C-section for transverse baby

[lalabaloo]

Hiya,

A hypothetical question inspired by tonight's OBEM. Currently my baby is transverse, he has plenty of time to move as i'm not quite 30 weeks, but on tonight's One Born Every Minute the lady was booked for an elective c-section due to her baby being transverse and then they scanned and found it was head down so she was sent home.

I am fine with having a c-section if baby decides not to move, but if I am booked in for a section then I really don't think I would want to go home again if baby had moved, after preparing myself. Could you request the c-section anyway in this situation? It didn't seem to be an option on the program. As it happened her baby moved back to transverse and she had a caesarian later due to a bleed.

I know a few people sent home after being booked in

I think the risks involved in surgery, recovery time and the extended hospital stay will mean that this is always the case

This happened to me, but I was carrying twins. Dd turned at 37 weeks, don't know where she found the room! They let me have the CS anyway.

I'm curently 37 weeks with breech baby, and booked to see consultant next week to complete paperwork & book date for the section. At my hosp' they like to do it in the 39th week but on the morning I go in I already know that they will scan me and if baby has turned itself they will send me home to wait for a 'natural' birth. Admitedly I haven't asked, but get the feeling that having the section anyway wouldn't be an option, and for me thats fine as I would love to avoid a lengthy recovery period. I've had major abdominal surgery last year and despite it all going well I was still weak and wobbly for some time - and thats without a tiny baby to look after. Just pushing up off the bed was a drama for the first week so I'd give anything for baby to have turned!

I think they're unlikely to go ahead with an unnecessary caesarean in most cases.
I had an ELCS for transverse breech presentation with my DC1 and on the morning I was booked in I had completely forgotten about the scan beforehand, when I was in the operating theatre and had already had my spinal and drip inserted someone piped up "Oh... we forgot to scan you! Hang on.." and came back with the portable scanner and did it then. Baby was still breech, but I would have been extremely upset if the baby had turned and I'd been sent to recovery for the spinal to wear off and then be sent home to await labour. That would've been disheartening to say the very least!

Oh no, I don't do well with sudden changes of plan so I hope if baby decides to stay transverse for a while that he doesn't move just before the c-section!

I really felt for that lady, especially when they said she was a first time mum both me and my mum were shouting at the tv! I think I will mention it to my midwife and if it comes to it and a c-section is planned then ask them to clarify what they will do. Out of interest, how do they decide what is an unstable lie?

If baby is cephalic on the day of planned cs there will be no clinical indication to do a cs, and the risks that go with it.

Unstable lie - if baby is oblique or transverse (generally moving itself into different positions) then what I have known happen is that if baby was head down they may induce you that day. Striking whist the iron is hot per se, as if baby is prone to moving it could be bank into a different position by the time you go into spontaneous labour.

I had a c section for a transverse baby. My previous baby had been a truamatic birth but not a c section.

If they had scanned me and said I should go home and wait for labour to start I would have been delighted. The recovery was a long one and I had a 16m toddler. I found it very hard physically for weeks. I'd have far, far rather pushed the 2nd child out and been up and about and home the next day.

They don't do c sections because someone 'doesn't want to go home'. Its major surgery involving the time of a lot of professionals, and a theatre which can be used for something else - like an emergency c section if one comes in - while its not being used for you.

You have 10 weeks to go yet, so perhaps you need to prepare yourself to be flexible regarding what might happen.

I had a CS at 38 weeks for transverse lie and a couple of other problems.

They did indeed re-scan pre-surgery, DH said, Oh, what will happen if he has turned round? They said we will send you home to give birth naturally.

DH - But I have booked my paternity leave from today!

I wasn't concerned as I could feel the little blighter still had his head firmly jammed in my ribcage....

I had chosen an ELCS anyway, somthere was no chance that I wouldmhave been turned away. DS1 stayed oblique and OP ( and needed a ventouse CS), but DS2 was miraculously head down on the day (despite being transverse or breech for the entire pregnancy).

Apparently I was breech and turned at the 11th hour (40 weeks)

If you have been booked in for a planned caesarean than in theory if you wish to continue down this route but the medical indication (transverse) has changed you should still be able to. NICE guidelines are clear that a request has to be taken seriously and if the consultant does not agree then you need to be referred for a second opinion within the same hospital. Things become a bit tricky if you are already in labour if the hospital is being a bit difficult. However this is where planning is really important. At the appointment where a caesarean has been agreed because your baby is breech, you need to make it clear (and get it written into your medical notes) that you would want to continue with a caesarean even if your baby changes position.

www.csections.org/?p=41 this is a book that talks a lot about how to negoatiate a caesarean and provides a lot of the information that you will need in order to prove that you have fully assessed the risks and benefits of both vaginal and caesaren birth before making your decision.