Fetal position help needed please!

[forgetmenots]

I'm 34+3 and at my last appointment a few days ago, baby was left occiput transverse, having moved in a week from OP.

I'm searching all over as the midwife was a bit vague as to whether this was an improvement! To me it feels better, but even spinning babies doesn't talk about whether babies can turn in 'stages'! Any help or thoughts needed - should I keep going with the turning exercises and hope for anterior?

Transverse is not great, as far as I know. (Which is less than your midwife, I would imagine!) if it's still transverse by 37 weeks, I think a C section would be your only option. Babies can turn bit by bit though. I do know that ECV is less successful on transverse than breech babies so I don't know if that carries through to inversions etc.

Thanks stiffy - that's what I'd thought, though wasn't sure if it meant baby was on its way to becoming anterior, or just being stubborn. Not averse to c section if that's needed, just got very little from mw! Thanks :)

At 34 weeks there's still time for the baby to move more. My breech baby turned at 35+5. You could always call your midwife for more advice?

That's good to hear! I should be seeing another midwife next week (the one I usually see, she is fab and will tell me more I'm sure - just fretting a bit in between!) I will keep up with the exercises...!

There's a bit of (understandable) confusion with the use of transverse, here. LOT is a cephalic presentation - baby is head down, so please don't go stressing about C sections now.

There is some debate about the optimal exact positioning ie OP, OT, OA - (which is just to do with which way the baby's spine is facing) prior to labour, but a) babies often spin on their heads from OP to OT to OA many times before and during labour and b) all babies have to enter the pelvis with their heads in a transverse position anyway.

Hope that makes some kind of sense. In other words, please don't stress about it..

Ah, I suspected I might be talking out of my arse! Glad to hear it.

Thanks vinegar - that's great to hear - probably why midwife didn't say as much as I expected then! Baby has been OP almost the whole way through and has shifted in the last week but I couldn't really figure if this was better!

DS2 was in this position, I think-he was facing my left side, with his back on the right side of the bump.

His birth was the most painful of my 3 labours, as the pain didn't really go away between contractions, but it was still ok. My labour was 9 3/4 hours, and only really awful for the last 15 minutes-but I think that was more to do with the fact he had his hand on his chin, which moved up as his head emerged, meaning he came out like Superman!

I was really worried about his position before he arrived, but in the end it was a really straightforward homebirth.

Good luck!

Thanks anathema - the fact that you had a home birth is great, I'm going into hospital but pleased to hear it's not all a foregone conclusion. I'll get back on that ball...