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

Original poster

Baby breech at 28 weeks- tips for turning and experiences?!

21 replies

JuniorMint · 23/02/2014 08:35

Hi all,

I've been for my 28 weeks check up this week and it seems baby is in a breech position at the moment. Midwife seems unconcerned and said a third of babies are breech at this stage, with plenty of space to still move around, and from what I have read online it seems to be quite normal.

Just wondering if anyone had any tips to help/encourage baby to turn- positions to sleep in etc? Or if anyone had any experience of this eg baby breech at 28 weeks and DID turn, or DIDN'T turn! I'm quite keen to get her to turn not least because I am booked to give birth at a midwife unit and they don't take you if baby is still breech at 37 weeks.

TIA!

OP posts:
Pascha · 23/02/2014 08:39

Both my babies were breech from at least 25 weeks, one had to be manually turned by ECV at 36 weeks, the other turned by himself somewhere between 32 and 34 weeks. Most babies do settle head down by then anyway but in the meantime a really good site to give you lots of information about baby position and what you can do to help change it is Spinningbabies.

Casmama · 23/02/2014 08:39

I think just relax - fairly sure DS wasn't head down till later and you have 9 weeks for the baby to turn. I would try not to give it another thought till about 35 weeks.

mrsmugoo · 23/02/2014 08:49

28 weeks is really early and your baby will probably turn on it's own - but as others have suggested, try spinningbabies.com

Mine was picked up as breech at my 28 week appt and is still breech now at 37 weeks. I am seeing a consultant next week to discuss if I'm suitable for an ECV. Good luck but don't panic at this early stage.

KiwiBanana · 23/02/2014 09:04

The chances are it'll turn as it's still early days.
I would be vary wary of having an ECV though.

MrsBungle · 23/02/2014 09:07

One of mine was breech at 28 weeks and the other was transverse. The second one kept moving to all sorts of weird positions during the 30-40 week period. By the end, both were head down.

McBaby · 23/02/2014 09:09

Currently 31 weeks and the baby turns every day so I really wouldn't worry about it yet.

fhdl34 · 23/02/2014 09:10

That's still very early, both mine showed they'd turned from breech at 34 week growth scan, ds was head down at every examination and scan after that. Then during our section, they cut me open and he flipped breech then (just didn't want t

fhdl34 · 23/02/2014 09:10

Sorry, clicked send by accident! He didn't want to come out was what I was going to say :)

Original poster
JuniorMint · 23/02/2014 09:26

Thanks for the replies everyone! Sounds like its early days so just need to wait and see! Thanks for the link too, interesting reading on that site.

KiwiBanana- why do you say to be wary of ECV?
Pascha- what was your experience of ECV?

Thanks!

OP posts:
Pascha · 23/02/2014 09:51

Ok. This is my experience of ECV:

They gave me an injection to relax the uterine muscles and put a CTG monitor on me for about half an hour whilst it took effect. When it was time to start they tilted the bed slightly head-down and then the lovely specialist registrar, with the assistance of the midwife, under the consultant's guidance, scanned to check position.
Sure enough he was still breech, legs extended. Then she started kneading my tummy just like it was dough, starting at the bottom, alternating with the head. Its very physical, she was standing up sweating with the effort of pushing his little bottom out of my pelvis and holding it there whilst she checked on the monitor. She just kept going for about 10 minutes, inching him round to transverse, then finally to cephalic. I came home with strict instructions not to do anything strenuous and try to keep upright for a few hours to make sure he didnt turn back round. It was completely worth it.

My hospital gave a 40% success rate, it also suggested a 1 in 1000 chance of emcs or waters breaking due to the procedure. The consultant obstetrician told me she had never known it happen in my hospital though. I'm glad to say he stayed the right way round, and there were no lasting effects once the sore stomach muscles recovered by the next day.

I had a straightforward vaginal birth a month later.

Blondieminx · 23/02/2014 09:58

My DD was breech till 36+4 and turned literally the night before the scan when they were going to check position to then line me up for a section.

I did antenatal yoga and my teacher advised spending lots of time on all fours to give baby as much room as possible to turn. Also tried almost everything the Spinning Babies site already linked up thread suggested Grin

I know a couple of friends who have had failed ECV's, very uncomfortable and didn't work so ask very firm questions about the success rate of (I) the hospital and (II) the consultant who would do the procedure before considering it.

Good luck and I hope baby turns soon for you Smile

MoominIsWaitingToMeetHerMiniMe · 23/02/2014 10:03

I wouldn't worry, mine was breech at 28 weeks, head down 29, breech at 30 and is back to head down at 31!!

KiwiBanana · 23/02/2014 10:04

Well you'd have to do some research in to it to decide for yourself but from everything I've read I would most definitely avoid it.
It doesn't often work, can be very painful, can cause placental abruptions. Unfortunately I've seen a few friends go through it and it's turned in to a bit of a horror story for them, maybe that's made me biased towards not going for it.
Planned C-sections can be a lot safer than pushing for a vaginal birth if the baby doesn't want it.

HelenHen · 23/02/2014 10:47

Mine was breach at 28 week's, head down at 32. I'm 33 weeks now but it's rolling around in there all the bloody time!

OnTheRunAndUpTheDuff · 23/02/2014 10:53

Both mine were breech at 28 weeks. Ds was head down by 31 weeks, this baby by 33 weeks. They still have tons of room in there up till at least the mid-30 weeks stage. It's far too early to worry - only 3% of babies are still breech when labour starts.

whereisshe · 23/02/2014 10:53

DD wasn't breech but she kept going transverse about that stage of my pregnancy and inching towards breech. The head-on-floor, kneel-on-bed spinning babies trick worked every time to get her cephalic again, but make sure you do it when baby is active ie awake!

Btw if you do get her turned later with an ECV or she turns herself very late make sure you get her hips thoroughly checked after the birth and at the 6 week check - breech can stop them from developing properly.

HelenHen · 23/02/2014 10:57

Yesterday morning baby was trying to punch its way out of my vagina. Last night it was up by my ribs and that's in a couple hours

Cariad007 · 23/02/2014 10:58

Spinning Babies and osteopathy was what I used to turn my transverse baby around. He was transverse til about 34 weeks, so much later than you OP, and I still had time to turn him so don't worry.

Original poster
JuniorMint · 23/02/2014 11:57

Thank you everyone Smile

OP posts:
CrispyFB · 23/02/2014 11:58

DS was head down until 38 weeks then he flipped to breech Grin - luckily I needed an ELCS for something else really!

This one was flipping regularly until about 33-34 weeks, at least once a day if not more. She's been head down now for 2-3 weeks. I need another ELCS so not that fussed, but it's interesting just how much they still flip about!

andadietcoke · 23/02/2014 12:04

When pregnant with twins I was told that they could turn up to 34w, and that was with two of them in there, so hang in there, plenty of time yet!

Good luck with the birth, and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy.

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