Transverse baby at 36 weeks

[AwesomeBadger]

Hi all

I’ve just had my 36 week appointment and my baby is transverse. She’s been more or less in exactly the same position throughout my entire pregnancy and although she wiggles and kicks and seems to move around a lot she doesn’t ever get anywhere approaching head down (or even breech, which I’m told would be better than the current position)

I have to go back and see the midwife next week and if my little pickle is still in the same position will be referred for scans and possible ECV and c-section if necessary.

Obviously I just want a healthy and safe baby but am genuinely petrified about having a section, so can anyone please give me lovely stories about stubborn babies turning late in pregnancy? I’m spending loads of time on my birthing ball and on all fours but that hasn’t helped so far. I’ve also looked at the spinning babies website and given some of their techniques a go.

Thank you!

Hi my baby was in transverse lie at 36, and I was admitted for monitoring as her cord was lying beneath her. I was going to have a c-section at 36+5 but she turned that morning and I was discharged. However she kept turning so I was admitted for an induction at 40 weeks but as my waters were about to be broken she turned again so we had a c-section instead. I did lots of exercises to encourage her to turn but ultimately she moved for her own comfort!
The C-section was calm and controlled and not an unpleasant experience. The recovery was slow but sure. I would advise you to try not to worry and just accept whichever outcome your baby favours. Good luck.

I had a C-section due to transverse position. It was fine.

Dd2 turned the night before her ECV at 38 weeks! Was amazed as she was quite large and I was all braced for a breech birth if possible (we had an obstetrician who was open to this if straightforward) or otherwise a section...
I did have moxibustion earlier and try the positions, meditations etc but no change, the obstetrician said to go for it as there would be no harm and I'd feel better because I'd been so set on a VBAC but the evidence is slim to none for any of it, none of the 'studies' people quote are very rigorous.

In the end I woke up in the middle of the night feeling like a washing machine, and the scan in the morning pre-ecv confirmed she'd flipped!

Most breech babies ultimately turn when you are lying down, so at least do get lots of rest and good luck! And having had a section (not due to breech) and a vaginal birth, either way it is possible to have a good experience - and if you can't have the natural birth you want, a planned section is ultimately a much better experience with better outcomes than an emergency one, it doesn't have to be terrible.

Thanks all - I will hope for my own washing machine moment Namechange128!

I do realise how ridiculous it seems to be so worried about the c-section but I can’t seem to reason myself out of it at the moment, hopefully time and positive c-section stories will help.

Do you know where your placenta is? Transverse lie can be associated with a low lying placenta which may affect your options for delivery.

At my 20 week scan it was anterior and not classed as low lying and haven’t had another scan since then. I’m assuming it would be unlikely to move further down, but don’t actually know if that’s true?

That's good, yes I would think unlikely to have moved that much too. Hope you get sorted and good luck!

Another positive C-section experience here. DS2 was transverse at 37.5 weeks, then my waters broke so I had an EMCS in advance of the planned one. It all went well, no big deal at all despite my panicking in advance.

Ha ha! My little action girl was still transverse 36 hours after induction started. Well, she was most of the time. She bounced around like a break dancer on speed. People came in to watch her on the portable scan machine and marvel.

I had a section which was...absolutely fine. Relaxed, chatty doctors, DH posing in his scrubs and hat, stroking my forehead, then "Oh, it's a girl, look, lovely" from the registrar. They laughed because they took DD off for a wipe and to clear her airway and I was so impatient I was just saying "Gimme, gimme gimme gimme" almost without realising. When I saw her she was so beautiful because she hadn't been squashed coming out. Physically I recovered well.

Bad points? Throwing up my lovely cup of tea in the recovery room and having to wait ages for another one. The inconsiderate relatives of the woman opposite in the same room who WOULD NOT LEAVE even though she and I were clearly desperate for a rest, until a midwife came back and sent them packing. Having to stay in hospital longer than with a vaginal delivery and put up with mad levels of noise on the ward.

I also agree with everything Namechange said in her last paragraph.

I would advise preparing thoroughly if you do have to have a section:
-take all the painkillers provided, even (especially) the ones that go up your bottom. Save heroics for breast-feeding;
-hideous high-waisted fishnet (yes!) mega-pants from JoJo Maman Bebe were a godsend;
-as were a job lot of face cloths/flannels for cleaning the incision-use once then put on hot wash;
-assume you will live in stretchy trousers and leggings for a while and shop accordingly. My Isabella Oliver preg trousers were so great that, six years on, I still wear them (only in the house though).

That’s great SoundofSilence, thanks.

Thank you Regina, that’s really helpful advice. I think the more prepared I can be for that eventuality, hopefully the more calm I will be. Sorry to hear about your tea though, that must have been very frustrating!

I think my biggest concern is having to have an epidural for surgery as am terrified of needles and really worried about being able to stay still enough and also typically don’t respond very well to numbing type pain killers - for example when I previously had very minor surgery to remove a dodgy mole feeling came back part way through so I felt the full pain of the stitches and I’m really scared of how much worse could be if it happened during proper surgery like a c-section. It’s so unlikely logically though, I’m just unable to make my brain do logic at the moment!

All the more reason not to let things get so far that you end up with a crash section.
Ideally, you should be able to speak to the anaesthetist in advance to make sure s/he knows your history and to come up with a treatment plan.

I will say that when I had my epidural DH and the theatre midwife held/supported me which was actually rather comforting. I couldn't see or really feel what was going on and was just swept into a supine position.

My DC2 was transverse at 38 weeks and I had an elcs at 39 weeks. Honestly, it was fine. You’ll have a spinal rather than epidural which is a little odd but doesn’t hurt, and you won’t feel surgery, just perhaps some pulling sensations.

The surgeon, nurses, midwives and anaesthetists were all amazing, made me feel really at ease and dc was handed to me for skin to skin really quickly.

By the time he was delivered he’d actually turned himself breech, still not ideal so glad we went for the section.

Recovery isn’t that bad, take it easy, keep up with painkillers and big pants and comfy trousers for a while.

Best of luck to you when the time comes, you will honestly be fine.

Another one with a transverse DD, who was delivered by ELCS at 39 weeks. I was kept in hospital in case I went into labour, which was a delight (no signs of labour at all).

I had ecv, which was initially successful, but DD turned sideways again that night. I was warned that the success rate for transverse babies wasn't high.

DD managed every possible position while I was in hospital (for 10 days). Having initially been told I could go home if DD went head down, that was amended to staying head down for 48 hours.

DD was my first (transverse lie is more common with 3rd and subsequent pregnancies), and I think she was more comfortable sideways - she spent the majority of the time transverse, despite the gymnastics! I've had a lot of abdominal surgery in the past, which may have meant this was the way she fitted better. If a baby fits better longitudinally, then there's a good chance that once they've moved from breech to 'normal' they'll stay there. I don't think that's the case for transverse babies - basically, prepare yourself for a section!

My section was very calm, and it took 20 minutes to get DD out, as the surgeon was being very careful, and neither DD nor I were in distress. I suspect this helped with my recovery, which while not fun, was a lot better than some I've heard about.

Hope it goes well.

Thank you very much for the calming words!

It's all DDs, isn't it? Got girls' names sorted OP?

We have a couple of strong contenders Regina, but it depends a bit on what she looks like or which we think suit her best.

Little one is still unstable although was head down for nearly 48 hours at one point so we know it’s technically possible now!