hi
yes I have a breech tale but not a nice one, although it does have a happy ending . I don't want to depress you, but next time I'm getting a c-section!
Our DS1 Joey was full term undiagnosed - the only reason I was at the hospital is because Id passed meconium when my waters broke and was advised to come in. I hadnt even started having contractions at that point.
As it turned out Joeys warning poo quite possibly saved both our lives - my first stage labour was only an hour and a half, and it was at the point I screamed I needed to push (about an hour after mw palpating me and still not realising he was breech) that student mw had a check and realised I was fully dilated and that a small hand or foot was poking out.
Panic stations as the consultant was located - he confirmed it was a foot and I was wheeled off to delivery theatre. We were then told that normally they'd do a c-section, but in this case it was so far gone they risked both of us as he was already in the birth canal, but with vaginal delivery there was a higher risk of losing him, because of his size (being full term) and the trauma due to the speed of labour. Both me and DH chose not to go with c-section.
To cut a long story much shorter, Joey needed turning as he was also wrong way up, his shoulder got stuck and when he finally came out he was whisked away for recussitation. We didn't get to meet him for 6 hours, and he was being ventilated, convulsing and his little organs were failing, all because of the birth trauma.
Anyway, happy ending - he recovered way quicker than anyone expected, and was out of special care in a week, rather than the weeks they anticipated. We don't know long term what the damage due to oxygen deprivation is, but he seems to be progressing like a 'normal' baby.
He's very cute and we can't quite believe we nearly didnt have him. The staff were brilliant and the poor midwife who'd missed that he was breech was distraught about what happened. No-one ever suggested we didn't go with what we wanted to do - they made it quite clear it was our choice and we must have had the whole of the maternity dept helping out in the delivery room.
Having had this experience I don't think I'd dare risk not opting for a c-section next time, although obviously I'll be scanned I do get pg again, so we'll get a chance to think about it!!