Breech Birth

At about 280 days after the baby’s inception, the mother starts to feel strong tightening pains called contractions, in her womb when the birth is near. These contractions become stronger and the neck of the cervix starts to open. As the contractions continues the baby’s head moves down and eventually emerges through the cervix and vagina. A breech birth is different from regular birth because the buttocks engage in the pelvis instead of the head. This makes delivery more complicated as the largest part, namely the head, is delivered last. A breech birth is encountered about once in every thirty deliveries. Because the head in such cases is the last part of the child to be delivered and because this part of the delivery is most difficult, the umbilical cord may be compressed while the after-coming head is being born, with the result the child may be deprived of oxygen.