Crying at home alone because I'm so scared of a C/S...

[newmomma]

Hi,

I need someone to come and tell me I'm being ridiculous.

Have just had my 31 week appointment with the doctor (I'm 32 weeks tomorrow) and the baby is still head up.

I have until my 34 week appointment for the baby to move (22nd March) - at which point they will start scheduling me in for a caesarean.

I know some people would happily opt for a c/s over a 'natural' delivery - but I'm sat at home in tears because I SO wanted my water birth this time round it hurts. I enjoyed my labour (normal delivery) so much with DS1 that I've been looking forward to having DC2 and this is just spoiling how I feel about the pregnancy at the moment. I'm booked in at a lovely MLU that only has 5 beds and means I can have a water birth, aromatherapy oils, one-to-one midwife care and it all just seems like its slipping away from me.

I'm actually terrified of having a caesarean.

Please someone come and tell me it'll be alright...

You poor thing!

I'm one of those happy to have a cs and worried about NOT getting one! Had an emergency one with first DD and got elective booked for next week. I'm dreading idea of going into labour early and not having time to get to hospital for cs!

To reasssure you, my emergency CS was fine and I'm told that planned are even better. It doesn't hurt during and I didn't have any pain after. Yes, you need to remain in bed for first 24 hours, but then they make sure you get up after that (this is hardest bit!) and have a shower etc. The key is to take it easy, accept help, take painkillers. They usually don't keep you in more than a couple of nights.

I would have thought that your LO still has loads of time to turn anyway. Look at Spinning Babies for the breech tilt exercise. Sit on gym ball.

I wish you luck and please don't worry.

Meant to add, it doesn't take 6 weeks to fully recover.

You'll be out of bed by the following day and need to gradually increase activity levels. I was able to pop to shops alone by about the fifth day. Was using public transport after a week or so. We moved from London to Yorkshire when our DD was only 6 weeks old, packed a house and loaded removal van ourselves! Not showing off but demonstrating that you really won't be sitting around for 6 weeks recovering.

Good luck!

The NICE guidelines say "All women who have an uncomplicated singleton breech pregnancy at 36 weeks gestation should be offered external cephalic version" - might be worth asking why the guideline isn't being followed in your case?

My little one was breech until 30-something weeks, then one evening he started literally heaving himself around. I was walking around an exhibition with a friend, wearing a lopsided bump and having my insides jostled. Very funny!

You might find that your baby turns if you go swimming - mine did at 36 weeks - VERY strange feeling when I was swimming - all poke and heave and wobbly bump, and grinding in my guts.
I was swimming from breaststroke to back stroke and was curled up at the side of the pool to kick off on back stroke when babe started to turn.
So I held on to the side of the pool, and was a bit breathless when turning was taking place - it was like an internal organ massage and the weirdest feeling.

Got out of the pool and immediately needed to have a wee (tmi?) as head was now pressing on my bladder - cue fast waddling to loo...LOL

good luck

i was about to suggest you google mary cronk and "hands off the breech"

i know there are a few posters on here who have had vaginal breech births,
it's absolutely possible, and safe (depending on type of breech) so do look it all up and make sure that whatever decision you come to it's an informed one!

here's hoping baby turns though, you still ahve time for it to do so. my first was def still head up at 31 weeks, and i know a couple of people whose babnies haven't turned til 34/35 weeks

Well... I'm 33 weeks today and baby is still (I think) head up. :-(

Am seeing the midwife on Monday for my 34 week appointment. A little early but what with Easter and her taking holiday with no cover and only working one day a week it was early or 3 weeks late. And I don't feel like I have three weeks to spare.

If the baby is still breech on Monday I have lined up someone to do Moxibustion and acupuncture and some friends have recommended a good reflexologist (ex midwife apparently) so I'm going to try the lot.

I still can't make my mind up about the ECV - my midwife didn't mention it last time I saw her (28 weeks I think) but then she didn't exactly go into any details. She just not to worry and that it would all be covered at our next appointment.

Have done lots of research into breech deliveries although so far I'm not feeling an overwhelming supportive response from the HCP's I have spoken with. We'll see...

Should really try swimming, just not sure I'm brave enough to be seen in a cozzy at the mo!

newmomma - my cossie was actually a pregnancy one from Next - with a gathered sided tankini and shorts - very comfy indeed.
Still use it on my 'bigger belly days'

I think babe felt free to move because of the weightlessness of the water, combined with the stretching and compression of going to kick off on the backstroke from swimming up to the end of the pool on my front IYSWIM. HTH

I have had two elective c sections and both have been wonderful, positive experiences. I watched both dd's being born and held them straight away after. With dd2, they didn't even bother taking her away to weigh her for a while, they left her with me.

I had so many friends who had awful births, I am so grateful that I have had two such great experiences. Yes, in our dreams we would all love the wonderful water birth but I wonder how many people actually get it?

Incidentally, dd1 was breech and they tried to turn her at about 38 weeks and it was the most painful experience of either of my two pregnancies. And she ducked under the consultant's hands so there was no way she was going to turn (and almost got called Maggie because of it!).

Four and two years on, the way either of them were born is of so little importance.

Good luck with whatever you chose, I hope the baby turns!

I've been in a pretty similar position to you. Baby has been breech since my 22 week scan. I've tried all sorts of things to get him to turn, but I'm now 38+3 and he's still breech. My doctor tried an ECV at 37 weeks, but he couldn't get baby to budge, as he's got his feet tucked up underneath him (footling breech). His head and torso would move but his feet wouldn't budge. I'd definitely give an ECV a go if I were you. It was a bit uncomfortable, but not horribly painful, and baby didn't seem at all phased by it.

I'm now booked in for an ELCS next Monday (at 39+3). My doctor said that for a first baby it would be too stressful for me and baby to attempt a vaginal breech birth. While I wasn't overjoyed at this news, I've since done lots of reading and have realised that a CS won't be so bad, and it is probably the best thing for me and baby. Apparently, footling breech is fairly hard to deliver naturally. And, I'd personally much rather have a peaceful, scheduled CS than an emergency one halfway through a difficult labour.

I found that talking (and crying) to my doctor about all my concerns really helped me get things straight in my head. Why not write down your questions for your next visit, and go through all your worries with your consultant?

My first was breech at 34 weeks, and I wasn't offered an ECV because she was also very low on fluid, for unknown reasons - so they concluded that she just didn't physically have room to turn round; conclusion was that she's been breech for weeks and no-one had noticed!

So I had an elective c/s, and it was fine. In fact I was thrilled, i never wanted to give birth anyway . I was up walking within about 4 hours, took no pain killers after about 48 hours, was home within 2 days and out to dinner in 4 . So it doesn't have to be weeks of pain and recovery time.

Fingers crossed she turns for you though, sounds like you still have time and some options!

Have been to the midwife this morning.
She's unsure about the position... She thinks it may have turned, but can't decide. I have had awful stitch-like pain this morning - had to walk into the surgery bent double - and when she examined me it was incredibly uncomfortable. She's hopeful that the pain is due to the baby having moved but couldn't be 100%.

I think she's seen what a state I'm in and is trying to give me a stress-free three weeks until my next appointment when we will make some decisions. I'm going to sit tight and wait until I see her 3 weeks today and then we'll decide about having an ECV. I'll definitely have one if bubs is still breech.

She was lovely though. She said she'd happily support me in having a vb delivery if I wanted!

I guess because baby has always been breech I feel worried that she's settled into a position she's happy with and so is unlikely to move.

Am no

Newmomma - just make sure you get a scan if the midwife is still unsure at your next visit. My midwife thought dd1 had turned but she hadn't. She mistook the head for a bum! And the last thing you need is to go into what you think is a "normal" birth and then find out the baby is breech - that way you are almost sure to end up with an emergency section.

My mw said the same to me at 32 weeks - baby head up, bottom down. I too cried like anything - my last baby was back to back, so I was prepared to turn this one horizontally, but vertically was a whole other issue, and the prospect of a C/S terrifies me.

I've since had some chiropractic to sort out my sacroiliac joint which was seized solid and causing my pelvis to be out of alignment (the chiropractor also confirmed that baby was bottom down, and transverse). I've also been doing the inversion technique recommended on Spinning Babies (on the stairs, not the breech tilt yet) - and at my 34 week appt the GP said baby felt like he was now head down. I know he can still turn and turn about lots between now and birth-day - but I'm going to keep going with the inversions and go back for more chiropractic the week before my EDD, and hope that having a properly aligned pelvis and letting him "float free" as I hang upside down on the stairs will be sufficient to encourage him to stay the right way round. I hope that when I go back for my 36 week appt next week they will NOT be sending me for a scan to see whether he is breech or not!

Don't despair - you are being proactive! get yourself upside down on the stairs and see if that helps!

that spinning babies website is a right brain-spinner, I thought that too! I'm having similar worries with breach twins, the terrors have subsided a bit now having read up on what the C/Section entails though - being more informed from books and hospital leaflets makes the prospect less frightening.

Please be careful ladies - hanging upside down on the stairs - make sure you have someone there to help you get up... you know, a cesarean birth isn't all that bad really!

Good luck.

BomDigger Have you got any news yet??
You must have a baby in your arms by now...?

Come back and let me know how it all happened?
xx

BomDigger...?

Hi

I posted on this thread a couple of weeks ago having had a previous emcs and was just about to have a planned one.

Well, I had the planned one 10 days ago, was out of bed next day, home after two nights and am now moving about freely, been discharged by midwife today and all is fine.

Basically, just wanted to let you know that I have now had two straightforward c sections and to tell you not to worry!!

Good luck!

I flippin' LOVED my C-section!

I got to 41 weeks with DS and the scan showed he was head up and back-to-back. I was told the options and a section seemed the safest option for me and the baby. I actually then went into labour anyway that same night and so had an emergency section in the end (made it to 7cms!)

The spinal block was piece of cake, you feel a tiny scratch for the anaesthetic and then nothing - bear in mind I was trying to keep still during a contraction while they applied the block! After that, everything goes numb and you're away.

I was out of hospital 2.5 days after DS was delivered and healed beautifully. My stitch was one long one that didn't dissolve and I was panicking about the midwife removing it but I felt absolutely nothing because the nerves on the area are severed, which makes it naturally numb!

You will be fine - good luck

Thanks for checking back in messylittlemonkey. Its great to hear how both your c/s experiences went; the emergency and the planned.

Its great to know about how stress free your section went and that the healing/stitch removal wasn't too bad.

I went for a private presentation scan yesterday (my lovely Gran paid as she could see how much I was stressing) and it showed that the baby is now head down. Thankfully.

The measurements confirmed that I'm 33 weeks rather than 34 (12 week scan measured due date as 17th May, but my dates gave the EDD as 8th) and that I don't have masses of fluid (there's enough) and so hopefully little chance of the baby moving back the wrong way round.

What a wonderful thread this has been - just what I needed to hear at the time. If baby DOES change positions again(!) I'll come back...

Thank you all ever so much!

Really happy for you - been reading with interes as I found out the ther dy that baby os breech at 37 weeks...trying all the stuff on here, and have ECV scheduled for tuesday...heres hoping she or he turns!

If not, the c section stories have helped a lot, been an emotional few days as they also suspect preeclampsia, and have pool set up downstars ready to go...very depressing that probably wont get to use it, but the positive stories on here have helped a lo, thanks.

Hi holytoast

Best of luck with your ECV on Tuesday - I'd be really interested to hear how it went?

I am still certain as the days go by that my lo has moved back the wrong way up.

At least you know that at 37 weeks your lo can be delivered, by any means, and will be safe at that age. Try not to worry about things - let us know how the ECV/preeclampsia turns out.

Just try and visualise your home water birth - apparently (I've done LOTS of reading on breech babies and how to turn them!) - visualisation and talking to your baby to tell them to move is just as likely to help as anything else.

Oh, and my friend was booked in for an ECV last weeks (also at 37 weeks) and when she got there to have it - the baby had moved to head down. She had no idea.

So they can definitely move even in the later stages.

Best of luck - keep in touch. x

Thanks - will do! had scan today, baby still bum down, but its extened breech, with plenty of fluid, and slightly smaller than average baby, 6lbs 9 they think, so all good for moving - she did say that as I am so uncomfortable already, and there isn't much room, that the ecv could be very uncomfortable...but will give it a go.

turns out blood pressure is fine again, after being up in the morning yesterday, and then fine in the afternoon, so nothing certain - however found out today that I do have group b step apparently, which could cause protein in urine...

So my homebirth not looking too likely! Am coming round to idea of c section though, and I think would defo rather have it planned than emergency. Its still a sacry thought, but, baby at the end of it all will make it all worth it. My friend had one, she was fine pretty quickly, up and about, moved house 5 weeks later.

Good luck with yours - the worst thing at the moment is I am so battered and bruised, from head in ribs, feet and elbows and knees in side, this baby sure is a wriggler! Don't knwo if you get this? if not then hopefully yours has stayed the right way - I am going to try reflexology etc next week if the ecv doesn't work. will let you know!

Said I would come back and let you know how it went...
had ECV this morning, feeling a little sore, but it was fine really, got myself in a bit of a state about it, but the injection was hardly even a scratch, and then two docs attempted to move the baby - but didn't work. the most uncomfortable thing was the consultant had fairly long nails, which dug in a bit! They have said I can have one more go, and that they often have success the second time - which is booked in for next monday, but can always have a think about it and cancel if we want.

The midwife there was lovely, and also mentioned moxibustion, which she does - said she has nearly 100% success rate - so am seeing her on thursday. She even said they are thinking of offering it at the hospital soon!

In two minds about the c section - all booked in now, for two weeks time - but even if baby turns, wont be able to have hb because of strep b. potentially will be able to have the pool at hospital, but I have medical history that may rule that out...and the thought of labouring in hospial without a pool for pain relief, and having to be in afterwards on a ward - total opposite of evreything I wanted!

Beginning to think it might just be easier to have the c section, as at least we would know what was happening and wouldn't have to worry about all these 'ifs.'

The EVC really wasn't that bad, the baby didn't seem stressed at all - going to spend the next two weeks on all fours, in the pool, and burning weird cigars near my toes, with my bum in the air, I think!