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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Birth plan out the window and possibly heading for a section

36 replies

scaryfairy28 · 22/04/2011 19:22

Had the midwife yesterday 36 weeks and she thought maybe baby was breech was very vague about it said she probably wasnt as the heart beat was in the right place. Any way so scan today confirmed that baby is breech and am booked in again for another scan at 37 weeks. I am gutted as had my heart set on small midwife unit would have been looking at a home birth if it wasnt for that place, now could be heading straight for theatre.
Suppose I have a few questions;
does anyone have any experience of ECV ?
anyone any tips on turning baby? went for the moxo/accupunture thing this afternoon and have two more session booked
Finally does any one have any positive c-section stories that might settle me had my heart set on waterbirth and quick recovery

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ElsieR · 23/04/2011 09:55

Haven't read other posts so sorry if I am repeating stuff.
Had and ECS for breech DS, was expecting long recovery but in fact, was back home after 3 nights in hospital (pretty sure I could have been discharged earlier but chose not to, long story). Anyway, it was a glorious day when I got back and I thought this is an ideal day to change the sheets, and I did!
I was able to do all household chores and cooking and looking after DS, no problem. Recovery was very quick.
tbh I was really pleased I got the ECS because I could not bear to hear my baby being in distress anymore.
I can understand your disappointment, but the your baby won't care how she is born. Best of luck!

Pootletrinket · 23/04/2011 10:11

Elsie, was yours EM or ELCS? Sounds like a v.quick recovery - how was your baby in distress?

ElsieR · 23/04/2011 10:19

Emergency. We knew baby was in distress cause his heartbeats sank every time I had a contraction. And you could hear the heartbeats. I promise you I am not lying about the recovery, I really thought that I would be screwed to the sofa for many days, but nope, none of that. But I now some people had a very different experience. My experience felt good because I knew it was the best for my baby. I would like to have a normal route for next baby but if it can't happen, then whatever.

Pootletrinket · 23/04/2011 10:22

That's good to hear, thanks.

theborrower · 23/04/2011 10:47

Like BikeRunSki, I also wanted a water birth but had an undiagnosed breech and ended up with an EMCS, although I wasn't too far along - they realised once I checked into hospital in labour. An ELCS would still have been far more preferable than an EMCS though! The CS wasn't so bad actually - it was very calm, the staff were very friendly, I didn't feel a thing (not even the rummaging that people sometimes experience) and physically, I recovered very well. Mentally, it's taken me some time but this was the shock of the EM bit I think. I was up and about (slowly) a week later, and pretty much felt fully recovered a fortnight later. You must be careful not to overdo things - the perfect excuse for your OH to run around after you and you to do nothing but concentrate on your baby :)

Sometimes we have to go with the flow and put aside our hopes for how we would have liked things to go (e.g. waterbirth, or no pain relief). But in the meantime, get on that spinning babies website and get on your knees! Grin

TurtlesAreRetroRight · 23/04/2011 11:03

You mustn't go into this with the attitude that you are failing if you don't get your ideal birth. I planned a home waterbirth with no drugs. I ended up with every intervention going and an emcs because dd hadn't read my birth plan and tried to come out ear first.

You can do things to try and sway it towards your ideal but so much of labour is chance. In this you have no control. And if you go into it already decided that you're going to feel guilty if it isn't 'perfect' instead of wakeboarding with a newborn strapped to your back, you'll be struggling with feelings of failure and lack of self-worth.

FWIW I had an emcs after a very long labour (plus attempted ventouse/episiotomy/manual rotation) and I was discharged after 12hrs. I didn't need painkillers and recovered very quickly indeed. Physically it was extremely easy. I was lucky in this too. There are two of you going through the delivery, you and the baby. You can't make all the decisions or tell the baby what to do. Sometimes they just please themselves.

I'm pregnant with number 2 and under consultant led care due to the previous delivery. And it's brilliant. Because my consultant is lovely. He is supportive of vbac in water, hypnobirthing etc. I do need to be monitored this time, for my own sanity as much as anything but in everything I still have choice.

Even with a cs, particularly an elcs, you can ask for skin to skin, lowered screens, quiet voices, your own music etc. You take control of the situation you're given I suppose.

Good luck. And congratulations.

BikeRunSki · 23/04/2011 11:47

I agree wholeheartedly with theborrower, it sounds like we had very similar experiences.

cory · 23/04/2011 13:12

I had emc at 36 weeks and it is actually one of the most lovely memories I have: the surgical team were a lovely positive bunch, ds was gorgeous, I was waited on hand and foot in the hospital because I'd had a section (not like after my vaginal where I had to drag myself half-fainting up the corridor to ask for help), and recovered far quicker than after my previous vaginal.

mamamarina · 23/04/2011 15:11

my sister in law went for SC 2 times..and now she is also pregnant - 6 months..and this would probably be her third one..so I do believe it is rather safe and the healing process is not long at all...

Mumwithadragontattoo · 23/04/2011 23:07

If you can go swimming try doing handstands in the pool. I saw this suggested on a American midwifery website and it moved my baby from transverse to head down. Got to be worth a go. Good luck!

scaryfairy28 · 25/04/2011 10:06

Thanks for all the advice think she may have moved thanks to acupuncture, bag of peas and warm bath and alot of lying with my bum in the air. I still have hard lump high up where her head was but it isnt so hard now so hopefully its a bum now. Was going to try the handstands but the pool at my gym is only waist depth and struggle to do a handstand in it without 36 week bump!

Whether she's moved or not I'm feeling much calmer about whether she does or not got another two acupuncture sessions before scan on Thursday and now very much of the what will be will be opinion. Now stressing myself that if they take me in at 39 weeks for CS baby could be born on Friday the 13th hmmmm

Thanks again for all the confidence boosting stories made me feel much better about it all.

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