Planned c-sections for breech: did they scan you beforehand

[SpringTime2023]

My letter suggests they will scan me to double check baby is still breech before the operation goes ahead. Ideally I wanted vaginal birth, but on the off chance that baby moves head down in next week (am 38 weeks), I think I would actually find being turned away quite upsetting.

Did they scan you prior, and do you think I could still ask to proceed on the day even if the unlikely flip did happen?

Should clarify that I've got my head around C-section and ironically is now my preference (it just used to be vaginal until baby was confirmed breech recently).

Yes, and I did ask ‘what if he’s turned?’ And the consultant said ‘well you’re here now so you can go ahead with the section if that’s what you’d like to do’

He hasn’t turned, but I still would have opted to stay and have the section if he had.

Thanks, that's good!

*hadn’t

it was actually a good experience. I was well prepared for it. The recovery was far easier than I was expecting. Up and about in 9 hours and discharged in 24 hours.

If they tell you it’ll feel like someone doing the washing up… in my experience it was more like a team of mechanics under a car bonnet. An odd but obviously not painful sensation.

Yes I was scanned again before going for the section.

Not sure I was scanned but midwife definitely had a feel of the bump to check where babys head was (still breech!)

In my friend’s case, her baby actually HAD turned, so she opted to go home and wait for labour. She did have the choice. Unfortunately she ended up with an emergency c-sec in the end.

They’ll give you the option but you can still choose c section

Haha, I can only imagine! It is a bizarre thing.

Oh no, the irony. Thanks for replying

I was also scanned again on the day, baby was still breech but like you I’m pretty sure I would have asked them to carry on with the c section anyway given I had got my head round it by that point.

My baby flipped INTO breech position about 10 mins before my c section (the most uncomfortable movement and 5 mins of searching for a heartbeat). They opened me up and were surprised to see a bum not a head 😄

Not what you’re asking but goes to show they can flip til the last min so a scan would be handy!

This is exactly what happened to me too. He hadn't turned, but I would have been given the option to go ahead with the section or not.

At that point I already had the cannuala in though, so I would have just gone for it anyway.

Pretty sure I wasn’t scanned right beforehand but my DD was stubborn as hell (total failure of an ECV and we tried for half an hour 😵‍💫😖). MW obviously had a feel but I knew she wasn’t going anywhere. 😑😂 Had my ECLS at 39+4 with no signs of labour on the horizon at all. I’m convinced DD would’ve gone way past due date if we’d left her in there too.