Encouraging breech baby to flip - a few Qs

[ilovetosleep]

Hi, I'm only 30+4 so I know there's plenty of time but baby was head down until this weekend (It was definitely head down at scan on Friday, then consultant spotted he was breech yesterday)

It's really bloody uncomfortable and indigestion is killing me - I have hiatus hernia and terrible indigestion anyway!

Anyway, so I'm on all fours, leaning off sofa to the floor a la spinning babies etc, but I was just wondering about all these positions that are recommended - is the baby expected to flip while I'm actually doing them, or are they designed to stretch/relax the uterus so they can turn at any time?

Because I'm getting a bit obsessed with them and have just been on all fours with head to the floor for about 20 mins waiting for another seismic shift!

DS1 was cephalic at birth so is this a good sign that my uterus is the right shape etc for baby to want to be head down? Or does that mean nothing?

Baby is predicted to be quite a bit bigger than DS1 so I'm concerned that he may run out of space to turn a bit sooner.

Thanks in advance!

My DC1 turned at 37 weeks. I'd done a bit of the hanging upside down stuff but lost enthusiasm as the weeks went by. My midwife reckoned the baby probably didn't have room to turn. But it did, while I was on my feet the whole day shopping.

Good luck.

my dc2 turned from breech to head down at 38 weeks, I did not do any of the exercises as was having an elcs regardless. she was born and weighed in at 10.9lb 2 days later. I am not the biggest person and it was a tad uncomfy and looked very weird :)

I know babies can turn really late, but I want to do everything I can to try and help it happen sooner, I think I'd have serious anxiety about a section if its still head up by say 36 weeks. I'm a massive worrier and utterly terrified of a CS.

So I'm upside down as we speak...

I was worried about this too as my baby was transverse at 34 weeks, I read that you will be more successful if you do the hanging off the sofa upside down thing lots of times but for short periods (like 30 seconds) rather than for longer periods at a time. It worked for me, baby is now head down.

orangemouth, did yours turn while you were in that position or at another random time?

Please don't obsess though, I spoilt the last few weeks of my pg with dd1 trying to get her to turn but she didn't and I had a planned section, the fear of it was far worse than the surgery itself. I didn't care a bit when I held her,I only cared that she was here and safe.
I don't want to worry or upset you, I hope I haven't. Good luck and I hope baby does turn for you.

I didn't know until my next appointment with the midwife, so I suppose I can't say for sure if it was hanging off the sofa that did it, or whether it would have turned anyway.

DC3 turned during labour!!! never despair! DC 4 turned in the last week.

Only my first was head down for any appreciable length of time. I think keeping mobile and doing frequent rather than long turning exercises is good.

If you are very averse to the idea of labouring a breech baby or a planned caesarian you could find out if there is an experienced obstetrician locally who will do external cephalic version www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/breech-birth.aspx#close... I personally would choose someone who would do it under ultrasound guidance these days. Success rates and suitability depend a little on the position of the placenta.

good luck

Thanks. I've got a long way to go before I'd consider an evc and I don't know if I would want that. I'm not uk and would never find mw here to deliver a breech baby I don't think. Plus they keep referring to baby being big so I think they think that the two combined would make for a tricky delivery. I have great mw who is keen for me to have a home birth etc but when it comes to breech they are very much led by the obstetricians unfortunately.

I'll stick to short inversions for now and perhaps moxi at 34 weeks if still breech?

BTW...for anyone, keep upright and mobile for at least 30 minutes in every 4 hours (ok not at night if you are lucky enough to sleep longer than 4 hours) to encourage healthy mobility of baby (as well as you) whether head down or up.

If you like swimming 1 -2 vertical handstands in deep water (you don't have to touch the bottom) during a 30 minute swim (warm water pool is better) is supposed to help turning, but not diving in (hope you wouldnt do thsi anyway...ouch. Conversely if you swim a lot then cut down to once or twice per week (don't ask me why this is supposed to make a difference) also upright "open pelvis" yoga positions and birth balls are supposed to help.