Transverse lie at 38 weeks

[PopcornFrenzy]

So am 38+3 today and my LO is still transverse, she's been like this for about 4 weeks now, had a failed ECV last Friday so am booked in for a section this coming Wednesday.

Has anyone else had this and did their baby turn before their section? I've been told that if I go into labour/waters break I have to call an ambulance, it all sounds a bit dramatic if I'm honest!

I had this with dc1. I had to stay in hospital from 38 weeks until my section at 39 weeks in case I went into labour. (We were living very rural at the time and there was heavy snow so the consultant was concerned about getting me to hospital in time).

All was OK though and dc1 was born by section at 39 weeks. Tbh the section was a relief because it was very painful to have dc1 digging his head into my liver the the last few weeks. DC2 was an oblique lie at 38 weeks too (not quite head down, but not transverse either) and was also delivered by section at 39+3 weeks.

Hi PF, my first dc was turned at 38 weeks (something I'd never recommend) and was born at 42 weeks.
They tell you to call an ambulance when your waters have broken because the cord can fall out and blood supply to the baby can be disrupted.
Normally the head seals everything, but there is no head down there to act as a plug.
Not dramatic at all, it's pragmatic.
I've been told to call an ambulance and go on all fours to take the pressure off.
My waters didn't break until 6 hours into labour btw.

My second and third child were transverse/breech, and both turned at 39 weeks.

I was admitted to hospital with transverse lie at 38 weeks. My ECV was successful in the end, but if it wasn't I would have had to stay until they turned him breech or right way up. If you haven't tried it yet, spinning babies website is brill. There's a move with your head off the bed with your bum in the air. Worth arty! Good luck.

I refused ECV and used the spinning baby exercises which worked for DD - took 2/3 days tho. Good luck!

DD was transverse. I had a scheduled CS at 39+3 but my waters broke at 38+3. Phoned MW (was not sure it was my waters as it was just a trickle) who asked me to go to hospital to be checked and DD was born a few hours later by CS. It was a very calm and stress free experience for me.

My ds was transverse oblique, but only picked up after my waters had broken (with meconium) and they wanted to induce me. dh and I wanted to wait for labour to start (there were no other risk factors at the time) and so they scanned me and discovered the funny lie. Before that I'd had three midwives (including one supervising a trainee) and two registrars all feel the bump and say he was engaged. After the scan there was much rushing about, a consultant arrived, and half an hour later ds was born!

My c-section experience was good too, ds was born to "Every little thing she does is magic' which was quite cool I thought (radio in theatre). Also 10 days early (and he was supposed to be a home birth too, we were so unprepared!)

Both my babies were transverse the entire pregnancy until 37 and 38.5 weeks when they turned. I was sooooooo poorly and sick each time when they turned, i'm guessing it was because there was not much room in there. It's weird because although a csection was mentioned as a possibility I was never booked in for one.

Thanks for your replies, I was planning a home birth but after the ECV failed that went out the window, I'm actually looking forward in a way for the section as I know when she's coming.

A lot of people have said a planned section is calmer and nicer experience so hopefully my recovery will be good.

I've been trying all the exercises on spinning babies and been bouncing on my birthing ball but I think she's well and truly wedged solid!

I know of babies turning after 38 weeks, but I would make plans for a section to be prepared.

ds's odd lie was apparently due to a bicornate uterus (that mysteriously disappeared with dd). He was really quite wonky when he came out, in fact it took several years for his head to completely round out. No other implications though (and luckily he had lots of curly hair so the triangularness of his head was well hidden)

I think the thing that helped me most with my second section was to not expect too much too soon. Somehow, I expected with the first to be up and active very quickly afterwards, whereas with the second, I was more prepared and allowed myself time to simply rest. I also discovered with ds2 that if you got the midwives to put lo's cot right next to your bed, you can use the adjustable bed height to line yourself up with the cot and get baby out without having to leave the bed. This helped enormously in terms of feeling independent straight afterwards and not reliant on someone to get ds out of the cot and pass him to me. Big support pants helped too, to give that feeling of holding everything in afterwards, that and taking every single painkiller offered to me whether I felt I needed it or not.

CS can be a wonderful experience (I've had two children and never even had a contraction though, so nothing to compare with), just make sure everyone around you realizes that you are having surgery and therefore to give you time to recover.

Good luck!

Oh, and you will probably be allowed to choose your own music in the operating theater and your dh will be allowed a camera too!

My experience was the other way around :) With ds I didn't really move for a couple of days, he just fed or slept on me, even at night. It was only when they told me I'd have to stay for longer that I got up and used the loo etc. With dd I moved from the get go really, put her in the bassinet thing etc. I'm not totally sure that was good, ds was a very chilled baby, and who knows perhaps all that skin to skin helped (I'm fairly sure it was really more to do with personality plus dd's arrival was way more stressful, but who knows really).

But yes, get lots of help! Even if you don't need it help is always good :)