Any tricks to get a breech baby to turn?

[SolitudeSometimesIs]

I'm 31 weeks and my baby has been breech for over a month. He/She is measuring big - nearly 2 weeks ahead of dates - and the obs was sure that baby wouldn't turn as he/she is big and there really isn't much room for turning.

I am not going to consent to having the baby turned by the obs, but I was thinking if there were any tricks/ old wives tales to get the baby to turn, I'd give them a go. Has anyone used them and they've worked?

The obs is happy to go for another section but I'd like to try for a vbac.

Joining this thread as 29 weeks with DC2, also breech.

My ds was breech until 38 weeks. I spent the day painting the bathroom floor on my knees and he turned that day!

Good luck.

Mine was breech at 31 wk growth scan and so I did wot this lady says. Seems to have worked as midwife reckons baby is head down now at 34 weeks. Mine is a normal size baby but in a small bump (if that makes sense) so similarly not loads of room to manoeuvre.

Acupuncture can help... Choose an experienced practitioner who specialises in fertility and pregnancy

Not sure if it works but being on all fours!
BTW my son was breech and no one knew till I was in labour. He came quickly and all was well.
With hindsight I think I know the point at which he turned.

I swam a lot in pregnancy and always came out the pool with a different shaped bump. Not sure if its a recognised method but I got pretty big movements in the pool right up to about 36 weeks

spinningbabies.com

I was transverse lie throughout until 37 weeks, then head down by the next check and had a natural birth at 40+3.

Lots of any activity on all fours - mopping floors with a rag by hand, watching telly on all fours or when too tired slumped over a bean bag (drink with a straw handy!), yoga moves, spinning babies moves (the links above).

I also heard (but didn't try) to try a bag of frozen peas or loud noises where you think the head is plus a torch shining directly on /into bump really low where you would like the head to be.

My DC 1 was breech until 37 weeks. They did a massive flip when I was on my feet all day doing the christmas shopping!

I did try the spinning baby techniques a few weeks previously but the midwife thought there wasn't enough room in there for them to turn, so I was a bit half hearted after that. But she was obviously wrong, so there's definitely still hope for you!

at 36 weeks I was told by midwife to turn upsidedown on the sofa, so head on the floor, bum on the seat and feet up the back iyswim. I was told to sat like it for 30 minutes, I lasted about 10, then it took me another 10 minutes to get myself upright. But within an hour DS had turned. Don't do this alone in the house as you are very likely to need help getting up!!
Worked for me!!

My MW told me to wash all the skirting boards...

Spinning babies website good too

Thanks so much.

I'll have a look at those links. I want the baby to turn so I can have a vbac, I have a toddler at home so I don't want to go through the c-section recovery.

My presentation scan is in 2 and a half weeks and then I have a meeting with the obs the following week to discuss a plan for birth. My c-section scar is aching from having the weight of the baby on top of it. According to the sonographer the baby has it's feet and bum mashed up beside it. When the baby kicks or stretches it's legs it's so sore.

I was told to watch for leaking waters and any seperation of the scar or bleeding, which tbh scared the crap out of me. I get the feeling that the obs will push for a section because the baby is so big and long and I'm in so much pain.

I had a look in to how they manually turn the baby - I am absolutely not going to try it. I'm too much of a wuss.

Ok. I did some attempted baby turning last night. It did not end well. I did the upside down, dangling off the sofa thing. I didn't last longer than 5 mins before I was throwing up.

That is not the position for women who suffer from acid reflux. I am an idiot for even thinking that would be a good idea. Baby is still smushed up under my ribs and giving me the worst heartburn in the world.

Anyway, on to the next exercise...Wish me luck!

Did you all have scans to confirm your babies were breech? Or was it based on midwife examination?

I'm nearly 31 weeks & have no idea which way the baby is, although he feels very low & all the movement & kicking seems to be directed towards my bladder!

Last midwife appointment was just before 28 weeks, took bloods & listened to heartbeat but no mention of presentation- just assumed it was too early.

Got MW appointment later this week. Don't have any more scans lined up- obviously this can change based on what MW finds- I'd really like to know prior to the birth rather than finding out mid labour!

I'm sure they'll work it out soon but I think it's only from 36 weeks that they get concerned if baby is breech or transverse.

burning moxa sticks (sicks of rolled up mugwort) near your little toes is supposed to be quite effective at turning a breech baby. its Chinese medicine, lots of acupuncturists or chinese medicine shops will do moxa sticks or you can buy some and read on the internet/ watch a YouTube video on how to do it.

I've had two scans recently and the baby has been breech in both of them. They were just over a month apart, he/she has been in the same position both times (I had extra scans to rule out a heart condition that my son was born with). I have a presentation scan in two weeks to check the site of the placenta as I had placenta previa in my last pregnancy and my obs was keen to check the position of the baby (so I'll have a pelvic ultrasound and then one on my stomach).

I'm not under midwife led care at my hospital, I don't qualify because I had a placenta previa in my first pregnancy. I'm too much of a risk apparently so I'm under the care of the obs team. I won't see a midwife until I appear at the labour ward.

I had no clue the baby was breech prior to the scans, all I had was excruciating pain in my ribs but I thought that was just a side effect of pregnancy. I googled women giving birth to breech babies, it scared the crap out of me. I will try anything to turn this baby.

I'll try moxa sticks while I can still reach my feet. There's a TCM shop close by so I'll call in and have a chat with them. Thanks for that.

Tonight I plan to watch the xfactor while on all fours on the bean bag. My lucky, lucky husband, what a sight to behold...

Oh dear Solitude I am now feeling very guilty for suggesting the upside down torture technique!

dd was breach from about 29 weeks until 38 weeks. I had two failed attempts at ecv (external cephalic version) and was due to have a planned section. The weekend before the section I thought I was going into labour during the night but things then calmed down. The morning of the section the obstetrician confirmed the baby had turned, naturally. She was born naturally (just ahead of planned induction at 41.5). She was 8lb 13oz so not a tiny thing turning. The interesting this was that when she was a few days old and sitting in the car seat albeit not harnessed I left the room to deal with ds for a few minutes and when I came back she was head down in the car seat having presumably done a similar somersault. That is entirely true by the way - and she only did it once.

It wasn't your fault positive, I really hadn't thought it through. I can't even lean over to empty the dishwasher without getting reflux so I don't know why I thought hanging upside down would be incident free.

married that is mad that your daughter swizzled around in her carseat, is she still an acrobat? How did you find the ecv, was it sore?

I tried being on all fours last night, the position took all of the pressure off my ribs and it was so nice. I thought it would be uncomfortable but it was fine.

However, about 15 mins after I had gotten up the baby went absolutely nuts. He was thrashing around and my bump was changing shapes constantly. Then I got 4 massive contractions, I was in absolute agony. I really thought I was in labour. I had proper tightenings all across my bump and period pains down my back. The contractions turned in to painful braxton hicks which lasted until 4 am this morning. I had back ache until 10am.

I was in agony all night and made a deal with the baby that I wouldn't try to swing him around again if he didn't try to be born just yet. My bump has been so tender today, as if the muscles underneath are bruised. Is that normal from doing the all-fours position? I actually can't do that again, I'm not even sure if it worked. It sounds quite similar to your experience married.

I had an evening of really extreme movement that was quite painful (felt like I was being beaten up from within) and left me feeling internally bruised too - dunno if that is when mine turned?

That's it exactly Quodlibet, I feel like the baby was beating the daylights out of me. He's been really quiet today which is freaking me out a bit but I'll have to wait and see if he's turned. Could have done with a day in bed to recover from it all, but DS had other ideas. My c-section scar is very sore today.

The ECV was gentle pushing by the ostetrician. Elderly chap - not many were being done in 1998 and he said something like "this one's got a mind of it's own and isn't going to budge for me and I'm not exerting more pressure than this because I don't want to hurt you". He was also pretty clear that beyond 34/6 weeks she woukd be too big to move too. I was perfectly happy to have a section but felt I couldn't justify it once she turned. And he promised they would scan me in early labour to make sure she was still head down.

Oh, and she's the most inflexible unacrobatic girl you could meet :)

Hope it all goes well and as my youngest is now 15, it's such a teeny tiny part of being a mummy it's not worth stressing too much. They remember the love not the pushing!

Find a birthlight yoga teacher who can give you some exercises - can be quite effective

A couple of words of caution (assuming baby turns and you get a VBAC):

Baby can start in optimum position and then turn back if you return to sitting normally (or sitting for hours in a waiting room waiting for a free bed for example.....) ie: remember optimum positions until the baby is out!

VB recovery is not necessarily a walk in the park, esp. if it's your first one. Do read up on how to look after stitches and bruising, best bf positions (if you want to) when you have a painful undercarriage and strategies for dealing with a toddler when you are knackered and recovering, possibly in pain. VB over CS is not a 'cure all' and best be prepared if caring for your toddler yourself is a priority in the weeks post-birth.

Thanks here, I feel like I have been convinced that having a vbac is the way to go by everyone. I was told how the recovery would be so much easier than a CS but I really don't mind if I have to have another CS. I know not to rely on anyone to help in the first few weeks, I had so many people offer all of this help after DS was born, and honestly I saw no one except DH. So I was kind of thinking that 6 weeks no driving after a CS would be hell on legs with a newborn and toddler! Another reason I was quite keen on a vbac.

Oh married I don't think I could have the ecv done. I watched a weird singing woman on One Born having one done and the doctors were really shoving her baby a lot. And then I did a google search and read all the horror stories - as you do - my Dh wasn't keen on it either. After all of the baby's antics last night I've decided not to try and turn him/her myself, I couldn't bear the pain and worry.