Tell me about your breech births

[Springersprung]

Just that really. Did you know baby was breech in advance of labour? Dud you try for a vaginal birth? Were you successful?

Baby Springer has been breech position permanently this pregnancy. Now 36 + 1 and isn't showing any signs of turning. If ecv doesn't work, current hospital will be pushing for a caesarean, but there is another local one with a team experienced in supporting natural breech births and currently I think this is what I want to try.

Would love to hear how other people got on though, in case I'm being wildly optomistic/impractical!

Sorry, there were paragraphs in that, but formatting has failed!

I had a vaginal breech birth. I didn't know until I was in labour and fully dilated.
It was my fastest labour, 3 hours from first twinge to her being born and she was 9lb. Didn't need any stitches.
It hurt loads more than my others, but they forced me to go against my instincts. I wanted to be stood up and sort of hunched over. They made me be flat on my back in stirrups. One idiot doctor was trying to shove a catheter in whilst I was pushing her out until a midwife pushed him out of the way.
The room was absolutely packed because it's really rare to have a vaginal breech birth in my hospital.
We were both absolutely fine so with hindsight it was the best thing to do but if I had known before I would have had a c section. I have got a slight prolapse from her birth but it might have happened any way with her being 9lb, my other 3 were all around 7lb.

Breach here, was supposed to be having an emergency C (baby came at 37 weeks and was going to see the midwife the next day) but literally as the anethatist was going to do the spinal injection someone came running in and called him off to another emergency. I was told he would be right back 😂 he didn't make it and I said I needed to push (they didn't believe me initially) they put my legs up in stirrups.. room was full as it was such a rare occurrence in our local hospital. Everyone else who came on shift said how gutted they weren't not to have been there!! (I thought they were all bonkers) Baby fed constantly the first night as all the lovely black poo (can't remember the technical term) had already come out as they were breach.
I was so pleased not to have had a ceserean after and no more painful recovery than my next labour (not breach)

Not me but my MIL had TWO natural breech births (1st and 2nd children)! Both babies were absolutely fine and so was she. I think she struggled with the first, but it was also her first child. The second was easier, in fact she was told she should have gone in much earlier! Third was standard VB.

Vaginal breech delivery at full term. No problems

Midwife took end of bed off and took 'hands off' approach so as not to stimulate baby. He hung from one push until next contraction when she caught him

In hindsight I felt him turn in to breech position on xmas eve & he was born early March. Missed by midwives despite me complaining of tightness under my ribs (his head!).

Personally I would not have allowed them to turn him as it was very uncomfortable when he turned at the Christmas.

Second baby, first baby natural water birth (no stitches etc) so this helped in second babies delivery.

Reading with interest as I’ve just found out today at 37+3 that baby has turned breech in last 3 weeks. Not a lot of time to make decisions. Scan on Thursday then I hope I’ll get to speak to someone about it pretty quickly. They will do vaginal breech births at my hospital although I can’t use the Midwife unit birthing pool as I wanted. My Midwife is pretty positive about the idea of a vaginal birth. I am pretty worried about the thought of an ECV.

Sprogletsmum - I could have written your post! My delivery was the same, with the hoardes of spectators gathered around!!!

Mine was 40+2 weeks, I was halfway dilated before they realised that he was an extended breech position then it was all action stations, moved from a nice, small room to a big potential operating theatre type suite. They gave me the choice of a c-section or natural birth as they didn't think he would be a big baby so would easily manoevure out. He wasn't that big - 6lbs 13oz and I did have him naturally albeit after an 11 hour labour and an epidural and a Consultant led delivery. They did say that if they had known in advance they would have strong recommended a section.

Good luck with your birth whatever you decide x

I found out my DS was breech upon arriving in hospital 5cm dilated. I was offered a C section but the dr said as he was my 2nd there’d be more chance of being able to deliver vaginally so I decided I’d rather try that.

My body was involuntarily pushing and they said it was really important I didn’t push til 10cm so I had a mild epidural to calm the pushing down.

His heart rate went a bit funny when I was fully dilated so they topped up to a full epidural in case of surgery but I managed to push him out in 30 or so mins, as previous posters have said I had quite an audience!

I refused a sweep at 40+3 which I’m quite pleased about as if they’d noticed he was breech before I went into labour I’d probably just have had a c section. As I had a 2yo son already I just wanted to avoid one if possible due to the healing time etc.

Good luck with whatever happens :)

Have a look at the spinning babies website... perhaps not so much for the exercises to help turn a breech (although can’t hurt!) but also because there is some nice info on breech delivery-including that the best way is a ‘hands off’ approach mentioned by one PP, and to be on hands and knees.
Cannot think of anything worse than stirrups and a room full of people-massive respect to those ladies that successfully had vaginal breech birth in those circumstances!
Good luck however you choose to proceed

Thank you all. Seems a lot of you have had unexpected breech births, but they have gone well. I wonder whether those who are known to be breech are 'encouraged' towards a c section. Certainly seems to be the case in my current hospital. I'm becoming more and more convinced to try for a vaginal birth

My DD was breech (4 years ago) from about 34/5 weeks if I remember correctly. Tried ECV but was not a good experience, I wouldn’t have it again. Booked in for c-section next day, lovely calm experience, very positive & I was very lucky to heal beautifully, no complications. I was advised that they did not “let” first time mums who had never laboured before attempt a vaginal breech birth & I was glad of this.
I will do exactly the same this time if this current one ends up wedged in my pelvis again!
Best wishes x

My dd (now 3) was breech and I wasn't even offered the option of a vaginal birth, it was immediately dismissed as too dangerous.
I tried spinning babies with no effect. I refused ecv as I had an attempt with my son who was transverse during labour and it was incredibly painful for me.
My c section went incredibly smoothly, dd born at 10.30 and I was walking about at 5pm. Very little pain.
Turns out my daughter has ddh (breech presentation a strong indicator) and was delivered with both hips dislocated. She was flagged up for an early ultrasound due to her presentation.
Discuss with your team and choose what you feel is right for you. As long as you know the risks, then you should be offered the choice.

DS- Undiagnosed back to back footling breech, diagnosed at 10cm dilutions, after 7 hours of contractions.

DD - moved from breech to back again several times in the last few weeks. Was (probably) head down when I went into labour, but I had a uterine rupture so had a crash section anyway.

My understanding (both mine weren't breech though) is that there are fewer medical people with breech experience because csec usually recommend. If I were you I'd try vaginally as you're near a unit with the knowledge.
Practically though my first had such a massive head I do wonder if he'd have gotten stuck. Do they offer additional scans etc if known breech?

I was told that I categorically couldn't have a vaginal birth because DD was footling breech. They said had she been bottom first I would have had the choice...

I've been having extra scans to monitor growth anyway due to low Papp-A. Not sure I would have got them just for being breech. Each scan is showing that baby has very little inclination to change position, and is measuring on the smaller side, so I'm not too concerned about a large head or anything like that

Baby is presenting as frank breech (bottom first) which I believe makes it easier

I know I would have chosen to have a vaginal birth if DD had been frank breech.

I have to say though that although I was disappointed to have to have a section, my c section was unexpectedly a wonderful experience and although the first 4 or 5 days after were painful the recovery after that was fine.

I’ve had 2 vaginal breech births. Maybe slightly different as both dds were premature, so it was safer for them to deliver them vaginally.
It honestly wasn’t as bad as I imagined at all, in fact dd2 (breech) was the easiest birth out of 3, dd3 (also breech) was the most painful, even though she was the smallest, I think it was more to do with her positioning though . Didn’t need assistance with either breech baby, but did need forceps for dd1 (head down) birth.

Wishing you luck, although I do think you still have time for dc to turn!

Have you actually properly understood the risks of breech delivery? It's not that known breeches are subtly encouraged to have a section, it is the firm recommendation of every obstetric body in the world because the risks of breech VB are far greater than those of c-section. Please talk in detail to your doctor before you make a decision.