Illustrations of the breech mechanisms from a 1908 French textbook

This textbook by Farabeuf and Henri V is over a century old, but the illustrations are still some of the best I've ever seen. The attention to detail, the lifelike appearance of the fetus...beautiful.

These are the complete set of illustrations from the chapter on the mechanisms of breech birth. There are other chapters on how to diagnose type of presentation by touch, interventions (maneuvers), and how to perform but full & partial breech extractions.

To reflect today's increased interest in upright breech birth, I have rotated some images to keep the maternal spine consistently upright.

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10 mechanisms of upright physiological breech birth

This short video shows 10 key mechanisms of a normal upright breech birth.

1. Buttocks/feet emerge sacrum-transverse
2. Body restitutes to sacrum-anterior as trunk is born
3. Legs release spontaneously
4. “Cleavage” indicates arms are not behind head
5. Baby does tummy crunches to bring down arms & flex head
6. Arms release spontaneously
7. Full perineum = head is flexed
8. Head releases spontaneously
9. Baby passed to mother
10. Cord left intact even if resuscitation is needed

When these mechanisms are present, there's no need to do anything other than catch the baby. Approximately 70% of upright breech births will occur spontaneously with no need for any hands-on maneuvers. See Louwen 2017 for more information.



The original footage is taken from a longer video of a Brazilian couple whose planned homebirth ended up at a hospital due to breech presentation. I wrote about it several months ago here.

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Need help starting a breech-related nonprofit

I have an idea for a breech-related nonprofit organization. I think it's an amazing idea, and it dovetails nicely into the work I've already been doing with breech.

Illustration by Eloïse R. and used with permission

Here's a brief vision of what this nonprofit would do:

1) Translate breech knowledge across languages & geographic borders. This could involve translating research articles, presentations, lectures, blog posts, birth stories, guidelines, etc. I want to do English to multiple languages and vice-versa.

2) Translate medical knowledge and research about breech into information that regular people can understand.

3) Make research and information about breech more accessible to doctors and midwives--most of whom don't have the time or interest to do all the heavy research and analysis.

I have an amazing name already picked out, but it's SUPER SECRET for the moment.

If I were to get this going, I'd need help with the following:

• setting up the 501(c)3 nonprofit
• website creation & hosting
• graphic design (because looks are important!)
• managing finances/accounting
• people willing to serve on the board of directors
• grant writers
• $$$ to help fund all of the above

And most importantly...translators!!!

I want to start with French, Spanish, German, and Russian and then add as many other languages as I can find translators for.

If you're interested and/or can contribute in some way, please PM me on Facebook (preferred) or send an email. I'll add you to a Messenger conversation and we'll go from there

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