Breech Baby! Options?

[lifeas3plus1]

I'm be 34 weeks tomorrow.

MW has said that baby is breech and to go back in 2 weeks. If baby still breech then I'll be sent for a scan.

The MW led me to believe that if baby was still breech then that I will have 2 options.

1. Have the baby turned.

2. Opt for a c-section.

I'm really not sure what I think. I've heard uch horror stories about broken bones and dislicated (sp?) joints in the baby after being turned but otoh I know a c-section is major surgery and it takes longer to recover from but I'm still really unsure of what to do if and when the time comes.

Anyone have any advice/experience?

Is this your first baby or have you already had children?
My second baby was breech and my doctor told me that she was prepared to deliver him naturally because my first birth had been natural and with no problems.
I know that many doctors are prepared to deliver naturally if you prefer, but they are often more wary of that with a first baby.
It also depends on the position of the baby. Is it in the foetal position or are its legs straight up with his bottom down? That can also make a difference when the doctor considers the options.

Certainly I agree with you that I would have preferred to avoid a c-section if possible.
Personally, I would have gone for the turning option, but I hadn't heard about the chances of injuring the baby so badly.
One thing I have heard is that some babies turn back after being turned. Indeed, my DS turned at about 27 weeks naturally, and then turned breech again afterwards.

1. vaginal breech birth

Just to make it clear, my DS was delivered by vaginal breech birth.
And it happened at home (unplanned) with no medical help (other than the ambulance that arrived at the end). So it is definitely possible!

Oooo that's good to know.

He will be my 2nd baby and DS1 was born with absolutely no complications.

According to the MW he is legs firmly clamped together in my pelvis. He isn't back to back though.

I'm guessing a Vaginal Breech Birth is a lot more effort (not really the right word but can't think of anything else right now) than delivering a head down baby?

I have had a breech baby.

For me, there were too choices:

1. Totally natural labour (no induction or augmentation), with no one touching the baby until the neck was visible.

2. C-section.

Fortunately, 1) worked for me, but if labour had stopped for any reason, I would have wanted a c-section.

Basically, if doctors are going to be involved, have them do a c-section - nothing else.

A breech baby isn't any harder to deliver than a vaginal one. You have the same hormones dilating your cervix.

if you're interested in vaginal breech birth then google Mary Cronk

It's great that he's your second baby. If your doctor is anything like mine, that will give her more confidence in agreeing to a natural birth.
My doctor told me my pelvis would need to be measured to check that DS's legs and body could pass through together because he was presenting bottom down with his legs up in front of his face. (Actually, he changed position before the birth and came out legs first in the foetal position)

Actually, no. A breech birth is not harder work than a normal birth. You aren't supposed to push the baby out, but relax and allow it to birth itself. (I didn't find that as difficult as you might imagine) The body kind of slips out naturally.
The hard part was birthing the head. When birthing a normal baby the head comes out first and your muscles push against the baby's body to push it out.
In a breech birth the baby's body is already out when you have to push out the head. There fore my muscles were pushing, but had nothing to push against. I found it really hard to get DS's head out, but I managed it eventually.
Other than that, I wouldn't say one birth was so different from the other.

I haven't had any direct experience of a breech birth but the above posters seem to have some really great advice. I just wanted to add that homeopathy may be able to help. I trained as a homeopath and there are remedies that you can take to encourage baby to turn. I'm not sure what your views on complementary medicine are but you may feel it's worth a try. If so, I would recommend getting in touch with a registered homeopath - the Society of Homeopaths would be able to provide details of some in your area, this is their website: www.homeopathy-soh.org/
They also do a leaflet about homeopathy in pregnancy and childbirth, this is the link to that: www.homeopathy-soh.org/about-homeopathy/what-is-homeopathy/pregnancy-and-childbirth.aspx

Anyway HTH, good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.

Homeothapy bollocks.

or you could just drink some tap water. it'll have the same effect

Will it have the right memory?

Can I ask those of you who actually had a breech birth - did you tear badly?

oh i'm sure it'll have picked something up on its way through the waste water treatment place!

No, no tears at all. Not even bruising.

It's the same sized baby whichever direction they come out.

I'm PMSL at thisisyesterday

Thanks for the tips. Although I think I'll just keep bouncing on that ball.

Good to know about your experience of no tearing and bruising though MmeRedWhiteandBlueberry

I had a very slight graze from Ds1 (which was stitched up before I even knew what was happening ) but that hurt like a bitch afterwards when I pee'd. Wouldn't like a full on tear.

"Homeothapy bollocks."

Mme, that is (I think) the first time I have agreed with you wholeheartedly

Just wanted to add that DD was breech and I had an elcs which was a great experience. You have options; don't be bullied by midwife/consultant into something you don't want, be that cs or vaginal birth.

Good luck.

moxibustion

I'm not an alternative medicine type person, but my DC3 who was extended breech, turned after reflexology and some of the exercises as suggested by spinningbabies.com

But I suppose it depends if your baby is "free" or not. If the feet are wedged, it may be different.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

You didn't correct my spelling, TE!!!

I did a lot of reading before my breech baby was born, and I came to the conclusion that it was either a totally hands off vaginal birth or a c-section - no middle ground.

I did not conclude that turning was a good option. I had (irrational) fears of shearing the placenta off, but that aside, a baby settles into a breech position for a reason. If a breech baby can be born vaginally, then it will. If it can't, then turning it and trying to force it is fruitless and carries an additional risk without an associated benefit.

Mary Cronk is a wonderful resource.

tethersend

Good to know you had a poisitve Ecs experience.

Seems I have a few things to think about before next appointment so I can go into things fully confident if baby is still breech.

Funny actually, I had a horrible pregnancy with ds1 but a really easy fairly pain free birth.
This time the pregnancy has been, well, perfect and dp has been sayin all along that I'll probably have complications in the birth.

Because apparently not everyone is THAT lucky. [hmmm]

Wow Mme ... wow wow wow wow wow wow wow ...I am amazed.

I've had two breech babies so am au fait with many methods to turn them. Some of the methods are:

Acupuncture
Moxibustion
Kneeling down with head on floor, bum in air
Homeopathy
Aiming a torch at bottom of bump to give Baby something to turn to.
Hypnosis
Talking to your baby, asking them to move.

I'm not sure that the ball would help - could you be bouncing the baby further into your pelvis?

I am a HypnoBirthing Practioner . If you live in south London/north Surrey I'd be happy to help you with the hypnosis element (for free).

My first baby was breech, vaginal delivery.

The most important thing is exactly hnow the baby is sitting. Unless both legs up folded up well (so bottom can press down on cervix), you may have difficulties. If one leg is poking down and could go through cervix before the bottom, then you must have a C-section (baby will get stuck). But you're unlikely to know final position for a few more weeks yet, so don't feel pressurised into making a decision yet.

The thing which is harder for the midwife is the care needed to support ther baby's body when it's on the outside and the head is still in. The neck is terribly fragile and some kinds of damage can be serious. This - together with generally lower experience of vaginal breech deliveries - can IMHO make staff lack confidence and push the C-section option.

From your point of view, the thing to remember is that the sensations will be different - there won't be the "head then everything else slips out": shoulders are wider than the bottom and then the head is still pretty bulky, so there can be 3 definate "big" moments.

Mme, I'm not correcting anything after that