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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Transverse baby. ECV tomorrow

90 replies

Howdidido · 09/10/2019 15:02

Sorry for hijacking AIBU.
39 weeks. Midwife today said baby is transverse (explains why I'm so uncomfortable). Has anyone had an ECV for transverse that worked or not? Midwife says they'll probably break waters at same time but leaflet she gave me says ECV only works in 50%of cases so C section 50% likely?
If they break waters will it be quick to labour or will I go home?

OP posts:
Sparrowlegs248 · 09/10/2019 17:25

@Haworthia that was the case with my brother.

neonglow · 09/10/2019 17:34

Also please remember that any procedures like ECVs and having waters broken are totally optional and it’s down to you whether you let them or not. You should never just be told ‘they’ll do this to you’

GenericDietCola · 09/10/2019 17:36

I was offered an ECV 7 years ago for my transverse baby, but I opted against it based on the risks PPs have mentioned. I ended up with a C-section and the consultant told me there’s usually a reason babies are transverse or breach. Turned out to be true in DS’s case as he was well and truly wrapped in his cord and I shudder to think what the outcome of the ECV would have been.

OP, think carefully before accepting the ECV and good luck!

FizzyGreenWater · 09/10/2019 17:41

Never in a million years would I have an ECV. They should be banned. They are dangerous.

Yes I read about that too Haworthia. It was on MN. The ECV caused a partial placental abruption, but the bleed was gradual, so not realised until too late I think, or something like that. I've never forgotten it. I've just searched and found the thread:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/1542806-Are-people-aware-of-the-dangers-of-ECV

OP, I would do a lot of reading and some careful thinking before going ahead. Certainly if they're saying they'll break the waters at the same time, which is a massive risk for cord prolapse, I wouldn't let them within a country mile of me!

fussychica · 09/10/2019 17:50

DS was transverse and my consultant was totally against ECV. This was 27 years ago. He gave DS 24 hours to turn, which he did, then a few hours later he went transverse again so I was admitted for an Elective CS.

Fifteenthnamechange · 09/10/2019 17:59

My DC2 was breech so I had the ECV. It was successful & I had a natural birth about 2 weeks later with no issues.
I'm glad I did it & didn't have a CSection

Tolleshunt · 09/10/2019 18:08

Another one here who would never have an ECV. Especially not as ELCS is so safe now. ECV is far too risky to take a chance with, IMO. Especially as it means you take on the risk of ECV AND the risk of VB AND/or the risk of EMCS. So is actually way riskier than an ELCS.

Are you dead set on avoiding a CS, OP? Or have you been railroaded into agreeing to this? Some hospitals have tunnel vision when it comes to wanting to look good re CS stats. Make sure you do your research before agreeing to it. You don’t have to agree, no matter how pushy they are about it.

HesterBlue · 09/10/2019 18:09

I would also recommend going straight for the elcs.

My 2nd was transverse lie - 10 years ago - and i was pre-admitted at 36 weeks with elcs booked for 39 weeks. As it happened my waters broke in the night on the ward and i went straight to emergency cs.

I was told if I went into labour spontaneously to get onto all 4s immediately as the risk of cord prolapse (and baby suffocating) is high for transverse babies.

I'm surprised they've suggested turning the baby at 39 weeks, I'd have thought its too late in the pregnancy? Honestly I'd refuse it and ask for an elcs it were me x

RueCambon · 09/10/2019 18:52

id no idea it was risky. I wasn't told Shock I'm glad I made them stop now. I felt like a coward for insisting they stop.

DanceToTheMusicInMyHead · 09/10/2019 19:08

I had a successful ecv for a breech baby. Lots of scans beforehand, a muscle relaxant, smothered in olive oil and she turned immediately on the first manipulation. It was uncomfortable not painful and I had a very easy birth in the midwife led unit 3 weeks later. I'm glad I had it.

HolyMilkBoobiesBatman · 09/10/2019 19:48

Wow. I honestly did not know the risks even though I did my own research in the lead up to mine.
That post about Angel is heartbreaking, utterly heartbreaking. If I had known that when getting ready for mine (which was only in the early spring of 2018) I wouldn’t have gone for it.
I retract my comment earlier. It was fine for me, but knowing the scale of the risk now I actually feel quite sick to know I put my DC through something that could have ended their life so unnecessarily.

loutypips · 09/10/2019 19:53

I had an unsuccessful ECV to turn dd who was breech. Luckily it failed as her cord was short and wrapped round her neck. It would've killed her. It was incredibly painful.
I'd go straight for an elective caesarean. That was a much nicer experience!

Xenadog · 09/10/2019 20:07

My DD was breech. The day before I went to see the consultant about deciding whether to have the ECV I read a thread on here where a woman had the procedure and then she had a placenta abruption and her baby died. When I saw the consultant the following day I refused the procedure. He told me the success rate was anything between 20% and 80%. Sorry but that risk wasn’t worth taking for so many reasons.

I had my dd by ELC and it went really well. I would never have had the ECV and I would tell other women to really think about the risks before having one.

LaurieMarlow · 09/10/2019 20:15

DS2 was an unstable lie. At 37 weeks I was admitted as it was deemed too dangerous for me to go into labour naturally.

Thankfully he righted himself without ECV. I’m not sure if I would have gone down that route as the risks are high.

However, for various reasons I still opted for a c section and am very glad I did.

Original poster
Howdidido · 09/10/2019 20:17

I had no idea. Ok I'll talk to the consultant tomorrow. I've only been talking to the midwife today and she seemed to think they would break waters to induce while baby was in the right position (so couldn't shift round again)
I had no idea it was risky at all

OP posts:
HappyHarlot · 09/10/2019 20:19

If your baby is still transverse, do NOT let them break your waters! Far too risky!

notforonesecond · 09/10/2019 20:20

For what it’s worth, I had a successful ECV at 37 weeks, it didn’t hurt very much, and I went on to have a successful, natural, water birth. Couldn’t have turned out more perfectly for me or DD.

But if I knew then what I know now, I’d have gone for the elective section and wouldn’t have risked it.

TORDEVAN · 09/10/2019 20:31

I would never have one, very dangerous in my opinion.

An elective section is not a bad thing, please don't be put off by that. I've had 1 emergency and 1 elective, both very positive experiences.

GaryWilmottsTeeth · 09/10/2019 20:45

OP, on a practical note.... take your full hospital bag to your consultant appointment and make sure you’ve no other commitments. It’s entirely possible they will admit you for monitoring/ delivery. I happened to have a half packed bag in the car, which was a good job because they wouldn’t let me go home at 38 weeks. I had to call DH at work and tell him his paternity leave was starting now and he had to go and collect DD from nursery.

Haworthia · 09/10/2019 20:50

Just remember @Howdidido, you don’t have to be railroaded into anything. You do not have to consent to the ECV.

Tolleshunt · 09/10/2019 20:55

I had no idea it was risky at all

This in itself is terrible - in order to exercise your autonomy you need to give informed consent to any procedure. You can’t do that unless the procedure and its risks and benefits have been explained to you.

Too often, women are given skewed (sometimes to the point of being actually wrong) and biased information on birth options, in order to serve an agenda that as many births as possible should be vaginal. Women are often told about all the risks of CS, which are presented as really common, while the risks of VB are glossed over. Make sure you are as fully informed as possible, eg ask for stats, not opinions. From memory, I think stats for the various risks of the different birth modes are available online.

Good luck tomorrow. Let us know how you get on.

bookwormsforever · 09/10/2019 20:59

Op, it’s always a god idea to google and research before you agree to anything medical. It’s your body, and you get a say in what happens to you!

I had an ecv for my dd. It didn’t work. Had an elective CS and discovered she was breech, the cord was wrapped three times around her neck, and I had a bicornuate uterus.

I’d do straight to CS.

Haworthia · 09/10/2019 21:02

Totally agree @Tolleshunt

hallamoo · 09/10/2019 21:03

I've had 2 EVC's for 2 different pregnancies. One was successful and one was unsuccessful (but he turned by himself at 39wks in the end).

My consultant said the success rate was about 50/50 and the biggest risk was that the baby could flip back to breach again.

I was monitored before and after and it wasn't painful, just a little uncomfortable.

My consultant said she'd been 2 ECV's a week for 12 years and she'd not had a baby distressed by it or needing to be delivered as a result in 12 years. That was good enough for me, I was dead set against a C-Section and wanted to do anything to avoid one.

I'd suggest asking your consultant what experience they have of ECV as it's a skilled practice.

Seeleyboo · 09/10/2019 21:04

I was in this position and opted to not do it. Elected for induction and see if c section was needed.

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