Prenatal Massage for Breech Babies: Real Client Results Using Spinning Babies® Techniques
- Samantha Davis, LMT, CNMT
- 7 days ago
- 4 min read
Navigating a breech pregnancy can feel overwhelming, and many expecting parents have questions about how to support optimal baby positioning. In this post, I'm reflecting on a year of intentional breech support as a Spinning Babies® Aware Practitioner. Over the past months, I’ve worked with a group of clients using gentle bodywork, Spinning Babies® techniques, and prenatal massage to encourage head-down presentation. While this is a small sample group, the combination of case study observations and client feedback offers meaningful insights into how prenatal massage and Spinning Babies® bodywork can have a meaningful impact for families, birthworkers, and healthcare providers navigating breech presentations.
Key Trends from Client Case Studies
Overall Positioning Success: A majority of clients experienced their baby moving from breech to head-down after a series of sessions. When adjusted for other clinical factors, the success rate is particularly notable.
The Role of Prenatal Massage in Breech Care and Prevention
Follow-Up Sessions Boost Results: Clients who began with a Spinning Babies® bodywork session and returned for a follow-up prenatal massage had a much higher success rate. In fact, 80% of successful turns occurred in clients who returned for a follow-up session, reinforcing that prenatal massage helps balance the structures most affecting a breech-positioned baby.
Preventative Care Matters: Only 2 out of 18 cases (11%) were already established clients before their breech presentation. One of these cases revealed at birth that uterine shape and umbilical cord length prevented the baby from turning, while the other successfully turned after a Spinning Babies bodywork session. This supports the value of prenatal massage and positioning support as preventative care.
When we look at this data set compared to the total number of pregnant clients seen over the same time frame, this connection to prenatal massage as preventive care strengthens. Less than 2% of clients who were already seeking out prenatal massage ended up needing a Spinning Babies® bodywork session.
Client Feedback Highlights
Client feedback from follow-up surveys and visits revealed that the benefits of breech-focused sessions extend far beyond physical positioning. Many described feeling more comfortable, confident, and supported in their pregnancies, regardless of whether their baby turned.
Greater Comfort and Ease: Clients frequently reported improvements in overall comfort. Especially relief from pelvic tightness, ribcage discomfort, and lower back tension. Many noted they could breathe more deeply and move with less restriction after sessions.
Improved Body Awareness and Connection: A recurring theme among survey responses was a stronger sense of connection to their bodies and their babies. Clients shared that learning about their own alignment and tension patterns helped them feel more in tune with what their bodies (and babies!) were communicating.
Confidence and Individualized Care: While online resources like the Spinning Babies® website offer helpful starting points, clients consistently noted that individualized, hands-on support made all the difference. Many had already explored positioning exercises on their own but felt unsure about how to apply them safely or effectively for their specific bodies. Sessions provided personalized assessment and real-time guidance, helping clients understand where tension or imbalance might be limiting space for their baby.
As one client shared, “I’d been trying the Spinning Babies moves I found online, but Samantha showed me how to do them in a way that actually felt right for my body—and I could feel the difference immediately.” Another wrote, “She helped me understand my alignment and gave me simple tools to keep balance between sessions. I felt more confident and supported.”
Emotional Support and Respect for the Process Navigating a breech pregnancy often carries an emotional weight. One that blends uncertainty, hope, and the pressure of decision-making. Clients repeatedly expressed that their sessions offered not just physical relief, but emotional grounding. Many described feeling seen, supported, and held with compassion during a time that can feel isolating or clinical. Through gentle, mindful touch and conversation, sessions acknowledged the mental load of navigating breech pregnancy and created a calm space for parents to reconnect with themselves and their baby. Clients shared that this approach helped them re-frame the experience, not as something to “fix,” but as an opportunity to create space, balance, and trust. In each session, babies are invited - not forced - to take the space being created, with full respect for their innate wisdom.
As one client beautifully reflected, “It felt like Samantha was inviting my baby to turn, not trying to make it happen. She reminded me that my baby has inside information I don’t yet have.”
Collaboration and Continuity of Care: Clients appreciated when their sessions complemented care from midwives or OBs, especially in preparation for or recovery from an External Cephalic Version (ECV). Many noted that the gentle bodywork made them feel better prepared and more relaxed for medical procedures, and that their providers were encouraged by the alignment and mobility gains achieved through massage.
Lasting Takeaways: Even when a baby remained breech, clients reported leaving sessions with greater peace, acceptance, and understanding of their bodies and babies’ unique journeys. This individualized, expert care helped clients move from uncertainty to confidence - both in their bodies’ capacity and in their ability to work collaboratively with their care teams.
Overall, survey results reflect that bodywork for breech support is not just about changing baby’s position—it’s about creating balance, confidence, and comfort in both body and mind.
Takeaways for Expecting Parents
Consistent prenatal massage and bodywork can significantly support optimal baby positioning.
Starting early for breech prevention, body balance and comfort (I recommend in the second trimester, by week 24-26)
Starting Spinning Babies® Bodywork as soon at 34 weeks if baby is confirmed breech/transverse, and returning for follow-up sessions increases the likelihood of a successful turn.
Even if the baby remains breech, these sessions improve comfort, alignment, and confidence in preparing for birth.
Every pregnancy is unique, and not all babies will turn, but these insights demonstrate the value of individualized, evidence-informed support for families navigating breech presentations. If you’re curious about incorporating Spinning Babies techniques, gentle massage, or positioning work into your pregnancy journey, my sessions are designed to provide guidance, comfort, and supportive care.
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