Baby free between breech and transverse at 36+5 weeks - what should I do?

[Didylicious]

My midwife, and a 2nd midwife came to my home yesterday on a routine check in my pregnancy.
All seemed well, until they palpated my tummy - and found my baby had turned back to breech again (he had just got his head down a week earlier - but prior to that had always been breech or transverse).
Infact they wrote on my notes - baby free floating between breech and transverse.

I have been advised IF my waters should go - to drop to all fours and call an ambulance!

The midwife intends to check me again next tuesday - which is when I'll be 37+4 weeks.....

Do you think this is leaving it late to take action - or should I phone my consultant and inform him? (or rather leave a message with his secretary!).....

They also said the baby was completely back to my back - with limbs all to the front of the womb.

This is my 4th baby - my 3 previous births - the babys were all back to back.

In addition to this - I have had bleeding throughout the pregnancy - which is NOT the cerix. They don't know where it is coming from. They have done some growth scans and the baby is measuring on or over the 100th centile for head and abdomen measurments.

There is also a decent amount of water in with the baby.

I'm having nightmares about cord prolapse or cord wrapped around baby's neck (because of his acrobatics at this late stage!).

~Oh, and as if all the above isn't enough of a worry - my husband just went to spain for 5 days. I am home alone with 3 kids - and I don't drive. We live 45mins from the hospital!

Can someone advise me - do I just go along with the midwife and see where we are next week - or call the hospital and let them know..... not that I have transport or a babysitter.....

OK, calm down. When were your other babies born? When did your waters go with them? Chances are your waters going won't be the first sign of labour, and labour will most probably not start this week but closer to term...especially if there is no baby head on your cervix. I know it's hard not to worry but cor prolapse is very rare....and cord around the neck is very common (about 1/3 of births, my daughter was born through her cord) but very rarely a problem!

Try to get as much rest as is possible with three kids, and look into turning that baby. www.spinningbabies.com will tell you how to try and turn it safely.

It will probably be worth telling your MW of your family and transport situation in case of emergency.

I wish you luck

OK, calm down. When were your other babies born? When did your waters go with them? Chances are your waters going won't be the first sign of labour, and labour will most probably not start this week but closer to term...especially if there is no baby head on your cervix. I know it's hard not to worry but cor prolapse is very rare....and cord around the neck is very common (about 1/3 of births, my daughter was born through her cord) but very rarely a problem!

Try to get as much rest as is possible with three kids, and look into turning that baby. www.spinningbabies.com will tell you how to try and turn it safely.

It will probably be worth telling your MW of your family and transport situation in case of emergency.

I wish you luck

Baby 1 born at 41 weeks - (forceps) posterior position baby.

Baby 2 - induced at 37 weeks due to "Unexplained bleeding in pregnancy" - another posterior position baby - but smaller (7lb 80z) due to being early - and no forceps (although she was "unexpected mec" delivery and apgar 3).

Baby 3 born at 40weeks+1 day - totally natural water birth - was posterior position, but being upright in the water helped a LOT and was born a happy apgar 10!

I've been trying spinning babies - no success yet - but I keep trying! My midwife thinks it won't work until I'm in labour as there is so much room for my baby to just turn back at the moment. I think she was referring to the posterior position rather than the breech bit then though..... I don't think she is happy to see me going into labour breech and THEN try to turn the baby!

The midwife is aware of the family/transport situation over the next few days.

I know it's not dreadfully likely I'd go into labour early - but I was more concerned at how much time my consultant would need to make a decision of what to do next IF the baby doesn't turn back again on his own.

Didylicious,
Would second what Rohan says about trying to get baby to turn head down.

If you succeed then you could try Mary Cronk's tip to keep baby in place by wearing some VERY tight cycle shorts with reinforced panals up the side (mmmm.... in this heat)

I think the idea is to stop your tummy spreading too much sideways so that baby can turn transverse again.

Oh - and if your waters do go with a pop (unlikely) it's not just down on all fours - it's arse up in the air until the ambulance arrives.

But I don't think it'll come to that do you? Cord prolapse is .... someone remind me... one in 500 births? Anyway - pretty rare.

With it being your 4th all the muscles are not as tight as they used to be, nice i know. My last baby (#6) was breech and still moving round happily until i was 39+ weeks, he then turned and went head down ready for birth. I was amazed as i had convinced myself as he was breech for so long he would stay that way.

I think your baby is just enjoying the space and will (hopefully) right himself before birth.

Poor you on your own with all the kids though, hope he is working hard in Spain

Baby #5 was born in 40 minutes and i panicked about #6 coming quickly and being the wrong way. Of course he took hours and was a ventouse

Dont worry and keep on all fours bum in the air! Good luck

Yes I just had a prolapse cord that was not diagnosed till I was in hosptial. I had to go on all fours to theatre, then lie on my left side with my right leg in the air. My waters went before this as well but baby was not breech, it was 3/5 engaged but on a funny angle. It was pretty bad and put in that postion again I would go for a early section.