Breech at 36 weeks.

[GlitteryBalls]

Went for 36 week MW apt yesterday. Everything thing fine and perfectly normal just as it has been throughout whole of pregnancy, BUT MW thinks baby is breech atm. Typical as at every apt up til now it has been head down!

Have to go for scan next week as I will be officially full-term/37 weeks, then they will try and turn it if it is breech. She explained that most breech babies are delivered via CS and that sometimes they can be delivered vaginally with an epidural and little pushing, just using contractions and gravity. But of course I am now thinking of lots of questions I should have asked her so am turning to you lot!

I am trying not to let it worry me too much, but I think up til I have just taken it for granted that evrything would go fairly according to plan as I have been very lucky up til now. Did anyone have a baby presenting as breech at 36 weeks that then turned on it's own? Or is it likely it will stay that way now? Also, is it likely that the turning will work? Also, has anyone donw those exercises where you stick you bum in the air on all fours and had any success?

In terms of delivery, is a CS inevitable? Why do they tend to do them? Is it because the labour more longer/painful or is it because you are more likely to get "messed up" down there and need episiotomies etc? Also, if they decide at 37 weeks that I am breech, will they wait for me to go into labour/go to my due date? Or will I be pretty much whisked in straightaway?

Sorry about all the questions! Just didn't think to ask at the time and don't think I want to wait a week to find out!

Well if the baby was head down when I went in for scheduled CS, then obviously I wouldn't go ahead as the whole reason for the CS would have been negated. But I have decided that if it is still presenting as breech I will go ahead with CS as advised. It's what I feel most comfortable with. Yes I am sure that done correctly that vaginal breech birth can be perfectly safe. Thing is if there aren't many experienced MWs and OBs who are around at the time of the birth they may not do it correctly. Perhaps if I'd done it all before and previously had a normal vaginal delivery I'd feel more confident about pushing (pardon the pun) for vaginal delivery. But my instinct is telling me to go with advice right now as tbh this is all pretty new to me and I don't see any good enough reason to object as I'm sure a planned, well-executed CS will be perfectly safe 99.9% of the time as well. Anyway it is all immaterial until I know the outcome of ECV tomorrow. That's if I even get it done - they have already pushed my apt back to the afternoon as it is so I hope it doesn't end up getting cancelled altogether! All the consultants are obviously keen to get off on their Christmas holidays!

I think that's a very sensible decision, Glittery and very well informed - and I think, I would do the same in your position. It is a differernt matter if you've already had a vaginal birth and know you can manage it physically. I (personally) don't see the point in adding extra stress and worry to the whole birth experience.

That said, if you manage to get your ECV and it's successful, it may not come to that anyway.

Let us know how it goes.

Glitteryballs, hope the ECV went (is going) well this morning. Have been reading this post, and just wanted to say I'm 35wks on sunday and atm baby is breech. Also had the conversation with MW about ECV and CS and freaked me out as I assumed baby was head down (like straight-forward DS1) but I do have a few weeks before they need to decide to book me in for ECV. Am also apprehensive about it as it hurt when MW examined me yesterday to see what position the baby was in, so if a doc is going to do that and try and move the baby I can imagine it'll be painful :-( watched an ECV on youtube and the woman seemed so relaxed and didn't flinch- maybe it depends on the individual and how gentle the doc is.

anyway, let us know how it went, I'm now willing the baby to turn and starting to look into exercises I can do to turn him/her though don't want to do it too early in case baby turns back again!

SaraL77 - I had one and they will give you a muscle relaxant which should help + plus you will have access to gas and air - but I'd say doing all those breathing techniques you use in childbirth would help, too.

How is everyone doing?

yeah, how did the ECV go Glitteryballs?

Hi all! Sorry been a whirlwind of xmas family stuff so been off radar...

ECV didn't work! They have offered me another one which I didn't realise they would and we are trying again tomorrow, though they have said it will be unlikely to work as it is frank breech. Part of me thinks its probably not worth it as it does hurt a bit and the injection did make me feel a bit weird but we're trying anyway just in case. They are strongly recommending CS if it stays put. I would like to avoid it if possible so I am prepared to give it another go, but I don't think I will insist on a vaginal birth if it stays breech!

Hope you are all well and had a great few days.x

Oh sorry it didn't work- good luck with the 2nd one- is frank breech when one leg is up or both? How many weeks are you now and when would they book the CS for if 2nd ECV doesn't work?

I'm going to start crawling around in my best attempts to turn baby before mw appointment next week!

I would be inclined to agree re vaginal breech birth- as much as I don't want a CS, I wouldn't want anything to go wrong if I refused one over a natural birth.

fingers crossed for you ....

Quick update from me, CS is booked for the 4th! A bit of a shock as I was expecting it to be a week later, but oh well!

Good luck GB with your 2nd ECV!

sara frank breech is both legs up (which I've got) I had one go at ECV which didn't work, and I refused another so they booked me in for CS. Our theory behind booking the CS is that we'd rather have it calm and planned than trying for a birth and then having an emergency. Good luck at turning the baby, have you check out the spinning babies website?

My CS is booked for the 4th too! Baby was just not budging - it is still frank breech with it's feet up by it's ears! We were also a bit taken aback as my EDD was 12th, but now I am over the initial shock I am getting excited. Bit nervous about the op and the recovery but I'm sure it will all be fine. Hope yours goes well too kiwi!

FWIW the second ECV was pretty much a waste of time, and the consultant said so too. I gave it a go but it probably wasn't worth it. It wasn't so bad as the first one as they didn't go at it for so long as it were as it just wasn't budging so they stopped quite quickly. So I wasn't as sore as the last time. I'm glad I went in as I had a good chat with the consultant about the pros and cons of breech birth vs. caesarean so I came out confident that I had made the right decision. I asked him outright what his opinion was and he said taking all things into account, CS was the safer option. So for that reason I was glad I went back in, but the ECV itself was a waste of time. So you did the right thing kiwi. x

Good luck to you both on your CS's! At least you know you're taking the safest route and will soon have your precious babies in your arms!

Thanks for info on spinning babies website kiwijesta- will check it out. Not sure if baby is still breech -have been going on all 4's and trying to get him/her to turn but think I can still feel the head below my ribcage (hard area) feels like baby has dropped lower but don't know how that's poss with breech? So frustrated, really want vaginal birth but guess we can't always have what we want....

Thanks Sara. When are you finding out about scan/ECV etc?

I have a MW appointment on weds so will find out then if baby is still breech and I guess she'll book the scan to confirm if it is, then ECV to follow. I did wake up NYE at 4.30am with baby horizontal!!! Looked and felt so weird then in the morning bump felt lower and no hard bit below ribcage- so although I don't want to tempt fate, it feels like he/she has turned- fingers crossed- will have to wait till weds to know for sure!

Don't mean to rain on your parade, but often mine feels like she's horizontal! But then ultimately it always ends up with her head right back in the middle again! I was even convinced that she had turned when I was on the way for my 2nd ECV as she had been moving loads and bump felt different - there was still a hard bit at the top but I thought it may be the bum as it felt wider like it did when she was head down, but when we got there they scanned me and she was still breech!

But, you are a bit earlier on, so you may be right! Yours probably has a bit more room to move so may just have made it! Fingers crossed for you!

Mine keeps trying but I think things are just too cramped in there now so she's stuck that way! Mine seems to like lying slightly diagonally with her head jammed right into the bottom of my ribs on the right hand side when I'm sat down - it's bloody uncomfortable!

Glitteryballs and Kiwijesta- hope your CS's went well?! You'll have your babies now!

I'm booked in at lunchtime for a scan to ascertain the position as MW couldn't tell. Baby is also small for dates (bump only 2cm too small) so they'll check that out too. I thought baby had turned but now not so sure- as you said Glitteryballs, feels different but maybe baby is just lower and still breech :-(

oh well we'll see...