33+, breech baby, slow growth plus am fast deliverer...

[thehiddenpaw]

I admit it, I am worried. I have been happily sailing along the last few months with some worries about my fast delviery times (40 mins last one) and my previous premature baby (34 weeks first one) and not letting it bother me. But today, I am confirmed breech, the baby's growth has tape measure shown slow down (a lot) and I am combining all these worries into a major panic.

So who else can talk about what to expect and what I should be asking or thinking about. I am back for a slow growth scan next Thurs so I know it is not seen as major worry but what do I expect.
And breech- will they look at position as all of that scan or will I come back again for a separate session at 36 weeks to look at that. And is it just a ruse to keep me calm whilst getting me several growth scans planned in.
The good news I guess is small babies are easier to deliver vaginally with breech b ut I am so worried about the fast delviery asI am 30 mins from hospital on a good day.

Try not to panic. That is the worst thing you can do.
You should discuss any concerns you have with your doctor/midwife/health visitor etc.

Do you know which breech position the baby is in?
That makes a difference with regards to whether vaginal birth is possible, easy or difficult.

Have they discussed measuring your pelvis to see whether there is space for a breech birth? I don't know if that is standard practice in the UK, but here in Belgium I was told that I should have one before trying to birth my breech DS.

Is there any evidence that this baby might come prematurely? Is your cervix opening at all? Have you been having many contractions?
Having one baby prematurely does not necessarily mean that this one will be the same.

Have you discussed with your doctors about the distance you live from the hospital and the speed of your previous deliveries?

some of these have been discused but the breech one is new and also the slow growth
Had a good think this morning in the early hours and calming down plus the energy of being worried is too draining to sustain!
had now heard about the pelvis measurement and think they will do a breeech scan in a few weeks so have a while to go before that part gets moved on and discussed. My sister in law here this afternoon and she is a gp so will be chatting to her too
thanks for posting

Good! I'm glad to hear that you're feeling more on top of things.
Being able to discuss things with your SIL will help too.

Just to give you an idea of my situation;
My DS (DC2) was born breech.
He was frank breech all the way through and my gynae told me that he could be birthed naturally if my pelvic scan showed it would be ok.
I never had time to have the scan.
At 34 weeks he had changed to complete breech. My gynae apparently decided that he should be delivered by C-section, but she didn't tell me at that point.
Anyway, at 34.5 weeks he arrived, very suddenly, less than an hour from start to finish.
He was therefore born on our livingroom floor. Luckily DH was there to catch him and the ambulance arrived in time to deliver his head and cut the cord.
He wasn't breathing at the start, but the ambulance men gave him oxygen and got him going.
It could have been trully trully awful, but it is possible to birth a premature, complete breech baby, unattended, on the floor and have a happy ending.
Worst case scenario, so try not to worry!!! :o

that is a reassuring story and I so appreciate you sharing it. It helps a lot as it gices me a lot of common points to be more positive on and I will tell my husband about it too

No problem. I'm happy to help.

I'm sure you know this, but with a breech birth just lie back and relax.
It's what they say and it's true.
I did my best to relax throughout the birth. (Luckily DH kindly did enough panicking for the both of us!! :o )
DS really birthed himself and I just tried to relax through the contractions and did my best not to push.
The only bit I needed to push was his head.
To be honest that was harder to push out than with a normal birth, but it was ok.

The idea that breech babies cannot be birthed naturally is a very new one.
Only a few years ago they were all birthed naturally.
It is still possible.
I am SO glad I avoided the c-section.

Just to add alternative pov here...

I'm on 2nd of 2 breech babies and have been counselled by midwife (who was prev really promoting vbac) and a couple of consults at kings that unless they know your uterus will support a breech birth (apparently a heart shape is common with breech pregnancies- something i'd never heard of before and at moment my uterus (at 38wks) is way to huge to be accurately scanned!) a planned section is much, much better than you labouring, the head gets stuck (god forbid)and then you need an emcs. Maybe I just believe what doctors tell me too quickly but for me the Experience of a planned section 1st time round was entirely positive and far easier to cope with than the thought of extreme trauma to my pelvic floor!

Good luck!

thanks annette and ruth
good news is had scan today to check slow growth and the baby is head down, weight about right for my small baby expextation and all other stuff like cord and flkuid fine. a big rekief but i was so less worried after the post from ruth. it was the emergency of fast delivery away from hospital that had me worried. now jyust back to normal last few weeks nesting anxiety.