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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Experience of extended breech

29 replies

Becca1818 · 11/01/2015 20:06

Hi all,

I am having a scan tomorrow which was initially to check the position of the placenta as it was low lying at 20 weeks (am now 36 weeks).
However due to reduced movement I have had a couple of extra scans which showed baby was breech. I thought nothing of it until I read my notes and saw extended breech - I'd never heard of this and googled it! Well now i am worried!
Has anyone experienced this?

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gallicgirl · 11/01/2015 20:15

What is it that worries you particularly?
Any breech position has its problems but it seems to me that extended breech is less complicated (following a quick Google search)

I've had ECV before and I'm more concerned that I wasn't made aware of some of those risk factors!

kitkatkaty87 · 11/01/2015 20:22

Watching with interest as this is the same as me. Scan in a week to check placenta and babies position. Out of interest where do you get your kicks/movement?
I google and saw all the pics of poor babies with their legs up in the air still, but I don't think this is always the case.

Original poster

Becca1818 · 11/01/2015 20:29

What worries me is about his legs being stuck up by his head it looks terribly uncomfortable. I know it's probably temporary but still.

With regards to having an EVC I have decided to decline this. I think the risks and how uncomfortable it will be is enough for me to decline.

I have movement under my left ribcage which is where I think his head is, I also feel movement under my belly button near my pelvis and also I feel movement under my right ribs but slightly further down. Hard to tell what's what really. Where do you feel movement?

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TeamEponine · 11/01/2015 20:39

My DD was extended breech, and had to be delivered by ELCS. I was offered a ECV, but turned it down after reading up about them. They will want to scan the baby's hips if they stay breech as it increases the risk of hip dysplasia, but other than that it was all straightforward. When she was born her legs stayed up by her head initially, they came down quite quickly, but I'm pleased I knew about that in advance or it might have been a little shocking.

Good luck!

missmakesstuff · 11/01/2015 20:40

They wouldn't be like that unless it was comfy! I have read just about everything I can find on the subject after dd was breech 5 yrs ago (ecv, then elcs) and this one, currently 30 weeks, has been since 28 week's.
I'm keen to try for vbac and everything has been on track till now, however I am coming to terms with just relaxing, doing a few exercises and moxibustion (Google it) and then just reading up on breech delivery and natural c sections, as another cs. Was the very last thing I wanted.
As for being uncomfortable, they do a scan on their hips aafter birth to check they are ok, in my experience I was the uncomfortable one! Head in ribs is not nice!
good luck, it is very common at 34 week's I think, less at 36/term. They can and do turn late though, sometimes they are just meant to be that way up.

gallicgirl · 11/01/2015 20:41

If you've declined ECV then I guess you have c-section booked for about 3 weeks time. Don't worry about him being uncomfortable!

I think they do extra checks on hips after a breech birth to make sure everything moves ok. My DD turned so we had a cephalic presentation for the birth and midwives felt hips were ok.

Don't worry, I'm sure you'll both be fine.

missmakesstuff · 11/01/2015 20:43

I get movement all over, very difficult to tell where he is! Though I was sure I had felt him turn the other day, massive movement near my ribs, just head though I think. Try the spinning babies websi're, but don't go mad doing everything they suggest, youd have no time to do anything else! Mind you, none of it made a difference to my Dd.

kitkatkaty87 · 11/01/2015 20:47

I'm also going to decline an ecv after reading up about it.
My movement sounds pretty much identical to yours, just swap the sides over! So i will be interested to hear the positioning of your baby at the scan 2moro :)
I know how you feel am also worried about the legs staying up by the head and it having any longer term side effects.
I do wonder if it is the low lying placenta which pushes them into such a position too.

team how long did it take your dd to put legs down, hours or days? Poor poppet! Glad she was fine though.

Original poster

Becca1818 · 11/01/2015 20:48

Thanks for your messages its reassuring to hear.

I haven't declined yet but I think I will. I haven't seen a consultant or anything yet so haven't had a c section date. Will it be 39 weeks or could it be before?

As I say I have the scan tomorrow to see what position he's in but it doesn't feel like he's moved.

How long did it take for the legs to come down to a normal position?

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marriednotdead · 11/01/2015 20:54

An anecdote but bear in mind how much things have changed, I doubt this would happen now!

A close family member had a DS by undetected frank breech over 20 years ago. In those days, it was usual to just have one scan at 20 weeks.
A local woman used to accurately predict the sex of babies and she initially said 'boy' but then was slightly flummoxed...

Baby was born bottom first with his legs straight and feet pointing over his shoulders. Whilst labouring (less than 4 hours in total), midwife was doing internal checks and insisting that the head was well down, despite the family member being aware of the breech since the 20 week scan and having not felt baby turn. Panic ensued when meconium appeared from the 'head' and they announced that they would have to do a c-section.

By this time, it was far too late and baby arrived safely 15 minutes later.
There were many many stitches. They pulled his legs down to check the sex, and they pinged straight back up again. He was L shaped when I saw him 12 hours later and perfectly fine by the following day

kitkatkaty87 · 11/01/2015 20:56

I also haven't seen consultant yet or anything and my scan isn't until I'm almost 37 weeks! Is it usually all done this late? I was wondered if c section would be at 39 weeks too.

MyOneandYoni · 11/01/2015 21:03

my DC was extend breech and I was due to go in for ECV on the Monday. I spent the weekend swimming, climbing stairs on all fours ( I think) and even had reflexology (and I'm NOT at all woo or yoga).
Baby had turned by the time the rescanned me about to start the ECV...

Try this link www.spinningbabies.com

Good luck.

Original poster

Becca1818 · 11/01/2015 21:29

Kitkat - I'll keep you posted!
I would have thought 37 is quite late for you to find out

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kitkatkaty87 · 11/01/2015 22:14

Thank you!

butterfly86 · 12/01/2015 10:40

My dd was flex breech and had been in breech position since 26 weeks I declined ecv and was booked for a section at 40+2 (no room in theatre before then) I went in to labour at 37+5 and they double checked she was still breech before doing the section she was footling breech by then, when she was born her legs were pulled up in like a frog position and her feet were turned in (talipes) because she'd had them crossed inside, her legs came down after a few weeks and we were taught to do physio to straighten out her feet she's absolutely fine now don't worry :)

Original poster

Becca1818 · 12/01/2015 15:46

Just back from my scan. Little man is still breech naughty boy. I asked the sonographer about extended breech and although the legs can be up slightly the sonographer said the extreme photos on Google are more like severe hip problems rather than being caused by being breech. So that's reassuring.
However little man is not so little and is today at 36 weeks is weighing 8.8lbs! So I have a consultant appointment to discuss c section.

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kitkatkaty87 · 12/01/2015 17:58

Thanks for updating becca! At least you know what's going to happen now too rather than being in limbo.
how long until your appointment with consultant? Wow 8.8lb what a big boy! Had your placenta moved out of interest?
X

Hallamoo · 12/01/2015 18:09

Just interested in the reasons people are declining ECV? I've had 2, one successful, one unsuccessful.

The first was 10 years ago, but iirc the main risk was that baby could turn back again, and that there was a very small risk of the baby getting distressed and having to have an EMCS straightaway. My consultant told me they were successful in about 50% of cases and that she'd been doing approx 2 per week for 15 years and hadn't yet had to perform an EMCS as a result of the ECV.

I'm wondering if things have changed in the last 10 years?

I didn't find it that uncomfortable (well not compared to labour), and the successful one was well worth it to avoid a CS.

Egog · 12/01/2015 18:20

My baby was extended breech at the 36 week appointment, I tried an ECV but it didn't work. Quite painful for no result, I wouldn't bother again! It took 2 consultants 3 goes and they only managed to get her head just out from my ribcage, it wouldn't go any further so we gave up. I read up on it first, and was willing to give it a go as long as her heartbeat remained steady- which it did- but it was obvious that it just wasn't going to work.

I had an ELCS at 39+5, it was fantastic, a really great experience. DD failed her first hip scan as there was a click, but the second showed no problems.

Good luck with it all, enjoy your new baby!

TinyMonkey · 12/01/2015 18:32

Becca, I'd take the predicted weight with a pinch of salt. Based on friends' and my own experiences. We were predicted (based on our later growth scans due to diabetes and breech presentation) a 10/11lber. She was actually 8lbs 3oz!

I also declined an ECV due to the risks and had an ELCS at 39 weeks. Her hips are ok, although we are having a scan of them tomorrow (6 weeks old) just to make sure,

Good luck, and don't worry!

kitkatkaty87 · 12/01/2015 19:31

Has anyone else had skull problems as a result of breech? I swear someone wrote on this thread the name of the condition but can't find the post now so maybe it was elsewhere. Something similar to flat head syndrome just from where the babies skull had been squashed against your ribs.
another thing to worry about! Anyone else had experience of this or should I stop googling and worrying?!

TeamEponine · 12/01/2015 22:36

DD has hip dysplasia as a result of being extended breech. No skull problems, although I did take her to a cranial osteopath who said there was some asymmetric tension, which was probably due to her breech position. All sorted after a couple of sessions though.

PatMullins · 12/01/2015 22:41

Outing myself here, but DD was born head first with her feet up by her head. It was undiagnosed and therefore dangerous and distressing

Think hard about the options available to you, she was in pain for quite a while

butterfly86 · 12/01/2015 22:42

kitkat dd head was slightly flat on one side where it had been stuck in my ribs but after a few weeks it righted itself babies tend to get flat heads at some point anyway from lying down though dd never did at the back because she wouldn't be put down

Original poster

Becca1818 · 14/01/2015 11:36

Had my consultant appointment today. I declined the ecv which I was expecting them to be pushier about not having one which I was pleased at. They given me a glucose test appointment and a rescan to check his size
As he's still breech I have been given an appointment for a section but it's not until I'm 40+1 which I'm a bit scared about. Apparently there were no other free appointments before then. Does anyone think this will be a problem?

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