Breech babies

[Edelweiss2020]

So I'm now 33 weeks and baby has been breech since at least 28 weeks and is showing no signs of budging! Midwife at 30 week appt was adamant he will turn but I'm getting doubtful! Everything else so far has gone fine and baby is growing well so it'd be a shame for this to be the start of drama haha.

Anyone that's had a breech baby at this point did they turn themselves, did you have an ECV later on - did it work? If not what happened?

Seeing midwife again next week at 34 weeks so will have a chat with her then but just wanted to hear other people's experiences :)

Hey OP, fellow mother of stubborn breech baby here! 👋

These threads usually fill up with scores of women whose babies turned right up to the day of labour, and that can definitely happen. There are a number of exercises/activities you can try before thinking about an ECV (the spinning babies website is good for ideas) but there is also a chance baby won't turn, and that’s ok too.

My DD was breech from around the same time as you - I was booked in with the consultant to talk options but went into labour naturally at 34+4 and she was born by (a very chilled and laid back) EMCS. I don’t think it was anything to do with her being breech, she was just an impatient so and so 😁.

At this point I’d start trying to get the baby to turn naturally, but also start to get your head around the fact that you may need a csection in the end. I was very adamant that I wanted a ‘wooo’, all-natural water birth so it took me a while to get my head around the fact that I might not get that. I’d started researching the csection process and started mentally preparing myself so when it did happen (and the choice was completely taken out of my hands!) it was ok because I knew what to expect.

You’ve got bags of time for baby to turn anyway so it may not be an issue. Good luck!!

I'm breech at 37+5 today, baby has been breech for a while but the midwife wasn't concerned until my last appointment (at 36+5) as they can flip themselves round regularly when they're still that little bit smaller. I tried an ECV and that didn't work. For first time mums the success rate of ECVs at my local hospital is 35%, for second+ babies it's 65%.

It's looking likely I'll end up with a planned c section, I have another thread on here that's not too old (called 'Failed ECV') which has quite a few shared experiences which has persuaded me that's the safest option for both of us as he keeps springing back into place when it looks like he might turn. At 33 weeks there's still loads of time for baby to turn though, but for me knowing my options is really helpful!

Hi @Edelweiss2020 - Congratulations on your pregnacy

I am only 24+6 at the moment so I haven't got to the third trimester just yet however, I just wanted to share the story of my friend (who was due yesterday!). She was breech for weeks and weeks and was booked in for her C-Section last week. She got to the hospital, they got her into her gown etc. and did a last minute scan......... Baby had turned! She was obviously partially disappointed as she was sure she was going to meet her baby last week and to be sent back home again did upset her for a while. But hopefully now, she can have the natural birth that she wanted.

Good luck! Xx

My dd was breech at every scan (I had lots of extra ones)and she turned at around 35/36 weeks. I hadn't done any specific exercises, I was just pushing the buggy! I had decided that I wouldn't opt for the ecv, mainly because the success rate was low at my hospital so she would have been born by planned sectioned if she hadn't turned.

Had one go the other way.
The lower of our twins turned from HD to breech somewhere between 32+5 & 36+5 scans. My consultant was amazed that she managed it as they were both big babies. They wouldn't attempt an ECV as successs rates are too low and I ended up with an elcs at 38wk, they did leave it open to change to induction if she'd turned on her own by the day. Just shows even if you think they don't have much room they actually have plenty to do a flip.