Prenatal Yoga Can Help Flip a Breech Baby

May 24, 2017 by Full Circle KC

Originally published (5/24/2017) update (9/26/2024)

In your third trimester hearing that your baby is breech, meaning not in a head down position, can create some real anxiety, especially if you’re nearing your estimated due date. Most babies will move into a head-down position before it’s time for baby to be born. Approximately 1 in 25 babies are carried breech in the final stages of pregnancy in the United States. By 32-33 weeks most babies will move into a head-down position. Prenatal Yoga at Full Circle Yoga KC can offer support in getting little bambino to move into the more ideal head-down position through prenatal yoga poses and movements.

Why might a baby be in a breech position?

There are many reasons why baby might be in a breech position:

*Imbalance in the pelvis
*Soft tissue issues
*Imbalance with loose or tight muscles, facia, and/or ligaments
*multiple pregnancies
*uterine shape
*placenta position
*baby conditions
*too much or too little amniotic fluid

Prenatal Yoga Can Help Flip a Breech Baby

“This baby feels like she’s going to drop of out me” -FCYKC Mama

“It feels like my baby is kicking my butthole” – FCYKC Mama

“My baby is breech” -FCYKC Mama

Here are some poses that are specific to helping baby get into optimal head-down position for birth. These poses can also help relieve pelvic pressure. These poses will open up space in pelvis to give baby room to move so he/she rotate into head-down position. Lengthening muscles and increasing range of motion in your own body will create more room for baby to move. Be patient and hold poses for 30-45 seconds a day (if you can tolerate, and if not come out of the pose), up to three times a day, to give baby time to move. Do these poses during times when baby is active, which will increase chances of baby moving into the desired position.

Inversion Poses

Inversion poses relaxes lower uterine ligaments, creates space, restores balance, gives the pelvic floor rest and relieves pressure.

Supported bridge pose– place several blankets, firm cushions, or yoga blocks under lower back and get hips as high as you can.

Forward leaning inversion-allows ligaments to lengthen and untwist. This can be done from a firm couch or stacked blankets as shown here

Additional yoga poses we would encourage to help baby flip:
* Juicy hip circles and cat cow. You can see a video here
*Standing and moving the hips into figure 8’s

Poses to avoid when baby is breech after 30 weeks:
*deep squats
*deep goddess pose

Side-line release is also a wonderful addition to add into your practice to help baby flip. Here’s a video to see how your partner can assist with this technique.
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What else can I do to help baby go head-down?

When a baby is in a breech position later in pregnancy at Full Circle Yoga KC we will educate about the many posture and movements that can aid in aligning the body, release ligaments and create space for baby to move into a head-down position. We believe in integrative care and will also encourage complimentary holistic care such as:

*Chiropractic work with someone that specializes in prenatal care and a bonus if they are Webster Technique Certified.
*Acupuncture- a treatment that involves inserting very small needles into the skin to stimulate nerve channels.
*Therapeutic Massage
*External Cephalic Version (ECV)- a procedure done by a medical practitioner with hands on your belly to attempt to turn baby.
*moxibustion- a Chinese Medicine heat treatment that burns medicinal herbs near acupuncture points on the feet.
*place an ice pack where you believe baby’s head to be, he/she will want to move away from the cold! (not evidenced based)
*Have your partner read/sing/talk towards the lower part of the pelvis (not evidenced based)

If you want to experience the mental health benefits of prenatal yoga, join us at Full Circle Yoga KC! Explore our prenatal yoga classes and reserve on our class calendar. Check out all of our workshops and special events we offer to support your growing family too!

Click to sign up for prenatal yoga

Can’t make class? Purchase our $35 unlimited access Prenatal Yoga Video Bundle.

1 full 50 minute prenatal yoga class
20- minute morning practice
20- minute evening unwind

Eating Well for You and Baby

May 22, 2017 by Full Circle KC

Pregnancy brings some CRAZY cravings!!! With my first pickle juice was my go to! With my second Mexican food! Although I knew it was important for moderation I enjoyed the guilty pleasures while I had a darn good excuse!!

Here’s a good article on healthy options to keep in mind for a healthy you and a healthy baby!

Full Circle Yoga in Overland Park was founded in 2017 by yoga teacher Jenny Hellman focusing on wellness in the early stages of family life from prenatal to early parenthood and the older adult years. Full Circle Yoga KC is an Overland Yoga Studio specializing in Prenatal Yoga, Baby Yoga and Chair Yoga for seniors.

Voted Top Yoga Studio In Overland Park

May 8, 2017 by Full Circle KC

Full Circle Yoga KC was just voted as a Top Yoga Studio In Overland Park by Expertise.com.

Voted Top Yoga Studio In Overland Park

Here’s why:

Full Circle Yoga KC is a small intimate studio making it easy to receive personal one on one attention as well as creating a network of other moms-to-be and moms.

The owner, Jenny Hellman, LMSW, respects and honors where each individual is at the moment they step onto the mat.

Prenatal Yoga classes that offer a challenge in preparation for labor and delivery, yet creates space for grounding and stillness. Poses are taught that help minimize pregnancy discomforts, as well as, poses that can be beneficial during the birthing journey.

Bring Your Own Baby (BYOB) Yoga or Mommy and Me Yoga classes that incorporate nurturing opportunities with mom (or caregiver) and baby, while creating space for self care for mom (or caregiver).

Full Circle Yoga KC is committed to the wellness of families and communities.

TIPS TO SURVIVING EARLY MOTHERHOOD

May 5, 2017 by Full Circle KC

KISS= Keep It Simple and Slow

1. Lower your expectations

My husband: “Lower your expectations”

Me: “I’ve already lowered them”

My husband: “Then lower them one more time and be gentle with yourself”

Such truth in this!

2. If this is your first- set up camp

With our first we set up camp in the living room, we ate there, we slept there, we bonded as a family of three there. We let the world around us continue to happen while we entered our new life as parents.

3. Say yes and Say no

Say yes to friends, family and neighbors helping you. People want to help, but don’t always know what to do. Give them something to do: maybe it’s prepare a meal, maybe it clean dishes, maybe it’s do the laundry, maybe it go to the grocery store, maybe you need a shower let them watch your little one, maybe you need a 10 (or more) minute walk to regroup- again let them ooo and ahhh over your bundle of joy.

Say no to friends, family, and neighbors, it’s okay. You become very popular when you bring baby home! Saying no when you need time to bond, rest, just have some time for adjusting is okay. It’s a big deal to give birth and settle into a new rhythm.

Common Pregnancy Discomforts And How Prenatal Yoga Can Help

May 2, 2017 by Full Circle KC

At the beginning of every prenatal yoga class I check in with my mamas to see how they are feeling. Many times they feel great, other times discomforts are mentioned such as hips, lower back pain, sciatica nerve. Our bodies are undergoing such crazy changes, it’s not surprising, discomforts can arise. Prenatal Yoga can help with all of these discomforts.

I’ve had some requests recently about poses for sciatic nerve discomfort. Pain from the sciatica radiates in the lower back, down the leg and sometimes to the feet and toes. This is due to where the baby is resting, pressing on the nerves of the spine and hip, specifically the sciatica. It can also be due disc problems in the lower back or a tight Piriformis muscle in the hip.

Remember to always listen to your body. Yoga should not hurt. If something doesn’t feel right come out of the pose.

Here a few prenatal yoga poses you can do to help relieve this discomfort:

cat/cow- hands under shoulders, knees under hip starting in table top position inhale. On an exhale round your back. On a inhale come into cow. This helps drop baby forward and warm up your body, stretching back and hips. While in this pose, move into a flat back and look over right shoulder. Do the same with looking over the left shoulder to feel a slight lower back stretch.

Downward facing dog- with slight bend in knees- pressing fingers into ground, lifting from the hips and pressing back with your heels. Carve out your armpits to open your upper back.

Wide Leg forward fold- step legs out to a wide stance. Fold forward hinging from hips. Using blocks or folding forward. This pose stretches the back and hamstrings.

Seated Pigeon pose- a great pose to do at work. Sitting on the edge of a sturdy chair place an ankle on the knee. Sitting tall, hinge from your hips and exhale forward. This pose stretches the gluteal muscles

Thread the needle- same as above, however lying down.