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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Footling Breech

11 replies

onetiredmummy · 21/04/2009 16:52

Well, baby is due next Thurs & just had a scan that shows he is a footling breech. Been on the net & it seems that trying to push him out is a bad idea & I should ask for c section. Is this true?? I would welcome any breech baby stories no matter how scary!

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BonzoDoodah · 21/04/2009 17:00

Hi there
my baby was transverse lie at 38 weeks - which meant she was sideways with her feet over the cervix. I had to spend 10 days in hospital as they were worried about cord prolapse (no head or bum to block the way if waters broke). Anyway after baby turning round and round for a while and sititng in breech position for a while I decided I wanted out of there. I knew that if you want baby to move you drink ice cold water and it gets them kicking. It set me thinking so in the shower I turned it to as cold as I could stand and put it where the baby's head was. (It can't hurt - it is only cold water and if I can stand it so can the baby inside how many layers).
Anyway - she moved away from the water! Down, down and away until her head was down!
I'd invented my own baby turning technique. She stayed down as well.

I went into labour naturally a week later. (Didn't all go to plan but that was because she had a big head and couldn't get out - but that's another story.)

May be worth getting in the shower and giving it a try? Otherwise - I wouldn't chose a CSection but it wasn't as hideous as I'd built it up to be. But then I had quite an easy recovery - my friends didn't with infections etc.
Good luck with whatever you chose and let us know how it goes.

Auntylulu · 21/04/2009 17:03

on the whole, a footling breech can be the most complicated of all breech deliveries, and esepcially if this is a first baby, a c.section would potentially be the safest way to deliver, i thikn ECV is not possible/recommended for footling breech, but you can discuss with your caregivers. has baby been head down up until now?

Auntylulu · 21/04/2009 17:03

did your hosptial recommend what you should do in terms of delivery?

LeninGrad · 21/04/2009 17:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Northernlurker · 21/04/2009 17:07

this is a story of unexpected breech turning out fine - but that doesn't mean it would always do so

I would ask for a section in your shoes.

this is an interesting thread

as is this

Original poster

onetiredmummy · 21/04/2009 17:38

Thanks for all of your replies, this is my 2nd baby. It seems I'm not v good at giving birth, ds1 was born after long long labour with forceps in the end & we both had trauma which led to PND. I was hoping this birth would be easier & lay some demons to rest but it doesn't seem likely now. After the experience of the first birth I'm not sure why I'm so scared of a cs, but the thought of it terrifies me.

Going to the hospital tomorrow to see consultant, if it is a cs then it will be early next week. Thats not a lot of time, which may be why I'm panicking.

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Auntylulu · 21/04/2009 17:48

if you have given birth before, your pelvis is 'tried' so that is a good thing . second labour s are often a lot , lot better for many reasons. a planned c.s can be a really positive experience and you can personalise it and do a birth preferences plan for it.

however, of all the breech presentations, a footling can be more complicated

if you would prefer a VB, then you can request one. mary cronk is the expert on vaginal breech birth, have a google of her. best start to a breech birth is spontaneous and for the labour to progress without any augmentation

Original poster

onetiredmummy · 21/04/2009 17:55

Auntylulu thanks. I have looked her up & its good stuff.

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Auntylulu · 21/04/2009 17:59

you are welcome, and let us know how it goes

Reggiee · 21/04/2009 20:49

Hi onetiredmummy. You sure you want my story...

My dd was an undiagnosed footling breech. I laboured well in the birthing pool and all was good until the mw broke my waters at 10cm, then out popped her foot. All hell broke lose, with alarms sounding and people rushing in. I got out of the lovely pool and had to waddle down the corridor (foot hanging out) to the harsh delivery room, where they said they needed to try and push her leg back inside me so I could try for a vaginal birth. They tried unsuccessfully to push her foot back inside (no pain relief but I have sa big memory block on this!) then decided there was no choice but to move to theatre for an em cs under general. I think they would have gone down the cs route initially but said that she was too far down the birth canal. Had they been successful in getting her leg back inside I would have needed a large episiotomy (I remember being told that bit as I'd specified no episiotomy on my birth plan).

Thankfully throughout this, dd was v chilled and it was just my poor dh who couldn't quite believe the turn of events.

When I got home, I looked into footling breeches. I found it quite hard to find information - some threads that Tangle posted on were v useful, and I found info by Mary somebody or other (hmm not particularly helpful).

What I did find out however, was that footling breeches can be the most difficult / dangerous type of breech to deliver vaginally.

Good luck with whatever decision you make. I'll be thinking of you as my dc2 is also due next Thursday!!

Original poster

onetiredmummy · 23/04/2009 09:17

Thanks Reggiee, that really helped as saw consultant yesterday & have a c section booked for tomorrow. Was feeling guilty about not trying to turn him, but after reading your story I'm glad I went for section.

Will be thinking of you next Thurs.

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