If baby is breech, is your c-section pre booked? Nearly 36 weeks with suspected breech bubba....

[JimmyChoo17]

Hi

I had my 36 week check up today and baby is breech. I'm getting this confirmed by a scan on Monday.

I realise there is still time for it to turn however I was wondering if midwives know you are breech - do they book your c - section ahead of your due date with a view to delivering at 40 weeks (if still breech) or just wait for you to go into labour and then take you in for a c - section on labour day if baby hasn't turned? How is it managed?

Am trying a few things at home like rocking on all 4's, the torch/music trick etc etc!

Otherwise baby is measuring on time...

I have obviously been aware that things can change during pregnancy but am hoping for normal birth, midwife unit and in a pool! I hate surgery and the idea of recovery time impacting. Those weeks after baby is born. Also with a c section I don't like idea of parting with baby :-( not my plan at all! Fingers crossed this naughty baby turns but want to find out what hospitals do and how they plan?!

[Meglet]

I've had friends who have had breech babies and they were all pencilled in for one at 39 weeks.

You can do a birth plan for a c-section. I asked to see the placenta in mine. Both times they took the baby over to the table to check them but they were back by my head in a couple of minutes and the baby never left the room. It was a PITA trying to hold them while I had tubes in my arms (I tried and thought I was going to drop them) so I was happy to wait until I was on the high dependence ward and could get propped up with pillows.

With a bit of luck your baby will flip over and you can do it all naturally .

[JimmyChoo17]

Hopefully! Naughty thing....it's also back to my back.

Did your hubby/partner get to stay with you? Also (sorry for lots of q's) did you breastfeed? I wasn't sure if c-section birth and any potential loss of skin to skin time impacted feeding success.

[NightLark]

I was offered an ECV at 38+4 with the option of a c-section at 39 weeks if my baby hadn't turned. Happily for me the ECV worked and c-section was called off. I'm now 39+4... Would you consider having the baby turned if it doesn't go round of it's own accord?

[thisisyesterday]

or the other option is to ahve a vaginal breech delivery!

google mary cronk if you're interested it :)

[Pinkjenny]

Mine was booked when I was 36 weeks pg, and performed at 38 weeks. This was four years ago, though. They scanned me before attempting the ECV and said there was no way it would be successful because of the baby's position.

Typical dd, she's always been an awkward bugger.

[headfairy]

mine was booked for 39 weeks when I was 38 weeks pg, but that was because ds was footling and they didn't want me to go in to labour. I wasn't ever seperated from ds, dh was in theatre with me the whole time but I still got first cuddle. I asked them to show me ds before taking him away to tag him... I bf in recovery and fed for a year. Ditto dd who was also born by cs.

[wahwahwah]

36 weeks is still early days - they generally turn about 37 (or later - remember only 5% of babies are born on the 'due date'). The % of babies breech at birth is quite low (3-4%).

Why not book the C (if this is the route you want to go down) and make sure your healthcare provider knows that this is what you want/or what you want only in the event of a breech presentation.

The forget about it and try to relax. The odds are with you that the baby will turn.

[carlyvita]

I should most certainly hope not!

Firstly, they're more likely to turn after your current date, and secondly it would be somewhat presumptious to assume that a woman would prefer a section to a breech birth (or delivery for that matter, if you were so inclined) without presenting the options to said woman first.

You should feel fully in control of whatever you decide on this issue, and if you don't, you probably need some more info/answers from your team.

ECV has variable success rate depending entirely on experience of the consultant that you get, so obviously ask for a good one and get a transfer if there's one better somewhere else. Accupuncture/moxibustion I believe has a better success rate than ECV in the UK too, so look at this avenue as well as spinningbabies website.

Best of luck!

[VeryHungryKatypillar]

DD was breech from about 26 weeks but c-section wasn't booked until I was 37 +6... for the day when I was 38+3! We had been booked in for an ECV for that day first, with a view to inducing straight away if she turned, but in the end the dr was not to confident as to ECV success and, to be honest, his manipulation of my tummy to work out positioning was so uncomfortable that I just did not have the courage to go through with it. So we had a c-section that day! It was a really relaxed procedure, had a cuddle with DD and then DH held her whilst I was sewn up. If I end up with another c-section this time (hoping for VBAC though) I will ask for skin-to-skin straight away and make sure I have my own music! Oh, and we found out the sex for ourselves, the drs held her up over the screen so we could see, that was great!

Good luck with it all - investigate vaginal breech birth if you fancy it - my mum had me (I was breech) and it is do-able, but you may have a bit of a fight on your hands with the drs...

[VeryHungryKatypillar]

Oh, and DD was BF for 12 months - having a c-section didn't affect that at all... milk came in on day 2/3 which I think is normal. In a way, being physically more restricted can help as all you really can do for first week or so is cuddle and feed baby!

[sc2987]

If you go for a vaginal birth (which is better for you and the baby if it goes well), make sure they give you a midwife experienced in delivering them ('hands off the breech), so she doesn't cause problems you wouldn't otherwise have had (e.g. shoulder dystocia).

If you have an anthropoid pelvis you will be well prepared for a breech delivery (and more likely that it will be breech in the first place!).

[JimmyChoo17]

To be honest I have no clue what to do in the event that baby does not turn naturally. In an ideal world would love a natural birth but if that is not possible I am torn between attempting ecv or just hoping for the best but booking a c section....

I don't want to attempt a breach vaginal birth as I know of too many people who that hasn't worked for so that leaves me with ecv......many people have advised against it due the stress to baby and only 50% success rate... Not high enough for my liking as there is just the same 50/50 chance that baby will turn the right way again! So I'm not sure whether I want to let a dr attempt it now.

A c section is not the end of the world but I dislike the recovery time and possibility of it affecting our bonding, but glad to read the above positive stories.

Poxy baby....fancy worrying mummy like this now! Was enjoying the last few weeks but now m anxious about this and not sleeping :(

[beckynbump]

I was brech at 37 weeks and kind of forced to book section there and then. I did but said it was provisional and would not go any further until I had had a chat to the conultant that did ECV. (initial guy said no way would they consider turing as it was a footling breech). Saw second consultant who was happy to turn and confident it would work, tured the next day, no pain, just pressing on tummy which felt uncomfortable and babe fine. Now nearly 39 and its still head down so fingers crossed.

Like you c-section was never an option for many reasons but of course, I made sure I was happy there was no risk to babe befoe I agreed to ECV. Any doubt, I guess I would have just had a section, though v reluctantly.

Hope you figue out what is best for you. Just take your time and talk to as many profesionsals as you need so you feel able to make an educated and confident decision. Try not to feel pressurised either way.

[buttonmoon78]

jimmy have you checked out that RCOG paper yet? It is really informative. The success rate can go up to 70-80% with some experienced consultants and the turn back rate is far lower than 50%.

There is a very small chance the baby may end up distressed, but it is tiny.

I would never have it again but that was because it was coupled with my (worse) spd last time it was torture. I know other folk who've said it was 'uncomfortable'. But, the point it, ds had been persistently breech since 20wks scan yet stayed put. It was pretty full on, took three attempts and the consultant was huffing and puffing yet ds's heartrate etc stayed pretty much consistent.

If it was not for the fear I have of it hurting so much again (with spd) I'd be doing it again.

That was at 37 weeks and the plan was to book that day for a section at 38wks if it failed. They won't do anything until after your presentation scan and ecv has been offered. And I believe they're more likely to section at 39 than 38 wks.

[nannyl]

Im 28 weeks and no idea what position my baby is in.

IF it is breech, i will NOT be planning / agreeing to a cesarian and will be continueing with my intention to have a home birth.

I'll reconsider if he / she is transverse

[buttonmoon78]

Nannyl Isn't it funny how different we all are re risks!?

I quite happily eat blue cheese, drink a little alcohol, eat a little pate, put my babies into their own room early on, pop cocodamols like they're sweeties (they currently get me through the day with my spd) etc. Yet I find a natural breech birth too risky to contemplate.

I have no idea of your views on food etc, yet you're happy to have a breech birth at home.

I guess some of my reluctance comes from my mum's experience birthing me, but also from the fact that this one is footling which does carry greater risks than a flexed breech.

Vive la difference, anyway

[nannyl]

yup....

all different, and i wont eat blue cheese (but wont eat if not pg either as i dont like it!) have avoided pate and not had a drip of alcohol since 2 months BEFORE conception!

If baby is breech i'll consider getting and IM, many of whom have no issues with vaginal birthing a breech baby at home, which was the true of most midives not that long ago.

Its a shame so many NHS midwives arnt experienced in vaginal birthing breech babies, because they dont get much chance / opportunity to practice it.

As i say, i have no idea what position my baby is in, and im hopeful that he / she will be head down, when they time comes, but if not, then ill just have to go with that!

[NotJustKangaskhan]

You've gotten a lot of great advice. Hopefully the scan will show the baby isn't breech (all the midwives - and the woman doing the scan - were convinced my second was breech...she wasn't, she just had a very bony butt ).

[buttonmoon78]

I agree nanny. With the advent of medicalisation has gone a lot of skills which previously were reasonably commonplace.

I must admit, I can't long for the good old days as I would have died after dd1 and dd2 would not have made it (assuming I miraculously revived after dd1) but the fact remains that 'new = good' does not apply in every situation.

[JimmyChoo17]

Hey ladies!! Ive copied part of this from another thread I've responded to on the same subject....

Well good news was that my mw was very wrong and baby wasn't breach. To be honest I was surprised as my prods and kicks were low and still are. But turns out my baby has a tough round pert bum (erm....not got that from me) so that's what's stuck in my ribs.

She only showed me the outline of babys skull but it was hovering in my pelvis like a good baby!

Am quite lucky and know some midwives (I try not to pester them mind as would treat them like my very own mums net!) but I asked them about it and they said try ecv now but no later, any later they would recommend checking success rate of your hospital and if not high rate, opt for a c section rather than ecv. luckily I shouldnt have to worry about it now and ive had a word with this bump and let it know it has to stay where it is or he/she will be grounded until they are 18!!!! :)

[JimmyChoo17]

And buttonshame on u for eating blue cheese....I mean pregnant or not pregnant that stuff is Yukkky! ;)

I want pate too...mmmmmmm. I can't wait to eat freely again!

[buttonmoon78]

[VeryHungryKatypillar]

Hurrah! Good news JC!! Keep head down babyjimmychoo!