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Childbirth

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

Breech babies - please talk to me about your experiences

2 replies

SoozleQ · 14/05/2012 13:09

Hi all

My first baby was breech pretty much all the way through. I'm now pregnant with my second baby and just wondered if those of you who have had a breech baby would talk to me about your experiences.

If your first (or any subsequent) baby was breech, did you go on to have another baby presenting breech?

I went in to spontaneous labour with DD. My waters broke, contractions started immediately thereafter and I was fully dilated 2 to 2 and half hours later (could have been sooner - the hospital failed to check me until 2 hours after I arrived). My contractions really weren't that painful at all and I attributed this to the fact that there was no head or bum pushing down into the birth canal (DD was in some weird side-on position). Has anyone else experienced this or am I putting 2 and 2 together to make 5?

Also, before my waters broke and I started feeling contractions, I had been put on a monitor which showed tightenings. The consultant at the time asked if I could feel them and seemed suprised when I said I couldn't feel anything. Does that mean they were definitely Braxton Hicks or could they have been proper contractions that I wasn't feeling. Again, has anyone experienced this with a non-engaged breech baby?

I'm curious as I want to try and stand up for myself with the hospital to be allowed into the midwife led unit for a VBAC (hopefully waterbirth) but I suspect I will struggle against them. I don't know whether its worth the fight if number 2 is also likely to be breech or if it is worth arguing that I would be a good candidate because of the spontaneous labour and speed to full dilation if, actually, that was just because of DD's position and others of you who have experienced this have then found a subsequent labour to be slower, more painful etc.

All anecdotes gratefully received :)

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
BloooCowWonders · 14/05/2012 14:08

From my experience you won't be allowed into midwife led unit/ birth centre due to previous c/s. I wasn't allowed to go for birth pool either.

I had c/s for dc1 who was breech, ventouse in consultant led unit for dc2 (horrible experience all round)and home birth for dc3, nearly water birth but all too fast to fill the pool :)

Is it worth you going through your notes about the first birth with the hospital? It might help clarify what happened.

Good luck

SoozleQ · 14/05/2012 14:30

Thanks BloooCowWonders

I am certainly anticipating being told I'm not allowed but feel so angry at the fobbing off and treatment I received the first time round that I'm prepared to put up one hell of a fight this time!

I will definitely ask the consultant what she makes of the speed of dilation and lack of pain last time and likelihood of a repeat performance this time - I just wondered if anyone else had found labouring with their baby in a non-engaged position to be faster/less painful than labouring with an engaged baby.

I don't need to go over my notes to clarify what happened last time! Short answer is hospital were a shambles! Meant to have ELCS, sent home because their admin cocked up and gave my spot to someone else, went in to spontaneous labour, went back to hospital, they didn't bother doing an internal for 2 hours and when they did they discovered I was fully dilated with DD's leg and hand presenting - cue EMCS. Prior to that I was fobbed off on multiple occasions with only a token gesture of an ECV that I had to really push for (but was basically just an appointment to book the ELCS date) and a complete failure to book me in for pre-op appointment and give me correct details for ELCS. If I encounter the same crap again, I will be booking a home birth!

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