Scared and upset

[Msladyblue]

I'm 34 weeks and my baby is breech. I'm scared of getting a c section i just don't like the idea at all vety nervous and scared and upset. I had natural births with all three of my kids even gave natural birth to a 10 pound girl. Idk i just hopes she turns in time i have 39 days to go time is running out. Any encouraging words or successful c section stories would help. Thanks and congrats to all the expecting moms and moms who just gave birth

At 34 weeks, really don't panic. Both mine were breech at that point and both were head down by 36 weeks.

Spinning Babies webiste has lots of things you can do to encourage them to turn.

Have a look here www.spinningbabies.com/ it's very good. Both my DDs were sunnyside up...not as potentially serious as breech but both ended in sections and DD 1 was a long drawn out labour....DD 2 was a planned section...not scary at all! just fine.

If I had found this in time I might have been ok...there are some excersizes...ask midwife before doing anything though. The belly mapping part is AMAZING!

Dont fret.

I had two CS, one unplanned, one planned and found them very calm and positive experiences.

In fact, when I was pregnant with No 1, CS was the scariest thought ever, to me. When the labour started going wrong, suddenly it wasn't all that scary anymore, but really a very good experience - the whole team, midwives, anaesthesists, surgeons did everything to put me at ease, and it wasn't half as scary as imagined, and I was home with my baby 36 hours later.

When I got pregnant with number 2 the thought of going through a scary labour again was worse to me than having another CS, so I asked for one and got it. Again no complications, home after two days, and no regrets.

I had one 'normal delivery' ,which wasn't and then an elective section the second time . The section was much better ,no problems ,home in 3 days and def wish I'd had a section the first time.

I had 2 emergency c sections. First one cause my dd was breech. I was also very nervous scared etc and upset. Wanted natural birth first time. It was fine though . The whole team of Medical staff were brilliant both times and it was at two different hospitals. It is painful the day after section when you first try and get up and walk but with some Painkillers it is fine and pain went away quick for me. There are advantages of c section too baby not in distress etc.

Depending on the actual position you can have 'normal' deliveries with breech babies. The Royal College of Midwives say 'breech presentation is normal, it is just not typical' and are concerned that it being seen as a reason to go right to a section means that health professionals are loosing the skills to deal with breech births.

Are there additional reasons that a section is being recommended instead of a trial of labour? Especially at such an early stage when it's not your first baby.

Its only natural to be scared of surgery. I had an emcs and actually the surgery was the calmest part of my labour! Everyone was lovely. One nurse gossiped with me about the music she was going to put on - "Ooh, Robbie Williams, I still would, wouldn't you?" - and my nail varnish, joking that I'd start a new trend with two fingers of my lovely manicure removed. After the cs I started to get neck ache as the anesthetic can occasionally move a little higher (you're tilted back a little) and the anesthetist spent 10 minutes giving me a shoulder massage to make me feel better. And all this during a emcs that was because my baby was so poorly she was rushed off to NICU before I really saw her, which everyone in theatre knew would happen.

I can't even imagine how calm an elcs could be if everyone knew that mum and baby were well!

If none of the very helpful advice above manages to turn your baby then a cs isn't a bad experience. I think a lot of people who have bad stories about cs's are because it was unexpected, and that can make it difficult in the aftermath, and if I'm remembering rightly the operation is slightly different depending on how quickly they feel they need to get the baby out, so in an elcs they do the best possible surgery. If you do have to have a cs then you are at least prepared, everyone knows that you will be more incapacitated that unusual after birth so you can organise extra help, plan to give yourself time to recover.

It will be alright. There are lots of threads about elcs, maybe have a look through for some tips and advice, lots of positive stories?

(FWIW, I will be fighting tooth and nail for an elcs if there is a baby number 2, I found the experience and recovery fine)

I had a planned c section in march as my dd was breech. It was a very calmed almost relaxed experience, everyone was very friendly and my dd had a very calm entry into the world. The recovery afterwards was fine too, yes a bit sore but nothing major, should imagine its no worse than having to have stitches in your pelvic floor. I don't have any experience of natural birth to compare it to, but it was fine.

I had an emcs after an excruciating 26 hour labour due to undiagnosed breech.

I WISH they'd spotted it earlier (in hindsight I now know that big lump sticking into my ribs was DD's head!) and given me an elcs - my recovery was slow due to having laboured first.

You'll be totally fine - it's sore for only a very short while afterwards.

Do invest in some huge pants that come up to your belly button.

...oh and I can thoroughly recommend Oramorph

Higgs makes a good point - because you won't have laboured before the elcs, you will be a lot less knackered. I know the main reason why I was wiped out the first few days after my emcs was because I'd had two nights with no less beforehand, and two days without eating. I'm sure it will be too exciting the night before an elcs to get much sleep, but at least you won't have been in labour for ages!