of a normal, healthy breech baby there are no lasting effects.  There are some cool initial differences that are immediately visible with breech babies but disappear over  the first few weeks.  

1.  Legs up!  Frank Breech babies, especially, will have their legs remain in the air for days after birth.  They are used to this position and sometimes will prefer to be swaddled with their legs up. If you give birth to your breech baby in the hospital then you may be offered the opportunity to have an on-site orthopedic surgeon or physician give you the "all clear" on baby's hips.  It is not common for there to be an issue.

2. Heads up!  Breech babies have a distinctive head.  There are different sections of bone in the newborn skull.  They are divided by what are called sutures.  These sutures allow for the bones to shift into optimal position as baby is entering and leaving the birth canal.  The bones overlap a specific way during a vertex (head-down) birth.  For a breech vaginal birth the bones will overlap the opposite way.  There is no harm done.  It merely gives a breech baby their distinctive "breech head".  This will slowly leave as their skull continues to shift and grows. 

xo Jessica

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