Breech Baby in Ajax: How Ultrasound Checks Position

You are around 35 weeks, at a routine prenatal visit, and your midwife or doctor is pressing gently on your belly. They pause, feel again near the top of the bump, and say something like, “I think baby might be bottom-down. Let’s get an ultrasound to check.” For many parents, that is the first time the word breech comes up, and it can bring a rush of questions about the birth plan you thought you had.

This article explains what breech means, why position matters more as the due date gets closer, and how an ultrasound confirms what your provider suspects. It is written for expecting parents in Ajax, Pickering, Whitby and the surrounding area who have been sent for a position scan, or who simply want to understand the conversation they may have in the last weeks of pregnancy.

Head-down is the usual destination, not the usual journey

For much of pregnancy, babies have plenty of room and move around freely. Lying bottom-down, sideways or at an angle is common in the second trimester and the early part of the third. Many babies settle head-down on their own as space gets tighter, and some do it surprisingly late.

When a baby is head-down, the position is called cephalic. When the bottom or feet are lowest, nearest the cervix, the position is called breech. A baby lying across the uterus, side to side, is said to be in a transverse lie, and one lying at a slant may be described as oblique.

Because babies move so much earlier on, a breech position at 28 or 30 weeks is usually just noted rather than acted on. Position becomes more meaningful closer to term, because that is when it starts to shape planning for the birth. Your provider will tell you when they want it confirmed in your own pregnancy.

The different kinds of breech

Not every breech baby lies the same way. You may hear or see these terms on your report:

• Frank breech: the bottom is lowest, with the legs pointing straight up and the feet near the face. This is a common type.
• Complete breech: the bottom is lowest, with the knees bent and the feet near the bottom, a little like sitting cross-legged.
• Footling or incomplete breech: one or both feet are lowest, below the bottom.

The type matters to your provider because it can affect which options are available and how they are discussed. It is one of the things an ultrasound can describe clearly.

Why your provider may want an ultrasound

An experienced midwife or doctor can often feel the baby’s position through the abdomen. The head tends to feel round, firm and movable, while the bottom feels softer and broader. They may also listen for the heartbeat, which is usually heard in a different place depending on position.

Hands-on checks are useful but not always conclusive. A firm abdominal wall, a placenta at the front of the uterus, a lot or a little amniotic fluid, a larger body size or a tense uterus can all make it harder to be sure by touch. An ultrasound settles the question directly, because it shows where the head is.

A position scan can also give your provider information that matters for planning:

1. Where the head and spine are, confirming cephalic, breech or transverse.
2. The type of breech, including how the legs are positioned.
3. Where the placenta sits, which can affect options.
4. The amount of amniotic fluid, which gives a sense of how much room there is.
5. An estimate of size, if your provider has asked for growth measurements as well.

Sometimes position is checked as part of a broader third-trimester scan. Our article on third-trimester growth scans covers those measurements, fluid and the placenta in more depth, so here we will stay focused on position.

What a position scan is like

A position check is an obstetrical ultrasound performed through the abdomen. You lie on the exam bed with your belly uncovered, and the sonographer applies warm gel and moves a probe across your skin. Finding the head usually happens quickly. If your provider has asked for more, such as fluid or growth measurements, the scan takes a little longer.

Late in pregnancy, lying flat on your back can make some people feel light-headed or uncomfortable. Tell the sonographer if that happens; tilting slightly onto one side with a pillow or wedge usually helps. Wear a two-piece outfit so you only need to lift your top and lower your waistband, and bring your health card and requisition. Preparation can vary for obstetrical scans, so check the instructions you are given when you book.

One practical note: a baby who is breech on the day of your scan can still turn afterwards, and occasionally a baby who was head-down turns the other way. A scan is a snapshot of that moment, which is why your provider may check again closer to your due date or when you arrive at the hospital in labour.

Understanding the report

The report from a position scan is sent to the provider who ordered it, not given to you as a final word on your birth plan. It will typically use some of the terms above, such as cephalic, breech, frank or transverse. It may also describe the placenta’s location and the fluid.

If you are told on the day that the baby appears breech, try not to plan the next month from that sentence alone. Wait for your provider to go through the report with you. They will put it in the context of how many weeks you are, how your pregnancy has gone and what you would like for the birth.

Conversations to expect after a breech result

What happens next is a medical decision between you and your provider. Options vary depending on your health, your baby, the type of breech, the hospital you plan to give birth in and your own preferences. Commonly discussed topics include:

Waiting and rechecking

If there is still time before your due date, your provider may simply suggest checking again in a week or two, because some babies turn without any help.

Trying to turn the baby

Some providers discuss a procedure in which a specialist tries to turn the baby head-down by applying gentle pressure on the abdomen. It is done at a hospital, not at a community imaging clinic, and ultrasound is generally used to check position before and after. Whether it is suitable depends on several factors that your provider assesses. Ask about the benefits, the risks and what the day would involve.

Planning the birth

If the baby stays breech, your provider will talk through the ways a breech birth may be planned and what is available at your chosen hospital. It is reasonable to ask for time to think, to bring a partner or support person to the appointment, and to write your questions down beforehand.

Things you may read about online

You will probably come across positions, exercises and other techniques said to encourage a baby to turn. Before trying anything, talk to your midwife or doctor about whether it is appropriate for you. What is harmless for one pregnancy may not be advised in another.

Questions worth bringing to your next appointment

A short list can make that appointment feel less rushed:

• Is the baby definitely breech, and what type?
• Is there still a reasonable chance of the baby turning on its own?
• Do you recommend a repeat position check, and when?
• Am I a candidate for an attempt to turn the baby, and where would that happen?
• How would a breech position change my birth plan at my chosen hospital?
• Is there anything I should or should not do in the meantime?

Symptoms that should never wait for a scan

A position check is a planned appointment. Some symptoms need attention right away, whatever the baby’s position. Contact your health-care provider or go to the hospital where you plan to give birth immediately if you have:

• vaginal bleeding
• fluid leaking or gushing from the vagina
• regular contractions or tightening before 37 weeks
• noticeably reduced or changed movements from your baby
• severe or constant abdominal pain
• a severe headache, vision changes or sudden swelling of the face or hands

Call 911 if bleeding is heavy, if you feel faint, or if you feel very unwell. Our clinic is a community imaging centre and cannot provide emergency obstetrical care.

A note on keepsake scans

Some parents ask whether a 3D/4D ultrasound can be used to check position. Keepsake scans are designed for family bonding and views of the baby’s face, not for medical assessment, and they do not replace a diagnostic scan ordered by your provider. If you have a keepsake session booked late in pregnancy and the baby turns out to be breech, facial views may simply be harder to get, because the face can be tucked high under the ribs.

Booking a position ultrasound in Ajax

Rossland Diagnostic Clinic offers obstetrical ultrasound at Unit 102, 300 Rossland Road East in Ajax, with free parking and ground-floor access, which helps in the heavier final weeks. We are open Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm and Saturday from 8:00am to 3:30pm. If your provider has asked for a position check, call us at 905-426-3111 or request an appointment, and let us know how many weeks along you are so we can find a suitable time.