By Lovetti Lafua Nurse Midwife, Biologist, Human Optimisation Researcher

Breech birth has shaped my professional journey in ways few other experiences have. After more than twenty years supporting families through every kind of birth, I have learned that breech is not simply a clinical variation it is a call for heightened awareness, deep listening, and confident, ongoing training.

I’ve seen breech births unfold beautifully and I’ve seen situations where safety required calm, timely intervention. My personal life brought its own lesson when my bestie discovered at 39 weeks that her baby was breech. We tried everything: an ECV, acupuncture, bodywork — yet the little one stayed firm. Her planned cesarean was ultimately the safest option, especially given the nuchal leg that challenged even the experienced obstetrician. Though the outcome was good, she felt the emotional weight of missing the labor journey she hoped for. It reminded me how deeply birth touches the heart.

Training Isn’t Optional It’s Foundational

Breech isn’t a matter of if; it’s a matter of when. Birth workers must be prepared. I often tell students that our job is to read the body, not control it. Over and over, I’ve watched the mother baby dyad communicate in ways that defy textbooks.

One mother once reached complete dilation, pushed, regressed, returned to complete twice. Eventually, we transferred for a cesarean. Her baby had a double nuchal cord and a true knot. Her body knew. Her labor pattern was protective, not dysfunctional.

The Eagle’s Eye

Supporting breech means learning when to act and when to wait. If labor deviates from its rhythmic intelligence, we reassess. If everything flows smoothly, presence and patience are the wisest tools.

A mentor once told me, “Breech is straightforward or it isn’t.” That truth has guided me in countless births. Sometimes transport is needed even when vital signs look perfect. Sometimes our intuition notices what instruments cannot: a labor that simply isn’t meant to progress further at home.

One mother stalled for six hours at 9 cm. Emotionally layered circumstances shaped her progress: first pregnancy, late transfer of care, 42 weeks’ gestation, and her own work as a nurse. Her cesarean was uncomplicated. That experience reminded me how labor can reflect emotional landscapes as strongly as physical ones.

Breech birth is not about forcing a technique. It is about respecting physiology, recognizing limits, and honoring the safety of mother and baby above all else.