Breech birth

I'm 37 weeks pregnant and have just found out that my baby is breech. Have been given the option of caesarian or trying to turn the baby. Has anyone had this (turning the baby) done - was it successful and did it hurt?

I remember laying there and part of my brain just switching off and thinking, this feels exactly as one would imagine if you happened to be having a dining room chair pulled out of you. Also I had very painful bruising under my arms where the midwife and dh had to hold me to stop me being literally pulled off the trolley! I went into what I realise now was severe shock about 24 hours after the birth and found it impossible to hold or feed my daughter. Luckily, the midwives took her away and put her in the nursery for a few hours so I could get some sleep and recover slightly, after that I felt much better.

By the way, this hospital finished second in the Times Good Birth Guide for the south-west of England - mainly due to their low c-section rate.

I'll stop now in case anyone near to delivery is reading this! Unless you are totally opposed to a c-section, in which case I think it should be required reading.

Jf, if you contact the National Childbirth Trust on 0870 444 8707 they will probably be able to help you with their Experiences Register or through their antenatal work. Good luck.

Caznay, I am horrified by your story. I thought I'd had a bad experience but it pales into insignificance compared to yours. I am so glad that you were both OK and that you are even able to find some good parts to look back on now. Which hospital was it that offered you such a brutal option?

It was! Even the midwives spoke about it in hushed tones. But time is a great healer (it was 20 months ago) and now I even have fond memories of some bits...only some, mind.

Does anyone know if there's any more likelyhood of having another transverse if you've already had one?

My god Caznay - that sounds an aboslutely horrific birth.

My baby was transverse occopito posterior (about as wrong way round as you can get) which wasn't spotted until I had been trying to push her out for over 2 hours (with gas and air only). They explained that they could give me a cesarean, but would like to try to deliver the baby 'naturally'. Well, they succeeded, but only by turning the baby with forceps and then dragging her out with a ventouse. I found the experience completely horrific, esp as I wasn't offered an epidural. Dd was born with huge bruising and very swollen head and I felt very traumatised for months after. We are both completely fine now, but believe me, I would much rather have had a c-section! So, JF, in answer to your plea, yes, it is physically possible to deliver a transverse baby but I really, really wouldn't recommend it.

I had an undiagnosed breech after 12 hours of labour. I was really into natural. I had a tens but was adamant I wouldn't have any other medcal 'interference'. I had my bath all run & was literally just about to climb in when they discovered baby was breech.

I didn't feel freaked out / upset/scared or anything alse like that at the time. I just moved into practicality mode just get on with what needs doing. I did think it was maybe a bit ironic as I had been so against medical intervention, but had a Caesarian (I did find putting in the epidural a horrible experience - much worse than the contractions and wondered why people actually chose to have it done!).

Afterwards I did look back with some disappointment at not having my "natural' experience, but there's no point for me anyway in getting all steamed up over what you can't have. It wass a shame but there you go. I did it naturally the second time and it was pure hell. A totally different labour. No tapes and baths for me that time.

By the way, you said twins and one is breech - I take it both baies would be delivered by caesarian due to the breech?