Having a breech baby - could you share your experiences?

[cupcakesgalore]

This will be my 4th and the other 3 were all nice and easy head down babes. This one is being awkward- still lots of time to move (only 32 wks now) but has been static for last 5 wks and m/w now not convinced it will turn. I'm doing yoga etc to help position but slightly hampered by severe pelvic girdle pain and SPD.I feel anxious about delivering a breech baby vaginally but am I just being silly. Are there lots more risks to baby? would you have a c-section if offered? At the mo. it's an extended breech which is why m/w felt it won't turn as no leverage. Was hoping for water birth at home..Would be interested to see how others felt /what experiences people have had. Thanks!

My doc tried to turn my second but she was still a breech. I had a scan in the operating room to double check still breech. Had a cs - was fine. Very relieved as a foot breech. Good luck xxx

read what Mary Cronk has to say about breech babies
My baby was breech at 30 weeks, I am now almost 38 weeks and midwife thinks it is head down - a scan on Friday to confirm.

If it is still breech, I will probably have a c-section, as my first was a section, and I don't think I can guarantee a hospital midwife who has experience of delivering breech babies vaginally.

Ina May Gaskin also very inspiring about breech birth.....sadly, a lot depends on the confidence of the midwife delivering, and breech vaginal birth is becomign rarer

if you search the archives, lots of tips to turn a breech baby, including moxibustion ( done by acupuncturist) and other things you can try at home!

all fours, bum in air supposed to help, also I think what helped me was swimming at the local pool and doing 'duck dives' to the bottom (felt like I was 13 again!)

Cupcakes I'm in the same position as you - this is my 3rd and baby is breech (at 31 weeks). I have an independent MW who has said that there are loads of different excercises you can do - if that fails, they can try to turn the baby - if that fails, she can deliver breech if I want to have a natural birth. I've loads of time so think I will wait and see what happens.
Come and join us on the due in June antenatal thread!

My first dd was breech and I was TOLD that I would be having a c/s as the hospital didn't allow first time mothers to attempt a normal delivery.I suppose I was a bit disappointed and I went on to have my other 2 by c/s also.
I would say be prepared for a c/s just in case. Good Luck

lulu, Ina May's book is amazing, every pregnant woman should be given a copy instead of Emma's Bleedin' Diary.

It inspires confidence in you that your body will work, we are not that far away from mammals that can birth quite well by themselves thank you very much and you don't need all the machinery to give birth.

Unless your doc/ midwife can't cope with a breech vaginal birth, of course

totally agree gingerbear....i agree it should be given to every pregnant woman...and every midwife, and obstetrician, to remind them that women can give birth, on the whole, without intervention

Both mine were breech until 33 weeks or so and I didn't feel the second one turn round. You would be unlucky if it didn't turn. How does the mw know it is extended she can't tell that from feeling your bump can she?

Thanks guys. I know it's extended because I've been having growth scans - DS and DD1 were both reasonably large at 9lbs11. my 1st DD was breech till 36 wks but I've never had a baby who is so static in terms of position - it kicks and squirms lots but hasn't moved its head out of my stomach for weeks - v. uncomfortable.! I shall start cleaning the kitchen floor on all fours and see if it helps!

I am 38+4 with no.3, it was breech until somewhere between 32 and 34 weeks. I had a scan at 32 weeks and it was still breech, had been right through and then a follow up scan 2 weeks later showed that it had turned. I have no idea when it did it but I was obviously very pleased and it has stayed that way. yey. My first two were text book ceph right from the start. My MW said that it is very common with 3rd or subs pregnancys for them to be breech or transverse for a long time as your uterine muscles are very soft they have the strength and ability to move them around for longer? FWIW, On the May thread at 32 weeks I think we had about 10 breecheys, now I think we only have One left breech. Thats pretty good going I think.

Good Luck and sending you some turning baby vibes.

Go for ECV, worked perfectly for me and was v quick and painless. think I had it at 36 weeks, can you ask yr mw?

mine was breech for a while but turned in the end. I did read that it's more common with spd and that a chiropractor might be helpful in that case, something to do with the pelvis being misaligned/uncomfy for the baby head down. just something I remember googling but it might be worth considering

Had a breech baby with the first pg. Ended up having a failed ECV (very painful for me) and then a section. Not the ideal outcome but baby was safely born and an elective section IME wasn't at all bad.

Dd was breech for practically the whole of my pregnancy. My only given option was a C-section, which I had and everything was fine.

My ds was breech until 38 weeks. He was breech the whole way through the pregnancy and I had a lot of scans (more then the normal two) because of some growth worries. Towards the end he was foot breech and the hospital were talking about a c-section if they couldn't get hiim to turn round.

I was booked in for an attempt to turn him round at the hospital but made an appointment with an accupuncturist first.

I had one session with her then repeated it at home myself (easy to do) 48 hrs later.

The following day I turned at for my hospital appointment and when they did a preliminary scan to check the position before trying to turn him, he had turned himself - not sure if the accupuncture worked but it might be worth a try.

sure we've been here before, but unlike lazycow, I had an expensive and entirely unproductive (scuse the pun) experience wiht acupuncture, truly a waste of time. ECV free and 50% chance it'll work.

Info here

This is what I did

breechb babies

Ah I only had one appointment (£30) and she said I could do the rest at home - no need to go back to her. And I fully accept ds might have turned round anyway - no way of telling

yes, I know it may work for some. Mine cost £50 7 years ago . Seriously, think so many alternative therapists involved around pregnancy are complete quacks!

Sorry can't help you as I had twins, but twin2 was breech, they just fetched her out! ahem!!! I suppose its very different to a single birth, good luck whatever you do, my DS1 was breech till I was 38 weeks!

From all your stories I'm feeling more hopeful that baby will turn. I've got another growth scan in 2 wks so will see then and tslk to consultant about my options. It does seem that most (all?) of yu - bar those with twins, have either had the baby turn itself or turned, or had c-sections. My m/w was talking about me having a breech baby as a normal delivery, but I've seen lots of info. suggesting this presents risks to the baby. We shall see. Just want to get to 40 wks now - v. fed up with being pg!

you could also read up about the whole 'hands off the breech' delivery - i don't think the risks for vaginal delivery are generally much different from head down delvieries if you've got yourself a good mw and it sounds like yours could have experience of delivering breech babies if she's suggesting it
what worked for me but seemed highly dangerous, was going head first down the stairs on my hands and knees - a sure way to end up in hospital!! but it worked