Breech babies - is a CS inevitable?

[PenelopeChipShop]

Has anyone given birth naturally to a breech baby? I would love to hear positive stories if there any out there. I've just had my 36 week appointment and found out my baby is in a frank breech position. Midwife doesn't think it will turn, either on its own or with help from a doctor (I forget the technical name for that).

Am seeing a consultant on Monday but I got the distinct impression from the midwife that a planned CS will be advised. She seemed very unsure when I asked if I could still have a vaginal birth, generally her response was that it does happen but is unusual and not advisable.

Does anyone know any different?

I had a natural birth with a frank breech baby. It was very straightforward and we had no problems at all. She basically fell out. I gave my midwife stern instructions to keep her hands off until the neck was visible.

Im sorry it isnt a positive story I really do think you should hear what the midwives say please please just think about it maybe ask them about the risks. I had a c section and it was a really good experience after going through labour I preferred it but thats just me. Is there any reason you are set on a natural birth?

depending on which breech position it is possible, hosital will try very hardto persuade you not to as they don't like anything out of the ordinary, look up ina may gaskin, or better yet buy her book spiritual midwifery (you can get it on amazon for about 6) I can't reccomend it highly enough, it changed my attitude to birth forever, every pregnant women should be given it as a gift to counter all the scare stories. all the best x

The breech guru is Mary Cronk.

pignut Im sorry but the scare stories are not just stories though the risks do exist hospitals are not that keen on surgical procedures (i.e c-sections) either. I dont wish to frighten the op but really think that advice should be taken on board whatever decision is made.

I had a elcs for breech, was an utterly calm and lovely experience. Much safer for baby, and while recovery from cs is a bit crap, so can recovery from birth injuries which are far more likely with a malpresented baby.

A midwife did say to me that 'all the midwives would be so impressed if you is it naturally' I didn't think I needed to impress anyone with my skillz so went for the safer option of cs.

Lots of positive tales of natural birth for breech, but look up actual stats and if you're still keen, make sure you have a midwive who is experienced in breech even if you have to change hospitals.

Good luck either way

op the baby can still turn though? Ive heard something about you getting on all fours as if thats at all possible in late pregnancy.

Actually, if you look up the stats, they are very favourable for spontaneous breech births.

Breech is not necessarily a malpresentation. A frank breech, left to its own devices, is no more difficult or risky than an OA presentation. The risks are iatrogenic.

Hi Penelope

I'm not sure whether my response will help as it was DT2 that was breech and and as she was under 6lbs it may have made the whole thing easier. Also her twin was a straight forward cephalic position and as she was born first probably opened the birth canal and made it easier for twin 2 to be born without complications.

However taking that into consideration it was an extremely straight forward delivery assisted by a midwife with the doctor just supporting in the background. Also managed to get away with no stitches - but I'm not sure I should brag about that,

Good luck with the birth, like Claire says it is possible,

emphatic I was told with my dts that if dt1 was breech c-section was the only advised option but if head down and dt2 was breech natural delivery would be absolutely fine because of the birth canal already being open. So it is different with twins I think they advise based on the position of the first twin.

Mine both turned at 36+ weeks. Dd1 was about 36+5 and dd2 was 36+1 so it does happen! It was very uncomfortable both times and I knew it had happened as there were a lot of very big movements.

Actually, with early babies, then a breech birth is more risky because their heads are larger than the breech (a foetus grows proportionally from the head down). With a term baby, the head and breech are about the same size.

If a cephalic twin has safely been born, there is no reason to suspect the breech one will have difficulties.

I know of at least two mothers who gave birth naturally to one twin (in theatre with knife poised) and were forced to have a c-section for the second for policy reasons.

A friend delivered a breach baby vaginally (it was undiagnosed until labour).

DS2 was breach at 36 weeks, and I mentioned a VB. My mw was very supportive of attempting a natural breach second delivery. He turned before labour tho.

The attitude seems to depend on the experience of the hospital your delivering at - the more breach births they have seen, the more they encourage a go if they think it safe, and so the more experience the staff gain. If breach is automatically a CS, the mw don't gain the experience, and so are unlikely to be supportive.

I think there are some NICE guidelines about breach presentation, but I can't find them at the moment. Might be worth finding tho. I'll carry on looking, but can't promise anything.

I have a friend who delivered naturally at 38 weeks (only 5lb baby), breech position wasnt spotted till bum came out not head! no stitches or issues to mother or baby, Her midwife had worked for 25 years and that was her first ever one. To me that says it isnt common, and so therefore people dont have experience in dealing with it, which i would be concerned about. she however insisted that if her next one should be breech she would try for natural again even if she knew.

My ds1 was breech at 36 weeks, and I knew that for my peace of mind it would have a section. he turned though so didnt need to do it. However when induction failed at 2 weeks overdue i ended up having an emergency section. it was lovely and i am planned one for dc2 due in jan.

horses for courses but my concideration was for the safe delivery of baby and my health, and a section wins everytime in my book.

I had an elcs for my breech baby (very very reluctantly, debated the pros and cons for weeks, was definitely leaning towards 'natural' birth). I've heard positive and negative stories on here and in real life, but there is no way of knowing how it will turn out for you, as with any kind of birth, so it's always going to be a risk, you just have to weigh up how much risk you can accept. The hospital weren't keen and said that they would expect my breech birth to progress along the lines of epidural, continuous monitoring, episiotomy, possibly forceps to the head... maybe they were trying to put me off, but the knowledge that that was how they'd be thinking and that I'd be trying to fight against it kind of swung it to elcs for me.

Beforehand I was distraught at having to have an elcs, and felt I had 'failed' somehow... but when dd arrived safe and sound I looked at her tiny, perfect sleeping face next to me on the ward and couldn't believe that I could have even considered risking her safety for the sake of a 'natural' birth, and I've carried on feeling that way since. Before the birth I did sometimes wish that I didn't have the choice to make and that natural delivery was the default, as then I wouldn't have felt so guilty if something went wrong if that makes any sense... but then in the olden days when that was the case a lot more babies and mothers were damaged/worse by their births.

All the best whatever happens.

About 4% of babies are breech and breech births tend to be rather quick. If things slow and don't move then there could be problems. The difficulty with breech birth is the lack of vaginal breech birth these days. There is a tendency to go to caesarean, which carries its own risks. I think that you should look for some research based evidence before making up your mind.

You have Mary Cronk breech and Spinning Babies to get you started.

there was a thread recently where a poster had a breech baby naturally, her hospital were fine with letting her have a go and it all went fine, she had a little boy, itwas in active convos in the last few days, will see if i can find it :)

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/childbirth/1478789-Anyone-have-an-experience-of-vaginal-breech-birth-theyd-like-to-share here you go :)

That was me!

I just wanted to say that it's worth buying the breech babies book I mentioned on that thread. It really goes through all the stats, risks and benefits. Then talk it through with your consultant.

I'm just snuggling up with my little breech boy right now...

I didn't have one but looked into it because I was dead set on a natural (home) birth so researched all options/scenarios. Midwives have little or no experience of breech births because they are more unusual so it is deemed safer to have a CS than have a MW delivering a breech baby who has little of no experience of doing so.
I looked into private midwives at one point and some have more experience with breech births so would be more confident and experienced.

A friend of ours had an undiagnosed breech birth and was blue lighted across the county - there was a big panic because it was undiagnosed and they were at a small hospital. Baby arrived bottom first and was around 6lb so not as much of a problem as it could have been with a larger baby.

Penelope, the thing about breach births is that there was a famous international study undertaken that seemed to suggest it was safer to deliver breach babies via c-section. However, that study was flawed (for various rather boring nerdy reasons) and countries such as Canada are now going back on their previous advice to ob/gyn to deliver breaches by section due to new research coming out.

The problem is though, that there has now been a gap of about 10 years where the medical profession were avoiding delivering breaches vaginally which has led to a lack of expertise. Breach births with an experienced team and certain other conditions (size of baby, type of breach etc) carry basically the same risks as a head down presentation for the baby.

Having said all that, both my twins were breach and my consultant was happy to deliver them as such. They had other ideas. They both turned several times in the 37th week of my pregnancy and ended up head down. If they could find the room to do it, I reckon a singleton could still keep turning right up to the moment of delivery...So educate yourself, but maybe don't make any hard and fast decisions yet. And good luck!

Mine was breech at 36 weeks. And I sat all day and night in the birthing ball, he turned :) still had a csec for other reasons though :( but the answer is yes baby can turn and no they don't do csec unless they really think it is needed, so do what's best for baby when the time comes :) congratulations!!

Is this your first baby OP? I think that makes a big difference to what Drs will recommend.

I had an elective C for breech. It turned out DD was a footling breech with legs on opposite directions. The surgeon told me she would never have been born naturally. The whole thing was a very clam, positive experience and I would do it again tomorrow as long as I didn't have to be pregnant again first. I feel very lucky that I was saved a long labour and emergency C tbh.

My mum had me breech. Back to back.

(ouch)

Wow thank you all for the links and advice. I hadn't looked into any of this stuff before as it is my first baby and up to now I've been told it's head down, so I didn't think it would turn again so late!

Crackersanscheese congratulations on your breech bubba! It's really encouraging to hear that you managed to get a natural delivery even though it must be quite rare.

I get the impression that how this works out for women has a lot to do with how confident their particular hospital is in allowing women to try for a natural breech birth - ideally I would like to, but if the consultant is adamant that it isn't safe then that probably will tell me that there aren't staff there that are experienced in it and so it's probably less of a good idea... Going to order the book Cheese advised and read up on my Mary Cronk now, thanks again for your advice.