Anyone opt for an ecv to correct breech baby? Or just hope for baby to turn but booked c section instead of ecv?

[JimmyChoo17]

hi

Just looking for people's experiences of a manual turn of your breech baby
Did you agree to one? With 50/50 chance not sure they are good odds seeing risks of distress to baby. Was yours successful? Did baby stay that way? How far on were you?

I know baby can turn before due date and even during labour and also there are things YOU can do to encourage baby to turn....I'm not looking for those replies but actual experiences or opinions of ecv's or whether you are hoping / hoped for best and opted for c section? If had c section, when did they book it for?

Thanks ladies!

(typed whilst bouncing on ball, after cleaning floor on all fours and tipping myself up after reading spinning babies)

Bump

Hi I have had 2 ECvs at 38 weeks. There is a briliant paper by the royal college of gynaes and obstets that is worth reading. Also, make sure you ask the person doing the ecv how many they have done, their success rate and any complications they have had. Both of mine were successful and my babies were compliant and stayed in the cephalic position. As some ecv babies dont manage to get themselves into a great position i would also see if you can look at reflexology or acupuncture to enhance your chances of success! The ecv is not a nice process - it is hard both physically and psychologically. My first ecv was possibly one of the most painful things i have ever had as his bottom was engaged and it hurt like hell to get it out. Ultimately, all I cared about was safe delivery of my babies with a mild preference for a natural birth due to the recovery time. It's not an easy decision particularly second time when you know how painful the first ecv was but it was much easier and only took 10 mins and on friday i had a total 3 hour labour with a water baby delivery due to it's success. Hope this is what you are looking for...

I went for ECV at 39+1. The consultant did one prod of my bump and said he wasn't going to do it because it would take too much force to move the baby and it was too risky, so I had an elective section the same day as had been arranged.

Turns out I have a heart shaped uterus and ds1's head was stuck in one of the lobes at the top and would never have turned.

I did try moxibustion which made ds1 really wriggle a lot, but he didn't turn, but with hindsight, it was because he was stuck. I do wonder if it would have worked had my uterus been a normal shape. Might be worth a try?

How many weeks are you, op? - and what number pregnancy? My DC2 was breech until 36 weeks - I didn't have ECV, but did do moxibustion and have a very warm bath - who knows if that was what did it! I would have had ECV because she was my second and things are a bit, erm, baggier.

My cousin had ECV but it didn't work, and she had her baby (DC1) by C-section. Turns out it was a baby's big head / her small pelvis problem. So, I would say:

1/ your baby may be breech for a reason - too small pelvis, shape of pelvis, position of placenta/umbilical cord etc. In which case an ECV won't work - so discuss this with your doctor.

2/ moxibustion can't do any harm - try the old wives' tales first!

3/ on the whole, unfortunately, these days obs surgeons are way more skilled and experienced at c-sections than midwives are at delivering breech babies.

Good luck!

I had ECV about 10 days ago at 38+4. It worked, and I'm on my due date without baby having flipped back again.

Things I think helped:
it's my 3rd pg - not a lot of muscle tone there!
baby was oblique rather than fully breech, so not stuck, just consistently the wrong way up.
The consultant who did the ECV has a success rate better than 50%.

Reasons for going for ECV were:
Hospital birth needed if baby stayed breech
Hospital couldn't guarantee a team skilled in breech delivery - I'd just have to take whoever was on when labour started, so higher risk of Em. c-sec.
I don't want a c-section because of recovery times + scarring / c-section overhang for the rest of my life.
I do want another peaceful home water birth if at all possible.

If ECV hadn't worked I'd have been booked in for a section at 39 weeks.

I had one for DD one. It hurt like hell and she kept springing back. Didn't work. Ended up having a section and that was 7.5 yrs ago. Just had DD 2 by VBAC.

Watching with interest as am 36+1 and baby has been breech for months (confirmed by scan at 34 weeks and weekly midwife appointments). I have my 36 week appt tomorrow at which I expect to be offered a scan (to confirm presentation) and ECV at 37 weeks.
I am trying moxibustion but have had a feeling all along that baby will stay head up. We shall see, but am quite nervous re ECV - not sure I wouldn't rather just be booked in for a section!

another one here.. 35+1 and baby been breech or transverse at every appointment and what feels like the majority of the time. My next appointment is 37 weeks which I expect will follow the same path as AJH2007. Having read the RCOG paper and it being my first I'm not keen on ECV but will keep an open mind until the scan.

Hey ladies!! Well good news was that like tunnock above my mw was very wrong and baby wasn't breach. To be honest I was surprised as my prods and kicks were low and still are. But turns out my baby has a tough round pert bum (erm....not got that from me) so that's what's stuck in my ribs.

I'm 36+3 today with my first. Baby is back to my side but that changes all the time.

Ajh and rundmc...I'm quite lucky and know some midwives (I try not to pester them mind as would treat them like my very own mums net!) but I asked them about it and they said try ecv now but no later, any later they would recommend checking success rate of your hospital and if not high rate, opt for a c section rather than ecv.

Spinning babies website is a great resource for turning baby and if you google their videos on you tube there are some good videos on there.