Breech baby - no c sections dates until 40 + 4 days

[wyto]

Hello,

Currently 35 + 4 days, I had a consultant appointment today to confirm I wanted a maternal request c section and to get a date booked in.

Had bloods on Sunday and full check over, the midwife said all good head down (which all of my appointments have said so far) a more senior midwife then came in a queried that she actually thought baby was breech but couldn't scan as it was a Sunday.

So appointment today with the consultant, I asked about this, she felt and said head down, I asked for a scan and surprise surprise she is breech!

So the consultant rang to book in the c section asking for a date around 39 weeks or even earlier, she said it was still maternal request on the phone and the next available date was when I will be 40 + 4!

I feel really stressed about this and the idea of going into spontaneous labour with a breech baby, has anyone had this problem before and how did it turn out? 😫

That's not acceptable.

Yeah this is really shit OP

This website is good

https://www.spinningbabies.com/pregnancy-birth/baby-position/breech/flip-a-breech/

Id be doing this and then booking in for a cheap 2D scan weekly to see if there has been any movement. Baby STILL has time to move so get moving them!

Sometimes they just can't be flipped

This is not acceptable.

You're going to have to shout very loudly and start making a nuisance of yourself.

I'm not sure how you would best go about this. A direct complaint to the hospital maybe? Or ask your GP?

I'm sure someone will be along to advise you better.

You should not be put in a position where you could go into labour with a breech baby.

In my friends case....she had a baby breech when she went into labour. First baby came few days early and with a 5 hour labour. Breech second came a week early with a shorter labour! Mad that they thought she'd go over due date with a second.

If you have an elective c section booked and you go into labour they do an emergency c section instead.

I know maternity units are struggling at the moment, but my assumption would be that you will just be taken into theatre once labour is established.

Did you ask the consultant what happens if you go into labour?

Well you need to correct the reason for section for starters. It's not mat req, it's for breech.

Is it your first baby?

Breech babies can turn up until about 37 weeks spontaneously, the spinning babies website is definitely something to try as well.

I would still want to be booked in for a c-section sooner than 40 weeks plus 4 in case baby stays breech.

Pressed post too soon.

If you do go into spontaneous labour and baby is still breech, then you should be given an emergency C-section, but I would definitely question this with your consultant.

With my first (breech, exercises and ECV didn't work) I had a section at 39+1. With my second, no section dates available until 40 weeks. I worried about it, questioned it, but they wouldn't budge. I went into spontaneous labour at 38+5, went into hospital immediately and had a section as planned a few hours later. Officially it was classed as emergency rather than elective but because I was only at the beginning of labour there was no actual 'emergency.' It was all very calm and no different to my ELCS a few years earlier. I know it's hard but try not to worry x

Thanks everyone for you replies, you have made me feel like I'm not just being a diva!!

The whole reason for requesting a c section in the first place is due trauma from a miscarriage, I need to know what is going to happen to me this time which is why I'm trying to avoid an emergency c section at all costs. Its good to know though that even if it's classed as one and in early labour that it still can be calm and controlled!

She mentioned that if she put breech as the reason and the baby turned the c section would be automatically cancelled which is why she has done maternal request instead? But I can't help but think there would be different slots for a medical c section and a maternal request.

I can't rely on the notion that 'most first time mothers go overdue' it just doesn't seem right to assume!

Seeing my midwife on Friday so going to blurt out everything I'm feeling and ask for some phone number of people to pester or complain too.

Thanks again.

I went into labour with my second the day before my ELCS. Turned up at triage, was monitored and told it was still very early (back to back, so hurt like a bitch but doing sweet FA to my body) so I had a choice of going home and returning of things progressed quicker than anticipated or an emergency cs that day. Emergency in the loosest sense of the word. I chose to wait it out (was FIL's birthday, and didn't want DC2 to share the date!) but with the knowledge I had a safety net if things progressed. Next day had scheduled cs - anesthetist was a little surprised to hear I was having contractions (our hospital has two theatres side-by-side, one elective and one emergency) but other than having to time the spinal between contractions, all was as normal as far as I was aware.

You are lucky the breech has been discovered and noted - I've had several friends where it wasn't. One was a footling breech, discovered only when a foot popped out and panic ensued...

I booked our c-sections for a period of time.

There are no different slots for breech than for maternal request. We have one theatre for electives full stop.

If there is no space in the diary I can’t book your date without cancelling someone else’s, there is no wiggle room/can’t just shove one extra in.

However, I’m reality lots of things do move closer to the time. Mums go early, have a change of birth plan, many sections are planned for 39 weeks for medical reasons and those reasons need brought forward.

Id probably suggest that you see if still breech at 37 weeks as unlikely to move position from then on, and if still breech see what movement there is on elective dates.

if you can’t get the date changed, then if you have early labour signs, you will go to the emergency theatre. With a first pregnancy it’s unusual to be fast and much more likely to have lots of time to play with.

I know it’s frustrating and worrying but there isn’t a lot to be done at this stage and more than likely the date can change closer to the time.

@Answersunknown

Thanks for the insight, it's helpful to know although still frustrating.

Annoyingly my consultant appointment was cancelled and rearranged by a week so I have this niggling feeling that more dates would have been available.

I guess my planned c section may not be so planned after all!

My baby was undiagnosed breech, found out when I went to hospital (similar to you, multiple midwife's felt and one thought maybe breech) and they did a scan. I just had an emergency c-section. My waters broke but I hadn't started labour. It was all oddly quite relaxed.