ECV - what to expect

[Takenoprisoners]

I am coming up to 37 weeks and will be facing an ECV early next week if baby hasn't turned by then. 2nd baby, currently breech, midwife says loads of room in there and not engaged at all yet. I am prepared to try the ECV in the hope of avoiding a section (I don't want to opt for breech vaginal delivery) but I am really quite anxious about this procedure (okay ... I am bricking it). No horror stories please, just a realistic picture as to what to expect, what they do, what it feels like etc. Reassurance would be most welcome!

Hi - I had an ECV with my first-born dd a couple of years ago. It wasn't successful but I'm really glad I tried it as I wanted to know I'd tried all my options before going for a section.

For me the whole thing was a bit of a kerfuffle - I spent about four hours on a bed in a labour ward with dd being monitored before a consultant was available to try the ECV. After administering a muscle relaxant (which made me feel a bit sick), the doctor scanned my bump to determine how dd was lying and then basically tried to shove her round - it didn't seem particularly sophisticated and was like being on the end of a hefty massage but without any pleasure, IYSWIM? Because dd's bum was by that time engaged in my pelvis it did get quite painful after a couple of goes and I had to ask him to stop. He obviously had put quite a lot of effort into it as I was a bit battered and bruised for a couple of days afterwards!

I was very upset about dd remaining breech but in the end had a very calm cs with a remarkably smooth recovery. Really hope your baby turns round by whatever means but, if not, just wanted to say you can have a positive experience with a section.

I had an ECV with dd2 (3rd baby) and it was fine. Uncomfortable while it lasted, but very quick. And successful.

Apparently much more likely to work with 2nd and subsequent babies (presumably as your muscle tone is not what it would be with a first pg).

Went on to have a normal birth. Def worth trying, though try to make sure you get someone who has lots of experience.

It hurts.
You will feel sick all day afterwards.
Should only be done in hospital.

I had the same experience as MrsJoshLyman, despite it being my fifth pregnancy.

Will second though the calm cs and quick recovery. Very positive experience.

Hi - I had an ECV at 37 weeks - it was uncomfortable but not bad otherwise. However she flipped back again afterward! And then back again before delivery at 41+6. If it's for a breech - have you tried the ole frozen peas at the top of your tum or kneeling on the couch and leaning forward so you rest on your arms on the floor, I've heard of both working well... Good luck

Try moxibustion (acupuncture technique) - very high success rate!

see www.breech.co.uk to buy your own moxibustion kit to do it at home or go and get some acupuncture.

Thank you everyone.

MrsJoshLynman - I shall try to think of it as a massage treatment, if I have to go through with it! How long before the treatment did they administer the muscle relaxant (and was it through an IV)? Glad you and Evenhope has positive sections - I am focusing on that should the need arise.

Thanks Frogs - the consultant who does them at my hospital is apparently v experienced and has a good success rate. You mention the procedure was quick (good!) - were you kept waiting a long time before hand for the preparation?

Yes, RozDoula and Thankyou - I am busy trying all the tricks now - frozen peas, talking to the baby, moving my hands round the bump, on all fours, ironing board and hanging off the sofa upside down - I didn't think I could get into such positions while so v pregnant! I feel like a contortionist. I am booked in for a scan tomorrow to determine the presentation, and if still breech, will be trying moxibustion later this week as a last-ditch attempt before ECV next week.

1% success rate.

I had ECV at 39 weeks with my first - it was successful but unbelievably painful for me. I just lay there and cried throughout it. (but I was rather late in pregnancy for ECV)
Also, I found that DD did not engage afterwards and I had to be induced at 42 weeks ending in C-section. In hindsight I wished I'd just gone for the section!

Might be worth asking if they have statistics for % success rate and how many of the successfully turned babies go on to have a normal birth / how many instrumentals /how many sections.

At my hospital (major london teaching hospital) they reckoned on doing an average of 2 ECVs a week. The success rate was 50% overall, but lower for 1st pgs and higher for 2nd and subsequent. They estimated that the incidence of babies turning back after being successfully turned was less than 2%. They said they would only try for 2 mins, if the baby hadn't turned in that time, they'd stop trying.

They told me that the last time they'd had to do an emergency CS following an ECV had been 4 or 5 years ago, which seemed like pretty good odds to me.

There's a lot of misinformation about ECV, mainly based on experiences before the routine use of ultrasound to look at the baby's position /placenta etc.

OP -- yes, I was in hospital for a good few hours before the procedure, on a drip of some kind of adrenaline-like substance designed to soften the abdominal muscles. Tbh that was the worst part of the whole process, as it makes your heart race and makes you feel a bit faint and nauseous. But as soon as the ECV was done they switched the drip off and it was fine. They monitored me for an hour or so afterwards, and then it was off home.

The stats for my hospital are something llike 40% for first pregnancies, rising to 60% for subsequent ones, and there is one particular consultant who specialises in the procedure, so I reckon it's worth a try. Sorry it was so painful for you RedFraggle - presumably your DD had already engaged at that point? I guess that makes a difference, that and how much room there is, which of course, with a first at that stage, isn't much. I think my muscle tone has really gone to the dogs since then!

Sounds like the management for yours, Frogs was very good - I think, if they don't suggest it, I'll ask them to stop the procedure if it hasn't worked after a couple of mins or so - that sounds like common sense to me.

Yes - I think she was engaged bum down as they had to push her up into my ribs before they started to turn her.
Hopefully there should be more space at 37 weeks. The staff who did mine were all lovely and the consultant was very experienced I just found it very painful.

Because it was such a late ECV though I had about 10 extra people in the room who were students or registrars wanting to see a "late stage" ECV! Very mad to be going through it with an audience!
Hope it is successful for you.

Well, hopefully won't have to have one now: scan this morning showed head down and engaged, so fingers crossed baby will remain that way!

That is great news Takenoprisoners! I hope everything goes as you want it to!

Thank you RedFraggle and Twinkle - I somehow managed to lever myself upside down onto the ironing board last night as recommended by my doula and am sure that did the trick!