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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

ANyone been told to have a scan in labour?

17 replies

littlelamb · 26/05/2008 12:51

My midwife has just come to my house to have a check now I am 39 weeks and what she said has really worried me. DB is posterior, which I have known for weeks now, as was dd, who didn't turn during labour (I managed to push her out just before they were going to ventouse). The midwife has said because the baby is still so active and only 1/5 of the head is engaged I will be given a scan when I go into labour to assess his position (she spent a long time feeling my tummy today and I don't think she was confident about what she could feel) I am really worried that this will lead to more intervention than I would like. I obviouisly want to know everything is ok, but I don't want lots of unnecessary interference. Dd was induced so I was on my back being monitored the whole time which I think is why she didn't turn. The thing I am most worreid about is having a cesarean - I have no reason to think that I will have one but the prospect of it really scares me Obviously if I have to be induced again I will expect more intervention but otherwise I really want the midwives to be as hands off as possible.

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expatinscotland · 26/05/2008 12:53

my sister had a scan during labour and it was confirmed then that her baby was breech.

it's a good thing, too, because it gave her time to have spinal anaesthetic rather than csection under GA.

csections aren't the end of the world and much better than complications during labour.

belgo · 26/05/2008 12:55

I really don't know why you would need a scan. You've given birth before to an OP baby without intervention, why would they think you can't do it again? Or is she worried that your baby is in breech position?

And you're right about lying on your back would not have helped your baby to turn. Going on your hands and knees would have helped, even doing that now, daily, as much as possible, may help get your baby in a good position.

cc21 · 26/05/2008 12:57

My DD was an undiagnosed breech. I was scanned when I got to hospital, as DD had pooed when waters went, and an internal revealed they could feel a foot .

had to have cs but had a spinal and was not as bad as I had envisioned. Well, actually hadn't given a cs a thought, was supposed to be having water birth at midwifery-led unit. Honestly cs was probably about as calm as you could imagine for mjor surgery

Original poster

littlelamb · 26/05/2008 13:00

I think the problem might be that she couldn't be sure the baby wasn't breech She didn't say that explicitly, but there was lots of poking around and 'hmm I think thats the head' I agree that knowing beforehand is better than the complications arising during labour, but why would she not suggest a scan beforehand in that case rather than waiting until I was actually in labour and it's a bit late?

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CarGirl · 26/05/2008 13:03

The longer they leave the scan the better the chance of the baby being in the right position? All you can do is ask do you think this baby is breech and if so can you scan now? Would you try for delivering the baby breech?

Original poster

littlelamb · 26/05/2008 13:08

I don't know. I assume that being posterior AND breech would add a whole host of complications, but I could be wrong. She didn't explicitly say that it could be breech though, that was just the sense I got. If she had her suspicions though shouldn't she be telling me a bit more, if only so I can read up on it? I have no idea about breech births

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liahgen · 27/05/2008 08:23

I had a scan during labour with my 5th baby, as had been pushing for an hour and noone could understand why baby wasn't born. I had her at
Maidstone and they very good at avoiding interventions, so instead of straight to instrumental delivery, they scanned to find her position.

she was stuck slightly off centre if you like, and so doctor manually turned her as I pushed and she was able to be born naturlly.

It doesn't always mean it will lead to intervention
hope it all goes well

liahgen · 27/05/2008 08:24

sory also meant to say, If you are happy, then you can say you would like to try for natural delivery even if baby is breech.

wishingchair · 27/05/2008 11:06

I had a scan in labour with my first because the new midwife came on shift and couldn't be sure the big hard lump at the top of my bump wasn't DD's head. Scan confirmed she wasn't breech and I could get back into the pool and let the whole thing take its course.

SixSpotBurnet · 27/05/2008 11:11

I had a scan in labour with DS2 for similar reasons - they weren't absolutely sure he wasn't breech. Once they were satisfied that he was head down, they left me alone and I had a completely natural birth (not even gas and air) about an hour later! So it doesn't necessarily mean that you will be on the path to intervention.

Had he been head down though I would have been more than delighted to have a caesarean.

SixSpotBurnet · 27/05/2008 11:11

Sorry - that should be "had he not been head down".

Original poster

littlelamb · 27/05/2008 13:53

Thanks for all your input. I do have a couple of stupid questions though- can they still scan you if your waters have broken? And how on earth do you lie still for a scan when you are having contractions?! Do you generally have to go to the scanning room or do they bring the machine to you? I don't fancy being wheeled past all the waiting ladies screaming like a banshee

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PictureThis · 27/05/2008 14:01

we have a scanner on the ward so if any doubt arises re presentation of the baby then it can be done then and there without a departmental scan. I have to agree with other posters and say that in my experience I have only ever know of a scan to be used in labour to rule out a breech presentation, or to confirm position of placenta if a woman presents with a concealed/undiagnosed pregnancy.

TattyCatty · 27/05/2008 14:02

I was scanned in labour to check DDs position after the Registrar had tried to manually turn her from OP - will never forget her words "oh, that's a pair of eyes, that's not good news..." My waters had been broken approx 7 hours previously, so no problem with that. They bring the machine to you and in my case, it was a 30 second job just to ascertain the position of the head, so they managed to do it in the very brief pause between contractions.

happynappies · 27/05/2008 14:13

I was scanned in labour because they thought my dd was breach - she wasn't. I can't remember too much about it other than it was quick, and quite reassuring to know that everything was ok. They brought the machine to me, and it was done between contractions.

SixSpotBurnet · 27/05/2008 14:13

littlelamb, my waters had definitely broken well before I had my scan and yes they did bring a portable scanning machine to the delivery suite!

DaisySteiner · 27/05/2008 23:28

If she really thinks your baby might be breech then she should really have referred you for a scan IMHO. Labour is really not the best time to be making a decision about whether to go for a vaginal breech or a cesarean.

Can't really imagine they'd scan you just because the baby is posterior - as you know from last time, it's not the end of the world and most babies either turn and are born normally or don't turn and are born normally so what would a scan actually acheive?!

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