BH contractions, dilation, GBS....it's all getting a bit much!

[JustSaying99]

Where to begin?! So I am currently 36+4 with a breech baby. I've had a really great pregnancy so far and, minus bump being breech, have had no issues or complications at all.
Last Friday evening I started having what I thought were BH contractions. They weren't painful and didn't seem that noticeable so never thought anything of it. By Saturday morning they were very noticeable, about 1 in 10 and lasting between 30-45 seconds each. Phoned triage straight away and they told me come to hospital (basically as soon as I mention the breech word). Ended up spending all weekend in hospital; I was 1cm dilated and they though I might need to have an EMCS if I continued to dilate, along with these 'contractions'. I also got steroid injections for babies lungs. Ended up not needing EMCS, contractions lessened and I didn't dilate any further; just been told I really need to monitor the situation. Today, I just got a letter today from hospital saying my tests came back and I have group B strep and now have to deal with that too.

I don't really know how I feel anymore, after having had everything go so smoothly, it feels like the last week has just been one things after another. I am just wondering if anyone has had similar experiences and how long after that did they go into labour? Did it go smoothly? I know that with a breech baby it's more than likely I'll need a c-section anyway, but I just kind of feel so on edge now, I am overthinking every movement, every niggle and it's making me hate this part of pregnancy :(

Sorry don't have any experience to share with you, just sending some hugs really.

Do they think you can deliver naturally with the babies currebt position or are they waiting to see if baby turns?

Thank you 1st. They are hoping baby turns, the hhospiatal would prefer not to deliver breech babies so it's basically wait and see, and do all the crazy upside down exercises that I can!

Oh best of luck!

If baby doesn't turn and you have a c section it's not the end of the world. A lot of people focus on having a natural birth no matter what but it's not the only way. I was induced but ended up having an EMCS after 24hrs of labour, planning on having an elective section next time around. Just be prepared for what a section entails and you'll be fine. Also if you.do have one buy some.specail c section pants from Amazon. There are ones with silicone strip where the scar will be and it helps with healing. I found them great to wear after a couple of weeks (not straight away)

Fingers crossed for baby to flip and good luck with your upside down exercises!

Group B strep is nothing to worry about as long as you have antibiotics during labour so try not to stress over it. It's been picked up so will be dealt with, it's also a very transiant infection so you might not have it during delivery but they'll still treat you with the antibiotics to be on the safe side.

Depending on the type of breech (ie bum first or feet first) it is perfectly safe to deliver vaginally a breech baby that's bum first. The hospital may prefer not to deliver breech but it's your decision if you want to go for an elective section.

Does your trust offer ECV try and turn baby?

Fingers crossed baby turns and that you can enjoy these last few weeks of being pregnant 🤞🏻

Oh I'll have a look on Amazon for them 1st thank you! I think I just need to prepare myself for c-section and recovery. TBH as long as baby is ok that's all I care about, not overly precious about a 'natural birth', it's always been the afterwards of a c-section that's been off putting.
does ECV has been mentioned but I've heard such horror stories that I'm not really sure now. I think baby is bum first?! And thank you for the reassurance about GBS; I think normally I would have been like ok, but after the weekend I had it just felt like another thing
Deffo fingers crossed that baby turns!

You really only hear the bad experiences and horror stories surrounding pregnancy and child birth. Do your own research from places like WHO and BMJ or other medical organisations and make up your mind from that.

What ever decision you make try and stay calm and relaxed and you'll have a lovely little newborn to squish at the end!

Well, if baby doesn't turn and you have a c-section, the strep thing is a non-issue, as babies may only get infected through vaginal delivery, or that's the info I got.

Besides, my ob here in Germany doesn't even test for it and there is only a very small number of babies that do get infected through their mother, and of them there is only another small number that gets seriously ill. Tests also tend to be unreliable as infections can fluctuate too, apparently. At any rate, if you do get 'managed' for this, you'll have intravenous antibiotics during labour and they should do the trick, so you shouldn't worry.
The issue with contractions and breech, if they prefer not to deliver naturally, is that they'd want to do a section before you go into labour. That's the only thing that's 'worrying' in this case. However, my ob said if I were to deliver DD at 36w+4, that it wouldn't be a problem, as term' is classed from 38w, but 37w is not really a premie. Here in Germany midwife-led centres (with no real medical intervention) are allowed to deliver babies from 37 weeks, meaning that they are considered 'term', i.e. with lungs that are up to the job.

In the end DD came 7 days past her due date, but that's another story.