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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Having a breech baby turned?

19 replies

Thegirlsmummy · 08/08/2006 10:44

I'm currently nearly 37 weeks pregnant and baby is an extended leg breech - does anyone have experience of having a breech turned? Did it hurt and was it a success? Really don't want a C section as I have a 3 year old daughter who will still need looking after!!

OP posts:

Quootiepie · 08/08/2006 10:46

Sorry... my DS turned himself at about 38 weeks. I was told about turning and it doesnt hurt, as I thikn they give you something to soften the womb. Ive heard accupuncture is good for turning babies - maybe give that a try?

emzickle · 08/08/2006 10:49

I have heard some pretty scary things about turning babies - my friend was offered this at 38 weeks as her little girl was firmly staying put, with her feet down in her pelvis, and squishing her poor ribs with her head.

In the end, she refused to have the baby turned, as the doctor explained that she may have to be rushed down to theatre for an emergancy C section any way, as the baby may get the cord round her neck and need to come out ASAP - so she decided not to put the baby through the stress and just have C sec.

Hsve you any family that could come help out if you end up having a c sec?

frogs · 08/08/2006 10:50

I had a breech baby turned (dd2 -- 3rd baby). It is uncomfortable but by no means agony, and more likely to be successful in 2nd and subsequent pregnancies than first ones. Find out how experienced your team are at doing them, as a lot depends on the skill of the operator.

There are a lot of horror stories from people with no direct experience, but in practice the complications are rare if done by an experienced practitioner.

Mum2Ela · 08/08/2006 10:52

I had DS turned at abput 38 weeks and it wasn't painful at all - no-where near!

Was successful too - only took about 2 minutes and job done.

Far more preferable than a C-S I think.

emzickle · 08/08/2006 10:53

Yeah - sorry my opinion is pretty biased, as Ive only ever heard one account of turning a baby... so ignore me..

Do you have a birthing ball... get on all fours and play with your little girl... might get the baby to move?

Scrub your skirting boards apparently... (according to my Nan...)

Original poster

Thegirlsmummy · 08/08/2006 10:55

Family are not local - they would come but not easy to organise and obviously husband can't take weeks off work! For people who have had a C section how long is the recovery? I think I just feel a bit cheated at the thought as DD was such a natural birth (I know I was very lucky). Midwife is not being very forthcoming with information - Just don't know what to do for the best - don't want to put baby at risk but very scared of C section.

OP posts:

frogs · 08/08/2006 10:56

A lot of the horror stories stem from years ago when turning was done 'blind', ie without the use of ultrasound to see the position of the placenta, cord etc. Nowadays you are scanned and monitored for a few hours before the ECV and a couple of hours afterwards. If they thought the baby was in a tricky position or under stress, then they wouldn't attempt to turn it.

My hospital (inner-London teaching hospital) said they carried out an average of 2 ECVs a week, and the last time they had to do an emergency C-section as a result was 4 or 5 years ago.

Pretty good odds to me.

Original poster

Thegirlsmummy · 08/08/2006 11:29

Thanks so much for the advice - glad I logged on!

OP posts:

purpleprincess · 08/08/2006 11:34

I was booked in for ECV as baby was breech at 36 weeks (second one). During the few days before the appointment I crawled on my knees a lot, sat on a yoga stool (basically kneeling but with knees lower then pelvis) and didnt slouch around on the sofa but sat in upright chairs. By the time I got to hospital for the ECV she had turned round and stayed there - so it is worth all the crawling around. Also heard accupuncture works.

Good luck!

liquidclocks · 08/08/2006 12:22

Hi - my baby is also breech though I'mm only 33 wks so still hoping! I work in health research and have read many of the studies on ECVs and their saftey. From what I have read it's a very safe procedure and any complications would be picked up on immediately because you're monitored all the way through and for a time afterwards. The chances of a complication with ECV a far fewer than chances of complications (such as infection) with a c-section. If mine's still breech at 36 weeks I'd have no qualms about having an ECV as long as the person doing it has done it before and is experienced.

In the NHS a 'cochrane review' is like the gold standard for our practice and we base our practice guidlines on them. They basically take into account ALL the available research on a subject, check it's quality and summarise it. Here's the plain english summary for the one on ECVs:

Cochrane Review

DrJo · 21/08/2006 13:37

My son was turned at 37 weeks - It was not painfull at all and his heartbeat was monitored before and after. Unfortunately he then spun back round again 2 days later but did eventually "right" himself in the end! He was a small baby (6lb 7ozs even tho' 2 weeks overdue!) so that probably helped but I wouldn't heasitate to have an ECV again if it was needed.

micromum · 22/08/2006 08:58

Hi, Im pregnant at 39 weeks tommorow, my baby was breech up until 10 days ago, the doctor wasn't very good she told me i would probably need a c/section i was very confused and worried. I took my other children to London Zoo for the day, went to the hospital the next day for a scan and to arrange a c/section and the baby had turned, thank god, but I seen the consultant a few days later and he said he would have turned the baby no problem and had a high success rate. Wish i had seen him in the begining but i think the walking did the job. good luck !

Medulla · 22/08/2006 09:02

My DD was breech and I had an unsuccessful ECV - and it really hurt but he did say that she really was well and truely stuck! Good luck

Jimjams2 · 22/08/2006 09:14

If you have the baby turned insist that you are monitored afterwards. I know someone who the baby turned was not minitored for 45 mins, they then found the baby was in distress, emergency section, but the baby died. Awful. The procedure for turning babies has now been changed at the hospital concerned (used to be done in the antenatal clinic, is now only done on the labour ward for example). I think the problem arose partly because of a shift change. But anyway- if you have the procedure don't be shy of insisting on monitering if for some reason it doesn't happen.

mears · 22/08/2006 09:27

breech guideline here

You should be offered ECV where possible. If baby stays breech the alternative to C/S is to have a vaginal delivery. If you have had a straightforward birth before it is something you might want to consider. Depends the experience of staff caring for you. There was a large study done on breech which is mentioned in the link, which recommended C/S for breech presentation, however there has been a lot of criticism of the outcomes that were included in it that shouldn't have been. A follow-up paper has demonstrated that long term outcomes of breech deliveries and C/S show no differences in development of babies.
Depends how you feel about it all.
Baby may still turn on it's own.

Mum2FunkyDude · 22/08/2006 09:35

Mine was breeched until 37 weeks(he turned himself), I did alot of reading and got too much information, which made me decide against it. i.e. there was a case where baby's neck was broken, they don't always want to turn, they sometimes turn and then turn back again, me being first time mum, waited quite a while to get pregnant, did not want to take any chance (how remote), but again, if it is done by a consultant that has done many before why not, they are noly about 50% successful anyway. Try the old fashion ways, I put icepacks on his "head" it made him turn away from it.

babydestiny · 25/03/2009 23:22

i had an ecv today i went into the labour ward at 1 i had my baby turned by quater past 2 they had me monitored first n then they did my blood pressure whle i was being monitored then i had my bracelet with my name put on me then i was asked to come into a deliver suite were i had to put a gown on they then started to scan my belly to see if she had turned but with no success she was still breech they then went on to the procedure i had a muscle relaxent in my leg they then tryed to turn her but she was stook in the birth canal so i had to have another injection n i had to have an internal to push her out of the canal every bit of the proceedure apart from the internal the injection and the scan was extremely painful i screamed it hurt that much but i would recomend it to anyone my baby in the end turned with a little help and she hasnt flipped bck all day shes been good but the procedure does come with a good side u get offered gas and air but i refussed and im only 15 so if i can do it so can anyone else

babydestiny · 25/03/2009 23:24

and i forgot to say i was monitored with another scan and the heartbeat monitor for 2 hours before i got moody n asked them to take it of because it was hurting my back

purlease · 25/03/2009 23:43

I had an ECV at 40 weeks. I'm not sure if all hospitals offer this as an option.

DD was born a week later. ECV was painful but I was also anxious about C/S. Labour was slow towards the end and she had to be delivered by ventouse - there were problems with cord - I don't know if this was related to the ECV.

Before the ECV a scan will be carried out to ensure there is enough room to turn the baby. Heartbeat will be monitored throughout.

Having ECV doesn't guarantee avoidance of C/S.

despite positive outcome I'm not sure if I would take this option again.

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