Did you have a transverse baby?

[ItsMyLastOne]

I'm 34 weeks. Last week the baby turned from being head down to being transverse.

I'd really like to know your experiences with tranverse babies.

How likely is it she'll turn back head down?

What will happen if she stays transverse?

What can I do to encourage her to turn the right way?

I'm going to get my birthing ball down from the loft tonight and start bouncing, but I'd appreciate any other advice.

Very interested in replies also I'm 34 weeks too and think my baby went from head down to transverse a few days a go as now have a weird sausage shape bump and movements to either side.

Yes, both my DDs were transverse.

With DD1 I had to stay in hospital from 34 - 38 weeks, as she did move around (so was unstable lie, either breech or transverse), and I had polyhydramnios. They kept me in, in case my waters went, and the cord came out first & became compressed. They hoped she would move, she didn't - her heart rate became unstable & she was born by EMCS.

DD2 was transverse throughout. She was born sleeping at 37 weeks (a year ago next week), and they (stupidly) induced me. They thought that the contractions would force her, either breech, or cephalic, it didn't, my womb ruptured & I had another EMCS (more emergency than before).

Babies can, and do, move though. It depends. Due to the fact that both DDs were transverse, and couldn't get head-down, I'm sure it's due to a fibroid I had, though the consultant scoffed

If the baby doesn't turn, have they indicated when they would schedule a caesarean for?

There is still time, but the biggest risk is if your waters were to go, and baby is transverse.

mini I had noticed my bump seemed a bit lower and was thinking the baby must be getting engaged early, but didn't think much of it. She was previously head down but slightly to my left, and her bum to my right. Now she has her head on my right, bum to my left and facing down so her legs are kicking away at my bits!

Tamisara I'm so sorry to hear about your DD2. Can I ask, what was the main reason for you being kept in with your DD1? Was it her being transverse, or more the polyhydramnios?

I saw my mw last Thursday. She did want me to come again this Thursday but couldn't fit me in till next Thursday. I'll be 35+3 then. She said we'll see where the baby is lying then and send me for a scan if she suspects she's transverse or breech. She said we'll then just have to take it from there.
She did say (about 6 times) that if I suspect I'm in labour or my waters break that I must call triage immediately. Hopefully that won't happen too soon as DD1 was born on her due date, so I presume it'll be around the due date again with this baby.

It was both. The transverse lie & the large volume of waters. If you have polyhydramnios, then the waters are more likely to go earlier. As the cord could have slipped out and become compressed, it would have been a crash section. They didn't want to take the chance.

I see. It must have been very worrying for you first time, and so much worse second time.

Last time I had quite a lot of water, but just within the normal range. That was from a growth scan at 35 weeks. But my waters never broke, they came out in the sac and I had a normal delivery.
This time I'm measuring very big so it may be the case again. I guess there's not much I can do except wait, keep bouncing on the ball and keep my eye out for wet knickers! I really hope everything will be ok, and I'd hate to be in hospital, I'd miss my DD so much.

A friend whose baby was transverse went to see an osteopath during the final weeks of her pregnancy. The baby turned during the session just as the osteopath unblocked her back and was born naturally a few weeks later.

Its I hope you don't end up in hospital too. They threatened it last year again, then, well I did have to stay in obviously anyway.

I'm sure it will be fine, they do tend to worry about this, as it can be an emergency, but I think they'd be on it if the waters were very high (they were with DD1).

The other thing is - if your waters do go, phone for an ambulance (obviously) and then put your feet above your head. So with your feet on the stairs or something, that stops gravity a bit :)

Ok, thanks for the tip.

I know the chances are the baby will turn back and be fine, but I've become a bit of a worrier this time round!

peas do you know if it's a certain type of osteopath? I'll look into it.

DS was transverse. He just turned himself fairly late on but it was bloody painful.

Of course he managed to turn OP but that was infinitely better than transverse, which is quite scary. I was told if my waters went to get on hands and knees, bum in the air, chest on the floor to prevent the cord from being compressed.

So sorry about your DD2 tamisara :(

I found out my dd was transverse after being sent for a scan at 36 wks because i was measuring 6 wks bigger. The consultant said because of the expected size of the baby it would be too big to turn so I was booked in for a section at 39 wks. This was ivf go no 10 and having had 2 m/c's they didn't want to take the risk. I was also told I had polyh....( too much water) and that I was at greater risk of waters going early and to not call the labour ward if anything happened just go straight in as it would be an emergency.
The day after my ds's b'day I had a little bit of bleeding and after a whole day in triage I was finally admitted and while all the docs were in the room discussing the fact I wasn't in labour my waters went with a loud pop!
When the waters had gone she had tried to go head down and after 15 mins on synticon she was struggling so it was an emergency section in the end. She came at 37wks.
In the wk that I found out about her being transverse I googled it loads looking at different things u can do. Something things looked v difficult and I never got round to it anyway.
Best of luck to you and your very comfy baby

I really didn't realise how serious it could be and, tbh, if my waters had gone now or I went into labour I am 99% sure I wouldn't have called triage immediately. I'm glad you've all enlightened me about the potential risks, although I hope I never have to worry about it after I find out next week she's turned! Although I think I'll know when she's turned because it's really quite obvious how she's lying just from feeling at the moment.

Thanks everyone.

Yes it is very serious, when my waters broke I had to be scanned immediately while a m/w had her hand up my fanjo . The risk is with the gush if water the cord will come too.
God the things we go through!

Sounds pleasant Manda!

Well she's definitely moved a bit just this afternoon. It now feels like her head has moved a bit higher and she might be breech now. It looks like she could be doing a lot of moving about in the next few weeks, it seems like she's going for a full circle!

What happens when a baby is breech? Do you be the option of a normal delivery? Or do they te and talk you straight into an ELCS?

I think if u are willing they can deliver a breech baby with no need for a section but I'm sure all the cons would be discussed with you. They might even suggest trying to manually turn it.
From what I remember the baby needs to be in position by wk36. The best u can so is stay off your back as much as possible so no lounging around for you . One legged squats are meant to be good- cant think of the word for them. Do them on your stairs.
Once I got my section date I asked my m/w if she would see me weekly as I think I wasn't meant to see her again till I was overdue. She was cool with this so don't worry about anything in silence.

I wouldn't allow them to try and turn her because I've read too many stories about ECV's and devastating outcomes.

My mw did say that they start making decisions from 36 weeks. When I see her next I'll be 35+3 so I assume she'll be sending me for a scan straight away if the baby isn't head down.

Annoyingly, even though she'd turned the other day and felt more breech, she's definitely moved back and is transverse again.

One major issue I'm having is that I can't work out how to sleep. I can't lie easily on either side because of her bum or head sticking out. I can't lie on my back even if I wanted to because I find it very painful. I've been kind of propping myself up but it's meaning I'm hardly sleeping.

Why can't this all be more straightforward?!

Have you been swimming? Sometimes being able to float and relax (use a couple of those foam tube things) and then doing some of the move suggested on spinning babies can help.

Purely anecdotal evidence!

I agree with the not wanting baby to be turned, it sounds horrific. When my waters went the pig of a doctor I had who was adamant I wasn't in labour tried to turn her but she went straight back again.
Think they get very comfy laying that way and dont want give it up v easily. I do remember at about your stage getting very bad low down pains, which was prob her whole weight laying across my pelvis.
When ever I had a new m/w and h/v see her they always knew before I said she was transverse because they apparently have froggy legs
If you are worried about a section and the after effects, don't. My ds was born with forceps and I can honestly say out of the two deliveries the section was by far the best recovery.

I haven't been swimming, I'd need to buy something to wear four sizes bigger than I was wearing pre pregnancy!

Oh god, I don't want forceps either! At my local hospital they luckily tend to go for ventouse and not forceps if need be. I think because my labour last time went quie smoothly, and I have so many friends and family who've had horrible experiences, I'm getting worried about it not going well. I know so many women who were traumatised or left with serious infections etc, whereas I was up and about and feeling fine within a few hours. I also hate the idea of having a cs and not being able to look after my children easily, or be able to drive!

I've also been getting loads of period type pains, I wonder if that's to do with her lying transverse. I ahdn't thought about that.

2 of mine were transverse. Both turned before labour and were born normally.