My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

Pregnancy

Can baby turn breech at 40 weeks?

36 replies

skiingmummy · 29/01/2005 13:10

OMG - have spent most of last night worrying as I'm 40 weeks (tomorrow) and think the babys turned breech. The reason I think this is coz when its been hiccuping before the hiccups have all been felt low down where the mw said the head was (LOA). But yesterday and last night I could feel the hiccups at the top right of my bump where I knew the feet had been (most of kicks felt there). Most of movement is now felt bottom left of bump where head had been.

Is it possible for a 40 week baby to do a complete flip like this and if so what can I do? I'm not due to see the mw again until a week on Monday for my 'sweep'.

Wish I could feel my bump and tell which bits of the baby are where like mw can. Is there anything I can do? Hardly slept with worrying last night. If it is breech is cs the only option? oh god can't stop worrying now.

OP posts:
Report
Angeliz · 29/01/2005 13:16

I think they only try to turn them up to 37 weeks (but could be wrong).
Sorry you're so worried. I am in the same kind of position, my baby has been breech and now i'm 36 weeks and they 'think' it's turned but i can't get a scan and i am not sleeping with the worry!!

Really hope you get some re- assurance, have you rand the delivery suite, maybe they'll be nice and check for you

Report
Ameriscot2005 · 29/01/2005 13:21

The baby's head is brick hard, so there's a good chance of being able to feel this at the top of your bump if it is breech.

With my breech baby, I could clearly feel her head, and all its sutures.

As for noises from the baby - I didn't let my midwife examine me, because I didn't want to go down the breech protocol route, but did let her listen in to the baby during labour. The heart beat sounds all came from the "right place" as if the baby was in a cephalic position.

There are lots of opportunities for sounds and small movements to be distorted.

Report
skiingmummy · 29/01/2005 13:29

Ameriscot2005 - did you have a normal labour/delivery with a breech baby then? I've really tried to feel my bump and guess which bits are where but it all just feels like me iykwim It def feels more solid on the top right than it had done tho.

Angeliz - feel a bit silly ringing the delivery suite just to say I think its turned. They'll think I'm some neurotic fruitcake (which I must admit I've felt like most of this pg. ) I did think about trying to see the mw on Monday but I'm worried about going and her saying yes its breech and the only option now is cs.

OP posts:
Report
Angeliz · 29/01/2005 13:31

Yep i think they think that of me too!

Hope you feel better soon though as the worry is awful.

Report
essbee · 29/01/2005 13:33

Message withdrawn

Report
skiingmummy · 29/01/2005 13:37

The worry of not knowing is def worse than if I knew for sure one way or the other. I'm def going to try and see the mw on Monday. At least if I knew I could start reading up on breech - don't know anything about breech deliveries. Now I've just got to try and not worry about going into labour on my due date (tomorrow)!

Why is nothing every straightforward?

OP posts:
Report
skiingmummy · 29/01/2005 13:38

Essbee what did that mean for your labour?

You'd think they wouldn't have the room to do any major position changes.

OP posts:
Report
Angeliz · 29/01/2005 14:05

skiingmummy, it depends which breech position the baby is in.
I have read up alot on it lately as mine was ( and maybe still is) breech for weeks).
If the baby is not feet first then it is possible to have a natural delivery , i think the main problem is that, they are so used to giving cesereans these days that it's finding a confident midwife/Doctor to deliver a breech.

That seems to be my understanding of it.

Why don't you just ring them now and explain how incredibly worried you are.
You never know, they might be having a quiet day and be willing to put your mind at rest!

Report
essbee · 29/01/2005 14:07

Message withdrawn

Report
Ameriscot2005 · 29/01/2005 14:14

Yes, I had a normal (natural) breech birth.

A good idea is to Google on "Mary Cronk" and she has written a wealth of great stuff on breech births. It is all very encouraging and empowering.

Good luck!

Report
skiingmummy · 29/01/2005 20:38

Thanks everyone. I've spent this evening blubbing (stupid or what?) but have now decided to do something constructive and find out exactly what it means to me if the baby has flipped. Oh yes and I've decided to ring the mw team tomorrow. Don't think I can take another whole day not knowing.

OP posts:
Report
NotQuiteCockney · 29/01/2005 20:49

Oh, skiingmummy, from what I've been told, any flips after 36 weeks or so are really noticeable. As in, mothers often throw up. So it's really unlikely a flip has happened without you noticing the flip. (And it's even less likely if the head was engaged, last time the midwives saw you.)

So please don't worry. Get it checked if it'll make you feel better, but don't worry. (And if the baby has flipped at such a late date, then maybe a ECV would work, as there's obviously enough room to turn in there!)

Report
skiingmummy · 29/01/2005 20:55

Notquitecockney the thing that worries me is that I spent most of Thursday feeling sick with really bad stomach ache that came and went. It even woke me up in the night. I did wonder whether my labour was starting. I was huge with DS and suspect theres a similar space to the Atlantic Ocean in my uterus for this baby to swim about it.

But you have made me feel a little more reassured so thanks! Its silly to worry at this stage I know but I just can't seem to think rationally about it.

OP posts:
Report
stellarmum · 29/01/2005 21:21

For what its worth sm, my dd2 was breech the whole time and it wasn't picked up on by the midwives... they kept thinking he head was her bottom wedged right up under my ribs!
Only discovered her position during scan when ten days overdue and I still went on to have 'natural' birth with her coming out bottom first.. as Angeliz said, it helped having a confident doctor present! And it was a far easier labour than my fist dd who came out the usual way up!

Report
NotQuiteCockney · 29/01/2005 21:43

Oh, skiingmummy, if it's your second child, you have a much better chance of a successful vaginal delivery (assuming your first was a normal delivery?) of a breech.

And from what I gather, it's not a general bad feeling, it's a sudden strong feeling. Enough to make you fall over.

Report
skiingmummy · 30/01/2005 13:06

Thankyou so much - am feeling a lot better about it now!! I can def say I didn't fall over coz of the tummy ache!! Thank goodness - would have had to get a fork lift truck to pick me up again.

Spoke to mw and shes going to see me in the clinic tomorrow morning but she basically said the same sort of reassuring things as you wonderful people said.

Why am I turning into such a worrier? God help me if I'm getting this wound up about things before the baby even arrives.

OP posts:
Report
skiingmummy · 31/01/2005 12:45

Just to say I was just being totally paranoid. The baby has changed position but not turned upside down!!

The sooner this baby is born and my hormones go back to normal and my sense of reason and rational thought come back the better!!

OP posts:
Report
Angeliz · 31/01/2005 12:51

SO pleased for you skiingmummy
+++++++++++++++++

Report
skiingmummy · 31/01/2005 12:54

Thankyou so much for your encouragement and support. Def made a difference when I was feeling so down over the weekend.

OP posts:
Report
Lonelymum · 31/01/2005 12:55

Eagerly looking out for your birth announcement Skiingmummy. Can't be long now!

Report
skiingmummy · 31/01/2005 13:01

My sentiments exactly!!!

Went to aquanatal this morning before my mw aptmt and they all looked a bit horrified to see me at 1 day overdue!! Wonder if I'd've noticed if my waters had gone in the pool? Ew yeuch!

OP posts:
Report
Lonelymum · 31/01/2005 13:05

You'd be dripping everywhere you went if your waters had gone. Even if they all went at once, I was told your body carries on making more fluid so you never completely run out if you will forgive the pun.
What to try next? Sitting on the washing machine when it is on its spin cycle?

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

skiingmummy · 31/01/2005 21:30

Had the spicy curry tonight followed by pineapple.

Now once the heartburn subsides I'll give your suggestion a go!!

OP posts:
Report
bubble99 · 31/01/2005 22:17

Hi SM
Hate to say the dreaded words but ..."Are you still here?!"
I'm still here too, waddling along in hot pursuit. I came out of hospital earlier - 24 hour urine collection for protein- and I was sorely tempted to mug the MW for some Prostin gel. Pleased to hear skiingbaby hadn't been doing aquanatal with mummy and turned breech. Race you to the announcements board.

Report
skiingmummy · 01/02/2005 10:15

Hey Bubble - great to hear from you!! And great to think I'm not the only one still waddling around

Oooh 24hr urine collection sounds yucky and a bit of a challenge if you ask me!! My poor mw only had a few drops of mine to test yesterday coz I'm finding it totally impossible to wee in such a microscopic sample jar. I knew the sample pot was in vaguely the right place coz my hand was all warm and wet but was v disappointed with the quantity I actually managed to catch!!

SO is everything ok with you? Was it horrible having to be in hospital without being in labour? Do they know why you had protein in your urine?

Well, I have some news, the mw has just rung to say my consultant wants to see me on Thursday rather than me waiting till Monday when I was going to see the mw for a sweep. Sooooooo - it could mean that I go into labour on Thursday after the consultant has done the biz!! How cool is that?!??! Tho I must admit the thought of the consultant doing the sweep rather than the mw is a bit wierd. Not that I've got anything against my consultant, hes a real sweetie, its just the thought of another bloke fiddling with my bits thats a bit strange. Bit late now I suppose - should have asked for a female ob from the start. Oh well. Wish me luck!!!

OP posts:
Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.