DC3 breech at 35 weeks... what to do? how was ecv for you?

[fallenoverflowerpot]

Am in hormone-induced despair about this. B* sonographer at 20 wk scan turned baby (v painfully, through carelessness/accident), and it has never turned back again. Was due to have a home birth, but wouldn't do it with a diagnosed breech (would have giant fight on my hands to be 'allowed' to in any case).

Baby doesn't move much, and has moved significantly less over the last fortnight - as if space is running out. I can't believe - though I'd like to - that it'd move itself.

So as far as I can see I'm down to

• spinning babies stuff (inversions, tilts etc.)
• acupuncture
• ECV

Would love to hear other people's experiences... am v miserable about the idea of having to go to hospital, terrified by the idea of a c/s, and scared of vaginal breech birth. (Previous births have been pretty easy - tore with first, but 2nd born v v fast w no complications)

Thank you!

Baby may turn during contractions as they can help with this?

Do you know what type of breech it is?

I'm 32 and transverse - grrrrr!

My baby was transverse at 29 weeks (diagnosed by a scan) and I felt her turn to breech at 31 weeks (I woke up during the night and watched her turn, as it was quite an intense feeling and my bump looked crazy!). This was diagnosed by scan at 32 weeks. My obstetrician always scanned, so I had a scan at each appointment.

I was pretty upset, as I was planning a vbac and wanted to do everything I could to avoid another section.

I started doing all the spinningbabies stuff - eg I used an ironing board to do the tilts and did them every evening for half an hour at a time, I did 3 inversions a day, I spent time crawling around on all fours every day. I went swimming with my toddler as much as I could as well as all the usual optimal foetal positioning stuff of sitting forward, sleeping on left etc. We also did moxa ourselves at home (v cheap to buy and then just have your DP burn it by your little toe - there's a video on the spinningbabies site, as well as plenty on youtube - we did it ourselves as was v expensive to go to an acupuncturist! We did it twice a day). I also listened to a hypnobirthing download every day to encourage the baby to turn.

At 34 weeks, I again woke in the night to feel the baby move to what felt like head down and the next day my bump looked (and felt) different. But I didn't want to get my hopes up as I still felt a round bit at the top of my bump. At my 35 week appointment, my midwife (v senior - 25+ years experience) palpated my tummy and confirmed the baby was still breech. I was gutted, as it made an ELCS seem inevitable. as I wouldn't have wanted to attempt a breech vbac.

The next day at my hospital appointment the registrar again palpated my tummy and confirmed the baby was breech. As I wanted to try an ECV and had had a section, he needed to check with my consultant. Who of course scanned me on the spot and the baby was actually head down! DD had fooled us all and my instincts that she'd turned the week before were right. I was massively relieved and went on to have a successful vbac (my DD is now 17 days old).

So I'd definitely recommend all the spinningbabies, moxa etc but I'd also say make sure it's all confirmed via a scan. As my consultant said, every midwife and doctor has confirmed a breech through palpation when the baby is cephalic (and vice versa) as a scan is the only definitive way to tell.

There are regular threads about ECVs if you do a search. I'd definitely have tried it - it worked for my SIL at 37 weeks - as I wanted to avoid another section at all costs. But it's worth trying all the alternative stuff you can first too.

that's v encouraging, thank you. thing is, I really really want another home birth if I can, but won't if baby definitely breech. so I'm desperate to turn it now!

flipfantasia - totally agree about the randomness of palpation. Was told several times baby was definitely head down, and it absolutely wasn't. Has a big bottom!

Where did you get your moxa? am at the stage I'll try anything - swimming wd be great, but have 2 non-swimmers, and it's the easter holidays, so not v practical this week...

I got my moxa from Amazon, but you could pick it up from your high street if you have a local Chinese medicine/acupuncture place.

TBH the swimming was the thing I did least - was still working 4 days a week at that point, so not much time during the day, and by swimming I mean spending a bit of time in the kiddie pool with my 2 year old! I did all my stuff at night, after work, and during nap time on my day off/weekends. Got DH totally on board, which was handy as I needed his help for things like the inversions and tilts (watching telly while his wife is upside down on an ironing board next to him was hilarious for him though!).

Also kept up my usual pregnancy yoga too.

Sorry for ramble, am typing one-handed while feeding DD. Good luck!

ECV worked for me. Hang on, I'll find the thread I wrote about it on...

here nickname was ethelina.

I had ECV. Hurt like hell and didn't work :(

I had ecv at 36+5 as baby was transverse. Really wasn't that bad they even managed to do it without the muscle relaxant which was the bit I was dreading. Worked but did set things off dd2 was born the following morning :)

I had an ECV with DD (4 years ago) at 38 weeks. I wouldn't have another one. In this pregnancy, baby was breech until 34 weeks, and I had already decided that if it didn't turn naturally, I was going for ELCS. Luckily it did turn, of its own accord, so I am going for a VBAC.

I found the ECV very painful, intrusive and physical, and really traumatic. It took absolutely ages, and hurt a lot. I didn't realise that muscle relaxants existed, and I also didn't realise that you could have G&A for the procedure. And strangely, neither the consultant or the midwife ever told me! I think G&A would have helped loads.

That said, my baby was back to back, chin up and had the cord wrapped round his neck and each of his legs. I didn't know any of these thinkgs when I went into labour. I had an EMCS after a 3 day labour, and the consultant who delivered her said that she would never have been able to come out naturally. I have no way of knowing whether the ECV contributed to this, but its always been in my mind. I think that if I hadn't had the ECV, I could have had an ELCS and not had the ordeal of a 3 day labour before a CS in any event, which really put me on the back foot when it came to adjusting to life as a mum.

I am 32 and baby is breech and has been throughout. I will not have ECV, I will have an ELCS if it comes to that. Hopefully not!

Oh working!

I'd do the same fwiw (not that you need permission or anything)

I hated the ECV experience. I had one at 37 weeks for DS1 who was breech from 20 weeks. The ECV was very painful, quite distressing for DH who could see the outline of the baby!, and didn't work. I stressed no end about having an ELCS, but in the end it was a very good experience. The whole thing was very painless, I got to hold DS straight away, I had no problems with the scar healing, and was able to walk about fine the next day. In fact, my recovery from my ELCS was better than a couple of friends who has tears or episiotomies from a natural birth!

FWIW, I tried all the techiniques on spinning babies to no avail. I think some babies just get comfy in one position and don't fancy moving :) I wish I hadn't stressed so much about the ELCS, as I really got myself quite upset about it and the experience was absolutely fine. I'm now 35 weeks with DS 2 who only turned at 32 weeks, and I'm more terrified about natural birth after some of the stories my friends have told me!

Ds1 was breech. I was 'allowed a trial of labour' as the hospital were happy to support a natural delivery. Withn2 uncomplicated deliveries your hospital should support this. In many countries including northern Europe ecs isn' the default for breech.

I laboured for about 16 hours but failed to progress so ended up with a cs anyway - it really wasn't that bad!

I've had 2 babies breech at 35 weeks. They were both the right way round by 36weeks!

There is still time for them to turn themselves, try the spinning babies site.

For my first baby I would have had a trail of labour, 2nd I was also worried about fast labour so was angling for a hospital induction, or if not a ELCS, I am from a big breech babies family and I wasn't comfortable having one at home if I couldn't guarantee an experienced midwife.

My DS was breech and I had an ECV at 37+2 which was sucessful and went on to have a normal delivery at 39+5. I wasn't convinced the ECV was going to work, and ummed and ahhed about having it based on other people's experiences but I can honestly say mine was fine.

I went in to hospital at 11am, was monitored for 45 mins, then had an injection of salbutamol (or something like that) which made me very relaxed, and a bit hot, after 30 mins they did the procedure, it was very uncomfortable (like a massive chinese burn all over my stomach/bump) but it was over in less than a minute, and as soon as they stopped the pain stopped. I was then monitored again for about 20 mins, and out of the hospital by 1.30pm with a lovely head down DS.

The worst bit was having to go nil by mouth for 12 hours before hand - I was absolutely starving after so make sure you have a snack to hand ready for afterwards and a meal out planned (DH took me to Wagamama!)

There is another option. Hire an independent midwife experienced with breech deliveries. There are a lot about who are more than happy to help you attempt a breech delivery and in this instance you get the advantage of trying a home birth too. Or indeed contact your local birthing units (they are separate from hospitals and frequently delivery breech babies vaginally for women that have been told they must have a caesarean because the baby is breech.

You are right to assume that you will have a fight on your hands to have a breech vaginal delivery in hospital, this is typically the case. However unless a hospital specifically has a policy banning this (and most do not) then you are proabably only hearing the personal preference of the person you have been talking to. NICE guidelines specifically state that you can seek a second opinion within the same hospital. You may find that the consultant down the hall has the opposite view.

There is a great book 'Caesarean Birth: A positive approach to preparation and recovery' by Leigh East www.csections.org which talks a lot about birth rights and in particular situations where a medical indication 'suggests' but does not 'require' a caesarean. It also reviews the pros and cons and the medical research of vaginal birth and caesarean birth so you may be able to get a better view of what you want before your next appointment.

Good luck

Same here, was going to post myself but seeing yours there is no need! I'm 34+4 - I'm going to try the moxibustion/accupuncture. A local NHS trust here have actually set up a clinic as apparently there is a higher success rate then the ECV. So, if I can't get to the clinic I'm going to pay for it myself. I've also been doing some exercises - my elbows and head get sore! I am dreading a CS as I have very little help after, and have a 2 year old to care for - so want to avoid one like the plague! Fingers crossed for you - hope all goes ok:)

My ds turned breech quite late on - 7 years ago, so don't remember exactly, but around 35 weeks. I remember the midwife and doctor saying there was very little time for him to turn back. I wanted VBAC and was prepared to try getting him to turn.

I did lots of time on all fours and tilts with bum in air. And I went for accupunture. They put needle in my left toe and lit candle. After couple of treatments he hadn't moved yet and accupunturist put a small "seed" or stone in the flesh part between my left thumb and first finger (in that v part between the thumb and finger.) He taped it there with some medical tape, sent me home and told me to massage the spot gently for one minute twice a day. DS used to jump about like crazy when I massaged it (same way they do if you eat a bananna!) Anyway, a week later (must have been around 37 or 38 weeks) when I went back to the doc, he scanned me and found DS right way up. Have no idea what worked, but was very happy and went on to have VBAC.

Had an unsuccessful ECV at 37+4 for DC1 and I'm booked in for ELCS in two days.

The ECV was terribly painful (I didn't bother with gas and air but there was some in the room) because I just wanted to crack on with it.

It was quite like having those 'snake burns' or 'chinese burns' when you were little and made my skin really sensitive, I had to go home and walk around without my top on!

I figured that:

1 if it worked, good stuff.
2 if it didn't work, I'd have a csection and
3 if I didn't try, I'd have a csection.

For me it was worth a go and I don't regret trying it. I would do it again if necessary, despite the pain.