Transverse baby

[transverseworries]

Have nc but been here a while. Currently 35+5 weeks pregnant and had a scan today which showed baby is transverse. The Dr discussed with me the risks of pre-term labour and cord prolapse. I already have an elcs booked in for 39+2 but she thinks that'll be too late. She's booked me for another scan in 2 weeks and has said if baby is still transverse then they probably won't let me go home and will either keep me in hospital for the 2.5 weeks until my elcs or they'll keep me in and bring the section forwards.

I have two young kids at home, 4yo and 2yo, I'm a sahm and dh works full time. 4yo is at school but 2yo only does 2 mornings a week at playschool as I'm home with him, so no nursery he can go to while dh works. I'm really stressing about the practicalities of this and also finances. Dh doesn't have much leave left so would probably have to take unpaid leave to look after the kids if I was in hospital. I'm also worrying about the risks of going into labour and potential prolapse. Has anyone been in this situation and can share their story? I'm so stressed out about everything

You're not even 36 weeks, there's time for baby to turn. But equally 38 weeks is fine, so I wouldn't worry about them bringing the date forward.

Did you labour with your first two? Are you likely to get to hospital in time for a section if Labour does start?

I was under the impression that preterm babies were more likely to be transverse because they hadn't got round to turning (which many do), rather than transverse babies being more likely to cause preterm labour. I'll happily be corrected if I've misunderstood though.

Did they not discuss the option of turning the baby like they do with a breech? I get that you want a section but you should have the option in case things don't go to plan.

I was still unstable lie at 35 ish weeks. Had a scan at 36+6 and still the same but they wouldn't admit me til 37 weeks as that was the cut off so had to go home that night and back in next morning. Next morning still head was nowhere near pelvis so they admitted me to a nice side room where I spent 3 nights with regular monitoring to see if baby changed position. Annoyingly I had gestational diabetes and hospital food was shocking for that! At 37+2 baby decided to go head down so they sent me home but brought my planned induction for GD forwards to 38 weeks. Induction took 4 days due to two local hospitals closing there maternity departments! I have a 7 year old too but luckily it was Easter holidays so he went and stayed with my mum. Between 35ish and 38 weeks I was told I would have to rush to the hospital if I showed any signs of labour in case of cord prolapse. If that happened I had to get on my knees with my bum in the air! When they broke my waters for induction they had 2 midwives in case the cord came out first as head was down but they weren't sure how engaged it was. Baby girl turned 6 months old this week so all good x good luck to you!

I was under the impression that preterm babies were more likely to be transverse because they hadn't got round to turning (which many do), rather than transverse babies being more likely to cause preterm labour. I'll happily be corrected if I've misunderstood though.

Sorry, you have misunderstood. The baby lying the wrong way stretches the uterus in the wrong direction which can often trigger contractions early, so it is the transverse lie that causes pre-term labour.

There's only a 1 in 8 chance of baby turning after 36 weeks.

I laboured with my first but my waters broke right at the beginning of labour which is why the Dr is concerned as I live way too far from hospital to get there in time if the cord comes down. They won't attempt to turn baby as success rate is only 50% and I'm having a section anyway.

I get that you want a section but you should have the option in case things don't go to plan.

Sorry, I don't know what you mean here? Do you mean I should have the option to labour and give birth vaginally? Because for medical reasons that's not an option for me

I'm happy for them to bring section forward to 38 weeks, my worry is they decide not to and expect me to stay in hospital until my current section date. It's just impossible for us to work around that with the kids

@MrsT84 thanks so much for sharing your experience. It's the staying in hospital that just won't work for us, our kids are too young and we have no regular childcare. I'm so stressed out about it!

Also the rushing to hospital at the first sign of labour worries me. We're 45 minutes from hospital and in-laws (who would have the kids in this scenario) are also 45 minutes away in the opposite direction. We've got local friends we could call who may be able to help temporarily until in-laws get here, but the 45 minute drive to hospital is still a worry!

Thankyou for explaining that to me.

I didn't mean you should be given the option to Labour and deliver vaginally, no, I meant the option to turn the baby. But they've decided that's not worthwhile and obviously know more than me. I was just guessing it would be safer if baby was head down so that in the event of preterm labour things were less likely to go wrong on the way to the operating room (which could take some time if you're not at hospital).

If you're happy with 38 weeks can you ask your consultant to recommend moving your elective to then, now instead of after the scan? At least you can plan then.

FWIW I was very high risk of cord prolapse with DC2 from 32wks, and had childcare issues to sort out. I didn't want to go in either. Then I realised this is the moment where you have to move everything out of the way and prioritise the new arrival above the rest of the family. I'm very slightly jealous though that you've got ILs to help out.

At the end of the day, being in the hospital absolutely sucks and is inconvenient as all hell, not to mention irritating and boring, but you and your family are probably going to have to make arrangements to make it work, because the alternative is that your baby could die or be permanently severely disabled. And hey, most hospitals are allowing visitors now so you won't be isolated the way we were last year.

Once cord prolapse is diagnosed, they have to get the baby out in 8 minutes. If you're at home, how are they going to do that?

Can you possibly get your children to stay with your in laws earlier, while you are in hospital?

I'm surprised they're worried about position at that stage of pregnancy. At 36w my baby was transverse, very senior obstetrician wasn't worried as there's loads of time to turn. At 37w she went from head down to breech to head down again. Now at 38w and head remains down.

Your childcare situation does sound stressful, it might be worth looking into agencies/ emergency nanny type thing to see what's out there in case you need to do this? Or see if a friend could stay at your place for a bit while you're in hospital?

Let us know how you go

I've just been in hospital today. A woman in my bay was 37 weeks and had a scan for her baby who had been transverse lie. It had moved into the correct position and she had her c section cancelled in favour of natural labour as the consultant told her it was now a 'nornal' pregnancy with no risk factor to indicate the need for a section.

As you are a SAHM I'm not sure if this is at all doable, but can your dh take parental leave? I work so possibly different, but my DH and I are taking shared parental leave so I'm not off for a whole year, but he gets to take some of my maternity leave allowance.

Both of mine were transverse at this stage and both went straight into head down.

If you do need to stay in Hospital, can the in laws stay at your house so that DH can work?

@GingerbreadPanda ahh ok, I understand. Yes would be much better if baby was head down but they've said they won't attempt to turn, partly due to poor success rates and partly because the reason for my c section is that my pelvis is the wrong shape, none of my 3 children have been in the correct position and so they don't think baby would even go into the right position and if it did could move back out again

@PeekabooAtTheZoo I obviously understand the risks to the baby and really dislike your suggestion that I'm not prioritising my baby or thinking enough about their safety. But this IS a logistic and financial nightmare for us and whilst this baby is very much loved and hugely important, I can't just forget that I have two existing children whose needs have to be taken into account as well. I can't just leave my 2 and 4 year old at home alone because I have to "prioritise the needs of the new arrival above the rest of the family". And no, they can't stay with in-laws for 2 weeks, that's too much to ask of my in-laws and my eldest needs to get to school (1 hour drive from in-laws)

@RebeccaCloud9 thank you, that story is really reassuring! I'm not sure about shared parental leave, possibly not as I'm not eligible for maternity pay/leave myself but I can get him to check his work policy tomorrow. If he could get it I'm sure it would only be at the statutory rate which would be a massive financial hit but definitely better than totally unpaid

@PritiPatelsMaker thank you, that's reassuring that both yours moved into the correct position. In-laws staying with us would be the most ideal situation, the kids wouldn't be separated from both parents and in-laws would only need to actively care for them during dh's working hours so less of a toll on them. Unfortunately we have a dog and they HATE all animals (don't get me started) so refuse to stay. If I end up going in I might see if dh can put more pressure on them to come and stay

Both my DC were transverse. I wasn't kept in. I just turned up for my ELC on the day planned.
If you start to get contractions, maybe you'd need to go in as you could need an emergency C-section. But otherwise, why would you need such monitoring?

Unfortunately we have a dog and they HATE all animals (don't get me started) so refuse to stay. If I end up going in I might see if dh can put more pressure on them to come and stay

Would it be cheaper to put the DDog into dog care rather than DH not working or do you think they might be using DDog as an excuse to not help out? Would they have the DC stay with them instead?

They often keep women in hospital from around 37 weeks if there is a risk of cord prolapse. The risk is much higher with transverse lie. You’re lucky you didn’t get kept in!

Check out the spinning babies website. There are some inversions you can do which can encourage the baby to move, mine was transverse until quite late and I managed to get her to move!

That's weird as I had polyhydramnios which means I was at risk of cord prolapse but I was just told to go straight to the labour ward when contractions started instead of letting labour progress at home.

@goldfinchonthelawn I think they weigh up the risks in each case. For me, we're about an hour from the hospital and with my previous labour my waters broke right at the beginning, so they felt the risk was too high for me to stay home

Thanks for all your help and advice, sorry I forgot to return to the thread. Baby turned just in time so I was able to go home. Going in for my elcs as originally planned today!

@PritiPatelsMaker kennels would have been idea but typically the dog had just had her booster jabs, including kennel cough, and they won't take her for 3 weeks after the kennel cough jab

I don't think the dog is an excuse not to help as such although they do dislike coming to our house in general (MIL keeps her house SPOTLESS and ours is very obviously lived in by two small children, she struggles with it). I wouldn't have wanted the kids to go there for so long as would worry about them coping away from dh and I for over a week. Maybe being overprotective but my youngest is only 2 and has only ever spent single nights away from us

Good luck @transverseworries
I'm so pleased baby turned and I'll be thinking of you today hoping everything goes smoothly