Finding out your baby is breech this late in pregnancy can feel like the floor dropped out from under you. If that is where you are right now, take a breath. You are not out of options.
What Is the Webster Technique?
The Webster Technique is a specific chiropractic protocol developed by Dr. Larry Webster of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA). It is designed to reduce sacral subluxation and balance the muscles and ligaments of the pelvis during pregnancy.
Here is the important distinction: the Webster Technique does not turn the baby. What it does is address the biomechanical environment of the pelvis to reduce intrauterine constraint that may limit the baby's ability to move into an optimal position on its own. Restoring balance to that environment gives the baby a better chance to flip head-down. Dr. Hector Martinez is Webster Certified through the ICPA and qualified to perform this protocol for pregnant patients.
What Does the Research Say?
A frequently cited 2002 study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics reported an 82 percent success rate in babies turning vertex among women who received Webster Technique care. That was a case series rather than a randomized controlled trial, so it has limitations. That said, the technique has a strong safety record and many OBs and midwives are comfortable with patients pursuing it alongside conventional monitoring.
Who Is a Good Candidate?
Ideally, we would see you between 32 and 36 weeks, when there is still plenty of room for the baby to move. We do see patients at 37 and 38 weeks as well, and results can still happen. Webster care is generally not appropriate in cases of placenta previa or certain high-risk pregnancies. We do a thorough intake before any adjustment and will refer you back to your OB if anything raises a concern.
What to Expect at Your First Visit
Your first appointment includes a review of your pregnancy history, a postural assessment, and palpation of the sacrum and surrounding soft tissue. The adjustment is gentle and performed on a pregnancy-specific table designed to accommodate your belly safely. Most patients feel immediate relief in their lower back and hips after the first visit. For breech presentations, we typically recommend two to three visits per week for the first one to two weeks, then reassess based on your next OB appointment.
The Bottom Line
A breech presentation at 36 weeks is not automatically a dead end. The Webster Technique is a well-established, low-risk approach that many families have found helpful. It does not guarantee anything, and we will always be straightforward with you about that. But it is worth a conversation, and the sooner you reach out, the more time we have to work with.
Ready to talk? Reach out to schedule an appointment and let us help you figure out the best next step for you and your baby.