Breach Baby

[user1485788422]

Hi all so this is a long one - be prepared for a read -
I'm currently 37 weeks pregnant. Last week I found out I have Polyhydramnios (extra fluid) and Gestational Diabetes. Due to the diabetes I am booked in for induction next week (they prefer to get babies out at 38 weeks when you have gestational diabetes)
But today - with thanks to nature and an extra thanks to my Polyhydramnios, babies managed to flip breach.
I've been to hospital today and they have me 3 options:

1. Breach Birth
2. Try to move the baby around
3. C section

This is my 3rd baby and with my 2 previous I had natural vaginal births with minimal medical intervention. As much as I'd love that again, this baby has been abit of a monster.
I absolutely DO NOT want to have a breach birth!!
Also - if they do manage to move baby around there's a high chance due to my extra water that he will flip breach again.

I'm edging towards C-section and I only have until Monday to make my decision.

Could anyone who's had a breach birth, their baby flipped back or c section please share their experiences/stories to help me weigh out the Pro's and Cons of each option.

Thanks ladies

My baby was breech. I had a c section. It was a great experience, only one night in hospital and the first night at home was painful but after that recovery was pretty quick. I was back to normal by day 7. I was very happy with the whole thing.

Mine was breech. Tried an ecv turn. It didn’t work but wasn’t very painful. Thought about a breech birth but baby’s head circumference was too big. Had a c section which was very straight forward (1st baby vaginal birth).

I had a breach baby, had a failed ecv which was in my experience the most painful experience as his head was stuck between my ribs. Decided on a section and it was lovely!! The ecv I felt was worse than the section recovery.

For a highly complex pregnancy with the polyh and the gestational diabetes, I'm surprised they aren't strongly recommending you go straight to section. That's certainly what I would do in your shoes. Have they presented all options as equally feasible selections or did they recommend one or the other?

My second dd was breech. She turned 6 times between week 35 and 41.... Every time I did moxibustion or handstands in the swimming pool, she turned and then flipped back breech. I only know she was turning so much because I was living in Singapore and every obstetrician appointment includes a scan. They don't attempt ecvs much in Singapore and don't do breech births at all so I had a planned c section. It was fast, smooth and easy, even recovery wasn't as bad as I thought. When you have a pregnancy with event a little tiny something that isn't textbook I think it's natural to want to play things safe. Not saying that a c section is safe or easy but I can understand not wanting to add to potential complications with a breech birth or an ecv that might not work....

Hi OP,
These 3 options don't carry the same risks at all. Your care team MUST tell you (see Montgomery v Lanarkshire) what all the risks are.
Otherwise planned c-section is the safest way of delivering a breech baby.

DD2 was breech, flipped at 36 weeks. I was offered an ECV to try and turn her which failed, although as she was extended breech it wasn't likely to work - there's different success rates for different types of breech with ECV. ECV I found very painful and does carry risks itself.

I opted for a c section when ECV failed as my trust did not recommend attempting normal delivery due to the risks but also the lack of experience of vaginal breech births among the staff. She was also a big baby so again would not have been ideal in a breech birth. There is also a fair chance of needing an emergency c section when attempting a breech birth which is higher risk than a planned one.

In the end I felt the safest way to do it was a planned section.

At 37 or so weeks I had breech dc3 with polyhydramnios. Had an incredibly easy ecv but baby turned back again. Tumbled around various times before finally planting head down and staying that way at about 40 weeks. Induced born at 42 weeks