Breach baby worries

[MrsLovell]

I'm 37+2 weeks with my first baby. About a week ago I was told baby was breach and I went for ECV yesterday. They tried 4 times to turn the baby but it was totally stuck. I have persuaded them to try again next week but was told the chances of it working are very slim. They have strongly advised me to have a elcs at 39 weeks if it doesn't work. They don't want me to attempt breach birth because it's my first and the risk of getting stuck is high. I'm devastated at the thought of having a c section. I just can't get it out of my head that it's not supposed to be this way and that I've not done it properly if I haven't at least tried going into labour. That somehow I have been robbed of the experience of natural child birth and I don't feel like I would be a proper woman. I know the most important thing is a healthy baby at the end, but it's how I feel. Can anyone else relate to this? How did you come to terms with it?

I had an elective c section with both my babies for high breech and was initially disappointed. Not to the extreme your feeling though, I came round pretty quickly. I went into labour early with my daughter and had an emergency section. I had three contractions, and that was enough I can tell you lol. Imagine worst period ever combined with being horridly constipated! And that was only the early labour.
My c sections were lovely experiences. I had music and held my baby straight away. With my second they pulled the curtain down so I could watch the baby come out. It wasn't scary, infact I'd probably elect if I have anymore children.
If this was the Middle Ages you and the baby would probably die tbh. Be thankful your breech was discovered. I wouldn't keep trying to turn baby, it only has a 30% success rate and baby can end up quite distressed.
You'll be fine, you won't even think about it when lo is in your arms.
Gl

Honestly I get so angry when I see women devastated because they have been convinced that the natural birth is the only way to go and made feel like you have failed if you don't get it. Of course it doesn't mean you're not a proper woman! It is still ultimately your decision, but I'm sure the doctors only have your and your baby's best interest in mind. As pp said, chances that you end up with an EMCS are quite high, and most people find that their ELSC was a much more pleasant experience.

It's marvelous that we now have this option available - and having a healthy mum and healthy baby at the end is what matters most, right?

If you think about your friends - do you know which of them were born by a CS? Do you think their mothers are therefore not proper women and mothers? Probably not, right? So don't be so hard on yourself either.

I can relate to an extent. I'm only 32 weeks with my first, but my little one has been stubbornly transverse for ages with no signs of turning yet. I would absolutely have to have a CS as there's no way for him to come out sideways at all.

On the one hand, I feel like with an ELCS it's all done and calm and over on an appointed date at a set time. But it takes longer to recover from and can have some complications.

On the other, countless women have gone through a 'natural' birth experience and I too feel I'd be missing out. I am rather apprehensive about the potential pain, trauma and pushing, but it's faster to recover from barring complications. But don't even talk to me about episiotomies.

Both options have pros and cons. But really, at the end of it all, you want a healthy baby and a healthy mum. Like pp have said, women have died in childbirth for millennia due to babies being the wrong way round and we're lucky we have options at all. I'm trying to develop a que sera, sera attitude as there's really naff all you can do about it anyway. We're going to have to trust the professionals either way.

I know, i feel horribly guilty one minute for not seeing how lucky I am to have this option of a healthy baby at the end. But then I'm also so terrified of the thought of being cut open and the risks involved with that. Fwiw the ECV yesterday did not cause my baby any distress at all and was not nearly as painful as I had been lead to believe. The doctors were OK with letting me try again because it's still less risky than a section.

Less risky? If your baby becomes distressed or tangled then it would be an emergency section then and there.

I know that, I'm just repeating what I have been told. I also have a high bmi so I have a higher risk of clots and other complications from surgery. And a c section is a c section, in some ways I think an emergency one would be easier for me to deal with because it would not be my decision. Where as an elective section is technically a choice I have to make, even though the doctors have made it pretty clear they would not support a breech vaginal delivery. Though of course I don't wish for my baby to be distressed. I think ECV is the right way to go.

I think it's natural to be scared. I'm scared of both options! I'm not a big fan of pain, funnily enough. I had to have an operation on my ovary when I was 18 to remove a cyst - the recovery was awful. But I recognise that a CS is a different procedure and many women have managed it successfully. Equally, many women have managed vaginal birth successfully. I feel a little faith in myself is required.

Have you been to your birth centre/delivery suite at all? I've been to triage a few times and the midwives (barring one who seemed determined to lecture me for half an hour, but she was just annoying) all seemed incredibly competent and knowledgable. I feel very relaxed about being in their care, even though the reason I'm going to be there is scary. Maybe taking a tour would put your mind at ease a bit? Or talking to your midwife?

From NICE: the new evaluation of the evidence of the relative risks of caesarean and vaginal deliveries, suggested that there is now very little difference in the overall risk factors of opting for one or the other.

www.theguardian.com/politics/reality-check-with-polly-curtis/2011/nov/23/health

Where in the country are you? The world ECV expert is in Oxford, my midwife told me that if she ever had to have one she would try to go to him. Success of an ECV is heavily affected by the experience of the consultant.

If you do consider vaginal delivery as a PP suggested, ask many direct and pointed questions about how many breech deliveries they've done, experience matters. A major risk is that the baby starts to descend into the birth canal before the cervix is fully dilated, then gets stuck because the head won't fit through. It can be very dangerous and I'd want to be as close as possible to an operating theatre (and possibly in one) if I were to go for breech vaginal delivery.

If your baby is an extended breech ( feet and legs straight up beside its head) ECV is less likely to be successful. This is also the most helpful position for a breech baby to birth vaginally.

A planned CS can have lots of positives. Ok, it's a given that you are having a major operation as well as a baby, but it's still the amazing day you hold your baby in your arms for the first time, breathe in her smell, feel her unbelievably soft skin.

And she looks into your eyes and scans your face and sees her mum.

Many midwives see breech presentations as a variation of normal. The problem is that some years ago a piece of research ( since discredited) seem to show that birth by CS was a safer option for breech babies and practice changed internationally almost overnight. This meant that the skills of enabling vaginal breech births were lost.

There are some midwives and obstetricians skilled at enabling breech births; you could google to try to find one if you want to think about that. But please dont think for a moment that you're 'not a proper woman' if you have a CS.

My hospital is Stoke Mandeville in Buckinghamshire. They said right from the beginning that they don't support vaginal breech delivery as they don't do many. And it's extra risky in a first time mum as my birth canal is untried. They will probably do it if I insist but they really don't want me to

My first was breach and the turning was unsuccessful but extremely painful. I refused another try as if it is your 1st baby only a small chance it will work. I had an elective section and all went fine. I would fully recommend this option and better to go knowing you need recovery time than having emergency and then all your plans changing.

I've elected for section with this one too.. I know I don't want all the pain and still end up with a section.

I hope it all works out for you xx

Currently in the same boat with a breech baby - but only 34 weeks so there is turning time.
I was initially very disappointed, but feel very grateful that an ELCS is an option and have no doubt at all that I will do that if baby stays breech. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather have a natural birth, mainly because of recovery afterwards, but I am very grateful we live in a society were we have the option and a CS is very safe.

My grandmother was breech back in 1933. As a result my Great Grandmother nearly died and was left unable to have any more children. I was also breech back in 1983, but got here safely due to CS. My brother wasn't but got stuck anyway and ended up here via EMCS and only just survived (though he is fine now!)

Due to family history I guess I've always had CS in mind and part of me would be pleased if it ends up elective rather than emergency.

This is the dr I mentioned upthread, the ECV expert.

I have said this again and will keep saying it: I was breech myself until 41+5. Turned by myself and labour started the next day at 41+6. I was born at 42 weeks.
So there is still time for the baby to turn!

Yes, I had one vaginal birth and in all honesty, it has not changed anything regarding being a proper woman. If this one is in breech, I won't even hesitate going for ELCS - having children is about so much more than how exactly you gave birth to them.

My DD was breech, and so is my current bean - my ELCS was a calm and lovely experience last time so I'm fine about it happening again this time! ELCS is much calmer and easier than an emergency section. They said I should be home within 24hrs this time. It's a much better option for you.

It really doesn't matter how baby gets out! Not a sausage! You have years and years of parenting decisions ahead of you, this is a tiny thing in the scale of things. I think when you're pregnant for the first time, it's easy to focus on the actual birth. But all it really is is the first day of the rest of your life as a mum, and however baby comes out it won't matter at all within a week or so once you're panicking about feeding and sleep and colic and poos and co sleeping and crying there is so much more to motherhood than that one day.

I had two breech babies. Tried ECV with the first but unsuccessfully. I had an ELCS and it turned out the cord was too short to deliver vaginally anyway. I didn't have an ECV with the second, but did seriously consider a VBAC because I wanted to experience it. In the end, I decided that the risks were too high, and that a good ELCS was much better than a difficult VBAC and possible EMCS. After the baby arrives, you need to be better as quickly as possible, and I thought an ELCS was my best route to that. Same situation as it turned out - cord too short for vaginal delivery.

Looking back now, my viewpoint is that my priority is to my children, not my birth experience. I agree with pp that the focus society puts on the birth is insane. Your test as a woman and mother is in the 50+ years that follow the birth, not the day or whatever of giving birth.

That being said, I think it's a shame that vaginal breech births are increasingly difficult. Full respect if you choose to go down that route, but please please do so armed with full knowledge of the risks. And if your hospital doesn't support it, it does imply that the risks would be enhanced - you need competent medical staff.

Oh, and both my cs were great experiences. The second one in particular was almost fun!