Been told baby is breech - can you answer a quick question?

[HonorMatopoeia]

I'm 37+6 weeks pg and booked for a c section next week due to large size of baby. I've been to a consultants appointment today and baby has turned round and is now breech. I asked what would happen if i went into natural labour before my section date and they said I'd have to rush in for a c section. The midwife present said that was due to the danger of the cord coming out first. I really should have asked her what she meant (and what would happen if this did occur) because now it's playing on my mind. Can anyone put my mind at rest?
TIA

Basically most midwives are not experienced in breech vaginal deliveries (or so I was told when my baby was breech in March) so they tend to offer c-s.

They told me the danger was the head getting stuck after the rest of the body has been delivered.

I don't think you need to worry. If you do happen to go into labour before the date you are booked in you would just need to go in ASAP.

mine was transverse breech for a while too so i looked into this. The main risk seems to be be that if your waters break there is a slightly elevated risk of the cord being swept out. I was advised that if i went into labour to get to hospital asap. If my waters broke then get on all fours with bum in air and call amubulance. Don't panic though, even if your waters do go then chances are everything will still be fine.

Yes, I always thought that was why they prefered to section now (I was breech myself, Mum had to deliver me naturally - ouch!). Wonder what on earth she was on about whne it came to the cord then?

Ahhhh, thanks vitomum, that makes sense. God, I hope this lo hangs on till next week then because our hospital is miles away and I can't see me doing the journey with my bum in the air!

ds was undiagnosed breech but we knew he wasnt engaged. i was told if waters go cord can get below baby and baby can drop suddenly which squashes the cord. so bum in air like vito said. i had emergency section (which was fab btw!) a short while after my waters went when mw realised he was breech, no problem with cord and everything went well. good luck

yes, definitely knee chest position , call 999 if neccesary.. it is an obstetric emergency, so don;t be afraid to get there as quick as poss !

if baby is partially engaged, bum or head, then risk is a lot less, so try not to panic too much

Thanks Pp, glad all went well, I'll keep my fingers crossed that it does so here as well!
Lulumama, I don't think anything is engaged at all. Lo is still doing cartwheels (in a very squashed fashion!), taking my breath away every time she moves! I'll be on the phone to the delivery suite the second I get a twinge methinks!

hope all goes well, and you have a lovely calm c.s next week x

She means 'cord prolapse' which is a rare complication of vaginal breech delivery (don't have exact figures to hand but think it's something like 0.5% of vaginal breech deliveries).

Basically, it happens when the presenting part, in this case the baby's bum, is not fitting snugly into the pelvis, so that when the waters break, the cord can sometimes slip down and out of the uterus. It's more likely to happen when the presenting part is 'high' or not properly engagged in the pelvis as often happens with breech babies.

It is dangerous because the cord can either get trapped between the presenting part and the pelvic bones, and reduce oxygen supply to the baby, or can sometimes stop pulsating when it hits cold air.
If this was to happen, an emergency section would take palce.

However: it is rare and is not a reason in itself not to have a vaginal breech delivery. It is a possible complication that needs to be carefully watched-for and considered when delivering a breech vaginally.

Sounds like your mw was going for 'worst-case scenario' and then not explaining herself properly - bad practice imo!

HTH?

Duh - yet again in the time it took me to type all that, you lot have answered

Thank you lulumama and snaf (always takes me ages to type an answer too, but that info is really helpful so thank you for taking the time! )

note to snaf.. ask santa for speed typing lessons !

It's because I always spend so much time trying not to say something stupid!

as if you could ever do that !

hi, friend of mine 34wks & me(26wks) have both been told we have breech babies and will have to have c-s at 39 weeks.

any advice on turning baby?????

anyone tried moxibustion?
ecv?
anything else?

any advice at all appreciated, tia xxx

search on here for tips to turn a breech

also the janet balaskas active birth book has some good ideas

have heard good things about moxibustion

Katy - I would say both 34 weeks and definitely 26 weeks is still too early to know if baby will be breech. They can turn yet, especially yours. But it's still useful to know at this stage so you can keep an eye on it.
My consultant tried to turn my dd when she was breech - I think they tried to turn her at about 36 weeks? Anyway she remained breech so I had a c/s, which was fine. The ECV was for ME quite a painful procedure and I am not sure I would repeat it. However others have described it only as "uncomfortable".

hi ladies, thanks for replies, i know i have plenty of time for mine to turn, but my friend doesn't.
she has 2 weeks until next midwife appt and if not turned by then will have her c-s appt made for 39wks.

ecv sounds very so-so, poss painful, poss risky and poss of baby turning back around anyway!

will have to look into local moxi-whatsit at some point.

DD was breech most of pregnancy (frequent scans due to previous fertility probs).

Consult persuaded me to try ECV 2 weeks before EDD which (for me) was the most painful procedure I've ever experienced, and it didn't work.

Booked in for elective C-Sect 1 week before EDD but waters broke (HUGE gush like you see on TV!) & went into labour 2 days after ECV. Went into hosp & was being prepd for C-Sect with spinal block when cord prolapsed.

Luckily it was spotted immediately by my wonderful midwife as she was about to insert catheter & I was rushed to theatre for a crash section instead, with midwife's hand right up my vagina holding DD, cord & placenta in place until I was cut open.

Luckily DD was fine - AGPAR low initially but improved after oxygen. Gases in cord blood were tested & ok so no brain damage from oxygen starvation.

Based on my very frightening experience, in the event of another breech preg I would not have another ECV & would book elective C-Sect.

I know my experience is rare but felt I should share it as I had not heard of cord prolapse in ante-natal classes etc.

I recovered quickly from C-Sect - back on my feet taking a shower within 24 hrs & BF from the start.

HTH

JesterJo - that sounds dramatic !

As an experience at the other extreme, we knew DD was breech for a while but couldn't persuade her to turn. After doing our own reading DH and I found an independent midwife with a lot of experience delivering breech babies and had a homebirth. Based on her palpation, midwife considered an ECV very unlikely to succeed and so we didn't try it. DD was born at 40+10 after a 7 hour labour and weighed in at 9lb 12. It was all very calm and I'd do the same again tomorrow .

Other things I've heard of that might help turn the baby include accupuncture (incl. moxibustion), chiropractor, or getting the mother to turn (have a look on www.spinningbabies.com).

The generic ECV success rate is meant to be 50%, but some consultants do much better - could be worth asking for the individual's stats before deciding whether or not to go for it.

Good luck to you and your friend, however your babies wind up being born

Hi
Just sidling on here as have been diagnosed with bicornuate uterus (heart shaped) which makes breech much more likely.
Anyone else have this? Everything I read about it is pretty scary.
China

I've got one China. Mine is like two horns. Dd was breech so had a caesarian. How far along are you?