After a rough start (not so much because there was something wrong but rather because I was struggling with lots of fear and concern), this pregnancy has gone very smoothly and I felt very secure, probably because I am in really good hands with my wonderful midwife whom I can ask pretty much everything and who is very relaxed and reassuring. Yet, over the last few days, I have started to doubt myself a little again and this is because the baby is breech and I have been hoping to get it to turn ever since we found out.
However, the little ones in our bellies already have their own strong will and there seems to be something that keeps him from turning. I tried interesting remedies such as moxibustion which is basically a traditional chinese acupuncture technique where a cigar made of moxa is held close the little toe and the heat is supposed to help loosen the uterus and facilitate the turning of the baby. Though it may sound strange to some, in my opinion you can really feel it working and the baby is certainly moving a lot more ever since we started the treatment last week.
There are also lots of physical exercises that you can try to give the baby more room to maneuver - the most well-known one is the so-called breech tilt but since I have trouble lying on my back lately, I much prefer the knee-to chest exercise which I have been practicing a lot. Inversions might also help - so I have reverted to my headstand practice and when I went swimming last week, I must have done more handstands in the pool than any of the kids around. We are also trying to show the little one the way with a flashlight and try attracting his head to my pelvis by using sound - so far to no avail but who knows there are still a few days.
Although still possible, it gets less and less likely for a breech baby to turn after week 37 simply because there is less room in the womb. Yet, I am not giving up hope. Unfortunately the prospects for a natural birth with a breech baby are not great - most doctors and hospitals advise a c-section due to increased risks for the baby but I guess I need to put first things first.
Now, I have been trying to turn to yoga to help me gather the patience and strength and keep on visualizing and speaking to the little one while practicing. For almost 40 days now I have stuck to my kundalini routine, mostly in the mornings, and I have modified it in a way to incorporate those breech turning poses for instance, adding down dog and dolphin pose as well as relaxation on my elbows and knees instead of legs up the wall which I used to do previously. The kriya is aimed to keep you fit and flexible during pregnancy and so far it's worked well. Knock on wood - no back pains other other normal pregnancy complaints in sight.
Once in a while I also add a vinyasa inspired prenatal class, such as this nice flowly one which tends to make me sweat a little more but adds to the strength I'm trying to maintain even with the added weight and particularly preparing for carrying a little one over the next few months. For my body, I am not sure about upward facing dog and also don't think I would teach it in a prenatal class but she offers plank as a variation which is fair enough.
I truly believe that pregnancy teaches us a lot of patience and prenatal yoga can do amazing things to support that process. And it definitely is a process for me - I need to understand that there are so many things out of our control and no matter how hard we try, it is not up to us to decide how things end up. This is where trust is essential and I am trying to trust in nature, the baby, my strength as a mummy and the fact that things will turn out the way they are supposed to.
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| Moxibustion - the cigar never really touches the foot though |
There are also lots of physical exercises that you can try to give the baby more room to maneuver - the most well-known one is the so-called breech tilt but since I have trouble lying on my back lately, I much prefer the knee-to chest exercise which I have been practicing a lot. Inversions might also help - so I have reverted to my headstand practice and when I went swimming last week, I must have done more handstands in the pool than any of the kids around. We are also trying to show the little one the way with a flashlight and try attracting his head to my pelvis by using sound - so far to no avail but who knows there are still a few days.
Although still possible, it gets less and less likely for a breech baby to turn after week 37 simply because there is less room in the womb. Yet, I am not giving up hope. Unfortunately the prospects for a natural birth with a breech baby are not great - most doctors and hospitals advise a c-section due to increased risks for the baby but I guess I need to put first things first.
Now, I have been trying to turn to yoga to help me gather the patience and strength and keep on visualizing and speaking to the little one while practicing. For almost 40 days now I have stuck to my kundalini routine, mostly in the mornings, and I have modified it in a way to incorporate those breech turning poses for instance, adding down dog and dolphin pose as well as relaxation on my elbows and knees instead of legs up the wall which I used to do previously. The kriya is aimed to keep you fit and flexible during pregnancy and so far it's worked well. Knock on wood - no back pains other other normal pregnancy complaints in sight.
Once in a while I also add a vinyasa inspired prenatal class, such as this nice flowly one which tends to make me sweat a little more but adds to the strength I'm trying to maintain even with the added weight and particularly preparing for carrying a little one over the next few months. For my body, I am not sure about upward facing dog and also don't think I would teach it in a prenatal class but she offers plank as a variation which is fair enough.
I truly believe that pregnancy teaches us a lot of patience and prenatal yoga can do amazing things to support that process. And it definitely is a process for me - I need to understand that there are so many things out of our control and no matter how hard we try, it is not up to us to decide how things end up. This is where trust is essential and I am trying to trust in nature, the baby, my strength as a mummy and the fact that things will turn out the way they are supposed to.
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