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Pregnancy

What do I do if I don't agree with my midwife?

20 replies

MrsMar · 22/08/2007 18:11

I've been posting on the breech watch thread... just wanted some opinions as to what I should do...

I had my 36 week midwife check up today and after being breech for the past 6 weeks, the mw said today she thought the baby was head down. I'm really sceptical of this diagnosis as I haven't felt any major moves ie the baby turning (maybe it doesn't work that way) All the baby's kicks and movements are still really low down as they have been for weeks. I can feel a hard lump slightly above and to the right of my belly button which the mw says is his bottom, but I was convinced it was his head. She didn't sound terribly convinced of her own diagnosis, she said "oh I'm fairly sure"

I know they are the professionals, but my gut told me ages ago that the baby was breech, despite my gp saying I was wrong (I was right in the end) and my gut still says this one is breech. The midwife hasn't said anything more about confirming position, she even suggested I take my 38 week appt with the gp (who's admitted he's no good at assessing babies positions!) I insisted on seeing the mw though.

Are mw normally more decisive in their assessments? Is it normally more precise? Should I request another appointment with a different mw? Don't want to be a hysterical silly thing, but also concerned that my gut tells me something different to the mw!

Sorry for long winded ramblings, any advice gratefully received.

OP posts:

Report

paulaplumpbottom · 22/08/2007 18:12

Trust your instincts and get a second opinion

CarGirl · 22/08/2007 18:12

ask for a 2nd opinion/scan

paulaplumpbottom · 22/08/2007 18:14

Did you tell her that you thought her diagnosis was wrong?

seeker · 22/08/2007 18:15

If it helps, my ds turned at around 34 weeks and I didn't notice! And he was a HUGE baby!

MatNanPlus · 22/08/2007 18:27

Could you ask for a confirmation scan of babies position?

Loopymumsy · 22/08/2007 18:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

MrsMar · 22/08/2007 18:41

thanks for the replies everyone. I think I will ask for another opinion... surely it's better to be safe than sorry? I guess they can only say no.

Seeker - I did wonder if perhaps he'd turned and I hadn't noticed... as a first timer I have no idea what it feels like. It's just so wierd that all my kicks (and they're definitely hard jabbing kicks rather than a head bumping my cervix) are still really low. Maybe that's too simplistic but I just would have thought the kicks would be higher, perhaps around my ribs?

OP posts:

loopyredangel · 22/08/2007 19:36

I didn't agree with my consultant, totally different issue, and asked to be referred to another consultant! Still feel very anxious about the birth though because of what my original consultant said to me!

Mintpurple · 22/08/2007 19:58

Its never 100% certain on palpation and it sounds like your midwife has a little niggle of doubt there too, but I think you should phone up and ask for a mini scan to confirm position. A second opinion palpation will probably just give you more doubts.
Are you going to go for ECV if it still is breech? If so, they will obviously scan before this and most places will do it at 37-38 weeks.

If not, and you can't get a scan anywhere else, the labour ward will CTG and mini-scan you if you happen to have reduced fetal movements one day and you tell them that you think it might be breech. Dont try this too close to term or they will want to induce you though!

normabutty · 22/08/2007 20:03

Well I felt my LO turn from head down to breech but she turned back again without me feeling it. It was a student mw who told me she was head down but when she saw my notes said it had previously been breech she started to doubt herself. At my next appointment tho my normal mw confirmed LO was head down. I would ask for a second opinion tho if you're worried.

MrsMar · 22/08/2007 20:25

thanks mintpurple and normabutty... I'll see what they say. I hope they don't think I'm being over hysterical! I'm just a bit apprehensive about leaving it until 38 weeks. Perhaps they can squeeze me in for a 37 week appt, but if you say a second palpation might make me doubt it more... oh decisions decisions!

Normabutty, I'll be so if he has turned and I was so adamant he hadn't. Ho hum, better safe than sorry!

OP posts:

BrownSuga · 22/08/2007 20:27

my babe and a friends turned at the last stages, and didn't feel it. but best get 2nd opinion, are you able to request a scan to check?

MrsMar · 22/08/2007 20:36

Crikey, I'm really going to have to rethink things aren't I...? I could have sworn you'd feel something like that, but I'm obviously wrong! I can feel so many things I assumed I'd feel something big like a 180 degree turn! I'll call the Midwives tomorrow and see what they say about a scan.

OP posts:

somersetmum · 22/08/2007 20:40

I had the opposite with my mw - she was convinced dd was breech, so sent me to hospital for a scan, which showed she was in perfect position Get a scan, its the only way you'll know for sure.

BetsyBoop · 22/08/2007 21:23

You might not feel the baby turn, my DD turned at 38+6 last pregnancy & I never felt a thing just knew the position of the kicks had changed.

Did you notice where the doppler was when the m/w checked the heartbeat? Above your navel tends to be breech, below tends to be head down (or so my m/w told me & it seems to make sense)

a scan is the only definitive answer though

RedFraggle · 23/08/2007 11:06

Insist on a scan. My midwives told me they were 95% certain my first baby was head down and engaged at 39 weeks. I didn't believe them and insisted on a scan. She was breech.
Get a scan, it is the only way to be sure.

Woby · 23/08/2007 11:50

MrsMar, I would insist on a scan and an antenatal appointment with an obstetrician - I read that with 1st time Mums, ECV should be offered at 36 weeks - see www.rcog.org.uk/resources/public/pdf/green_top20a_externalcephalic.pdf. I really hope it all goes well.

Woby · 23/08/2007 12:00

Sorry if the link doesn't work, go to www.rcog.org.uk/index.asp, type "breech" in the search box and go to "External Cephalic Version....(20a)".

Hopeitwontbebig · 23/08/2007 16:47

Hi MrsMar , I wonder if you could get an appointment sooner if you said that you'd felt loads of movement and you were concerned baby had moved into the breech position 'again', bit of a white lie/?

lisad123 · 26/08/2007 18:12

I would defo ask for a mini scan, wouldnt take 5 mins. I was reading the new guidelines for materity care and it clearly says if docs are planning to turn the baby this should be done by 37 weeks

Let us know how it goes.
lisa

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