Breech birth

[NickysMam]

My mw has warned me against a breech birth citing "it's safer to have a section" but I really do not want a section if I can have a vaginally deliver a breech baby.

I'll be giving birth in a different area (Royal Bolton Hospital) so I have no idea if they even allow breech births as I know some hospitals don't.

Baby definitely still has time to turn, but just in case, has anyone delivered a breech baby? And is it as bad as some make it out to be.

Delivered my second child's his way following a natural water birth with my first child.

The reasos they let me do it on NHS is because they had not detected it, he was right there to be delivered, I had had a normal unassisted vaginal delivery at home previously and the op theatre was already full with someone who was having an emergency Csection.

The midwife who delivered DC was much older and had had training and had previously delivered a baby who was breech.

Having had two babies I would say the breech was no more painful that a ''normal" birth. I had both with no pain relief, stitches or assistance!

However, I would say in hindsight I remember DC turning three months before he was born and it was extremely uncomfortable so I would not opt for this. Also I was told there are two types of breech presentation one a can be delivered vaginally the other cannot. So research and no make your own mind up before being 'persuaded' what type of birth you may want to opt for!

Good luck.

Thank you so much! I had no idea that there were two breech presentations.

I'll have to wait and see!

The two types relate to where the feet are - if the baby's feet are engaged and against your cervix it's unlikely you'll have enough pressure to dilate. If its bottom is engaged then it can provide enough pressure to dilate your cervix.

The reason they usually recommend c-section for breech (according to my midwife) is lack of experience in the midwifery staff in delivering breech babies - there are different things to watch out for, particularly the risk that the baby can drop into the birth canal before you're fully dilated and then get stuck at the neck (heads are bigger than bottoms).

There is another kind of breech too... If your baby is transverse breech, like my DS, it means their bottom will sit on your cervix, lying horizontally across. According to the NHS website there's almost no chance of babies like this being delivered naturally, for obvious reasons. It's also very dangerous for mum and baby if your waters break. I do think it's very rare though.

Anyway I had an elcs at 38+3 and I have to say please don't worry about it if you do need one. I bloody loved mine, and the recovery was easy. Just get up and move as much as you can, as soon as I can. I was walking after 5 hours and on day three accidentally went three hours without painkillers!

I had a vaginal birth for a footling breech - arrived feet first, no problems at all, all in all it was very calm. Hypnobirthed and had no pain relief (out of own choice, and also not much on offer where I was). Delivered on all fours at the end, which apparently is good position for footling breech. But I live abroad and the big state hospital I was in was fine with breech, saying staff had lots of experience. Felt like there were about 2 million people (docs, nurses, pediatricians) in the room when baby arrived though!
Might there be an independent midwife with experience in breeches who could help or advise?? (I'm sorry, I don't know the UK system very well.....)

In 2008 I had a vaginal delivery for a frank breech (feet beside head). This was only noticed when I was 8cm dilated when I got to hospital. Dd arrived v quickly so no time for cs. Apparently the risk is due on lack of midwives who have experience of breech deliveries as te birth canal can clamp around the head if there's any delay in delivery. Also I had a bigger than than usual episiotomy - apparently normal w breech as they want to make sure the head can come out quickly and easily.

Btw it was totally fine and if I had a breech baby again, if go for vaginal delivery again, because I know I labour quickly.