When does the baby turn?

Throughout your pregnancy, your baby is free to move around inside the womb and can change position many times. They might be head down, sitting up, lying sideways... and change again. Because of this, the position found during an appointment does not necessarily mean that will be their position at birth.

As your baby grows and the space inside gets tighter, they are more and more likely to be found in a head-down (cephalic) position. However, around 28 weeks, about 1 in 5 babies may still be in a breech position (sitting up). If this is the case for you, please know that by the end of pregnancy only about 3 to 4 in every 100 remain in this position.

It is mostly between 32 and 36 weeks that many babies who were breech turn on their own. Because of this, finding out at 30, 32 or even 34 weeks that your baby is still breech does not mean this will be their final position.

Around 36 weeks, the baby's position starts to become more important. If your baby is still in a breech position at this stage, your pregnancy care team will discuss the options with you. In some situations, an external cephalic version may be proposed, a manoeuvre performed to try and help the baby get into a head-down position.

To reassure you

There is no exact week when all babies "should" turn. Throughout your pregnancy, healthcare professionals will monitor your baby's position, giving them time to find their own way. If they are still breech closer to birth, this does not mean you have done anything wrong; it just means it is time to calmly explore the options available to you.

If you need us, we are here to provide information on evidence-based options such as bodywork, acupuncture or external cephalic version.