Home Page Forums MAMPS General Questions When to stop moxa for breech? Reply To: When to stop moxa for breech?

  • Kate Levett

    Instructor
    August 1, 2021 at 8:33 pm

    Hi Diana

    For breech/malposition, my advice is generally to continue with the moxa for the prescribed 10 days, even if the baby has turned cephalic. But I have also been told by my teacher Shimamura Sensei, that consuming sugar following cephalo-version with moxa will make the baby go breech again! He followed his wife around after their baby went breech again after having moxa, and concluded it was her sugar consumption! Can you imagine 😉

    I think he said that the heat from the sugar consumption rose to the head, causing the baby’s head (the hottest part) to go back up! So, just in case I recommend they also don’t consume sugar until 39 weeks, when the sugar (in the form of honey or dates usually) will help to soften the cervix (according to Kiiko Matsumoto).

    Putting my researcher hat on, the research would suggest that moxa is successful in around 50-60% of cases, and that it’s most effective between 34-37 weeks’ gestation. Having a manual ECV (external cephalo-verstion) is also successful in about 50% of cases and is recommended from 37-38 weeks. However, fewer than 10% of women attempt an ECV due to the perceived associated discomfort.

    A trial conducted at Western Sydney Uni also followed women after conducting moxa for breech and some of whom went on to also have an ECV. They reported on those who then had both procedures, and they found that when a woman had had moxa for 10 days (once per day for 20 mins), then had an ECV (if moxa unsuccessful), the overall success rate was about 75%.

    So, I also encourage women to explore having an ECV if they are comfortable with it.

    Thanks

    Kate