Question about transverse baby

[skidoodle]

I'm 36 weeks. 2 weeks ago baby was transverse and I have an appointment to go back at 39 weeks to see if the baby has turned. If not I'm looking at an ELCS (had EMCS first time).

I've read on another thread here that in some places they take you into hospital at 37 weeks if baby transverse because it is dangerous to go into labour if the baby is in this position.

Is this true? Should I be considering myself to be in a risky situation once I reach 37 weeks? I am planning to spend Christmas with my parents, which is a 2.5-3 hour drive away from the hospital and is also in a different country.

Is that incredibly foolhardy? I was 2 weeks overdue last time, so I've been just assuming I had loads of time before the baby came or I had to start really worrying about labour starting.

I answered on the other thread - that was the deal in my local area, and I posted on here to get opinions at the time and the experts on here told me to do as I was told (I didn't want to go into hospital as I had a 16m toddler at home).

I would certainly worry about being 3hrs from the hospital (in the end, my baby turned enough so they let me home (20 mins away) with strict instructions to call an ambulance if labour started). He moved out of position again anyway, so being head down at 36+6 was no guide.

If you have an experienced midwife close by, I wouldn't worry. But I might be a little nervous in the situation you describe. (My first was late too.) I think the main risk is cord prolapse.

I would speak to your mw and consultant. (There were other complicating factors in my case.)

Thanks Chaotica yes it was your post that set me thinking, but didn't want to hijack the other thread.

I am seeing the midwife on Wednesday, which is the day before I travel. I will talk to her about what I should do. Also, she is good at palpation, so hopefully will have good news about the baby being in a better position [hope against hope emoticon]. From the movement I can feel, I really don't think that news is going to be good.

When the consultant told me the baby was transverse I really had no idea it was such a big deal, I just thought "oh it'll probably turn and it will all be fine".

Thanks again

Chaotica is right. This risk comes from cord prolapse if your waters break and the baby is in a transverse position as there is no head or bottom to act like a plug over the cervix. This would constitute an obstetric emergency. Where I work if a baby is persistently transverse we keep the woman in from 37 weeks until delivery. However, different hospitals have different policies. Did your consultant say they would see you again at 39 weeks to check presentation? If so then it sounds to me like they won't do anything until then.

My baby keeps pivoting between breech, oblique and transverse. I am 37+4 and booked for a c/s at 38+5 for other reasons. they did ask me to keep popping back every few days to check the lie of the baby, and to do that, they are using scans rather than palpation for accuracy. However, because Xmas is in the middle of my time, I do not have to be admitted , but do have to get onto all fours and dial 999 should waters go, or other definite signs of labour. I would definitely raise the situation with your mw sooner rather than later given the distance you are going to be away from your local hospital.

Yes, the consultant said she would see me again at 39 weeks to check presentation. There is some discrepancy over the dates, so to them that is 38 weeks.

She wanted to see me a week earlier, but that is New Year's Day, so it got postponed. I'm worried that she meant me to come to see her early the following week but I actually made an appointment for a full week later as I didn't think there was any particular reason to worry about this.

I will definitely talk to the midwife about whether it is a good idea to travel under the circumstances.

Obstetric emergency

i had a transverse baby who turned himself at about 38 weeks

i know the emergency bit is worrying, but remember most labours don't start with water breaking

and would you be 3 hours away from any maternity hospital or just yours?

Don't know if this helps, and this is obviously NOT medical advice, but my DC3 was a trapeze artist who kept changing between transverse and extended breach position. I was booked to go into hospital on the Monday for ECV (or is it EVC) but I spent the weekend on all fours, swimming and I even had some reflexology as well.

That seemed to do the trick into getting him into head down position.

However, when he was transverse, I was very aware that it can be dangerous, and I even left work earlier than planned because I knew that if my waters broke I would have to get to the hospital fast.

I do know that a friend who used a different hospital to me, was kept in at about 37/38 weeks as her baby was transverse and their policy was to not let her go home.
Have another chat with your MW and Good Luck with everything...

I would be 3 hours from my maternity hospital but reasonably close to the hospital I was born in. Because that is in another country, it is not part of the same system as the NHS. I would have no worries about standards particularly, just about having an obstetric emergency in a hospital that was not expecting to have to deal with me and potentially over Christmas when they might be understaffed.

Looks, like I should spend more time on all fours

Thanks you all, your comments have been really helpful

Sorry to have worried you further. Hopefully the holidays will pass without event. Just remember to take your handheld notes with you and check your health insurance covers you too.