What happens with transverse babies?

[Jamontoast1]

I’m 35 weeks today and the midwife told me yesterday that the baby is transverse, although a couple of weeks ago a consultant said her head was down. I have been quite uncomfortable under my ribs so makes sense being transverse I suppose.

I’m sure it differs from hospital to hospital, I have a scan next week to see if the baby has moved, if not we discuss a c-section (which I’m fine with doing!) but what happens if the baby were to move to head down afterwards? Will I still be offered the c-section?

Or what if she has moved to be head down next week on the scan, but then moves back to transverse as she seems to have done in the last 2 weeks?

Also I’ve read I may need to stay in hospital due to the risk of cord prolapse. Is that right?

Hi there, my baby was in and out of a transverse lie until about 34-36 weeks. It's normal for babies to change position up to about the 36 week mark, when they generally start getting too big to move around easily and should settle into their labour position. Eg, about 37-38 weeks is when a procedure to turn breach babies is generally performed, on the basis that the baby is now unlikely to turn of its own volition, and (if successfully turned) probably won't turn back to a breach position (turning back to breach is something like a 5% risk).

Ideally by about 36 weeks your baby will be in a head-down position. For me, when I was about 34 weeks and learned my baby was still lying transverse, I began doing exercises from Spinning Babies https://www.spinningbabies.com/pregnancy-birth/baby-position/sideways-transverse/

I'm not sure how scentific these are, but my baby did move into the ideal head down anterior position by about 36 weeks. I don't know if the exercises are why my baby turned (and then stayed in the right position) or if she would have done it anyway, but it can't hurt to try!

If your baby stays in transverse lie you will not be able to labour safely and you would need a c-section. I imagine you could get a scan / midwife check just before a scheduled c-section to check if baby has moved? If your baby does move to a head down position after 36 weeks, it's unlikely that baby will move back into a "wrong" position after that time.

Thank you that’s helpful!

I’ll just have to wait and see

You'll be given a c-section if baby is still transverse as the risk of cord prolapse is high. You'd be given a scan on the morning of the section to check baby's position and if baby had moved, then you'd be asked whether you wanted to proceed with an elcs or wait for spontaneous labour.

Fwiw, I went into labour with my first and it was discovered during labour that she was laying transverse, but they still waited a further 15 hours to give me an emcs.