How to encourage breech baby to turn and your stories pls

[MrsScotland]

I had an extra scan at 27 weeks and was told baby is breech frank - which basically means jack knifed, bum down but legs up around their face. I'm less sure about that, as all the kicks I feel are low down.

Baby is fairly big, measuring on the 75th centile but his legs on the 99th (tall Daddy so not surprised)!

I had another midwife appt at 29 weeks and baby is still head up, bum down!

I've got growth scans booked at 32 and 36 weeks, I was told they wouldn't worry about it until I was 36 weeks and then we'd make a plan, but I'd really like to do everything I can naturally to turn baby.

I've started bouncing on a birthing ball and I tried an inversion off my bed but it was hard and very tricky to get out of!

Has anyone got any tips, or any stories of how this happened to them and the outcome?

It may happen, it may not. DS2 was breech the whole pregnancy, from 20 week scan. I went to a 36 week check up with the midwife and he had magically turned himself. Must have been while I was sleeping as I didn't feel it happen at all.

I had twins and the second one was breech. After the first was born (vaginal birth) the midwife shoved her arm up there and turned him! Was a most strange sensation but it worked! I was very lucky to have someone experienced like that. It was 30 years ago and I'm not sure if they'd do that now.

I'm 37+3 and my baby was breach at 32 weeks, she had turned by 34 weeks and is now head right down in pelvis! Plenty of time!

Moxibustion worked for me. It’s Chinese acupuncture combined with burning herbs.

I was booked in for male doctor to turn the baby and was desperate to avoid this. Friend told me about Chinese acupuncture. Being desperate I gave it a go (never dreaming it would work). Baby turned a few hours later. I am pretty cynical and don’t usually go in for airy fairy stuff but this worked! Do google it.

https://www.spinningbabies.com/

Take a look at this site for exercises you can do to encourage baby to turn. Try not to worry too much though, there is still plenty of time for baby to turn.

Diving down to the bottom of a pool (not from the side, just from top of the water) worked for me! And swimming generally. Mine was breech at 32 weeks and then flipped.

Or any yoga poses where your head is down, like downward dog or puppy dog poses

I tried all the moves on spinning babies and nothing worked. The obstetrician I saw for weekly scans from 36 weeks said none of the moves etc are guaranteed to work, the baby will move if it wants to move. He offered to do the external turn but I had to acknowledge the baby could well just flip back to a breech position.

Mine did move back to normal presentation at 38 weeks. Then at 39 turned transverse/diagonal with bum at lowest point.

I was booked in for a section but baby turned the evening before to head down and I had a vaginal birth in the end.

I do have a very stubborn child - no different in than out!

Oh my goodness Babs what a little rascal!

I'm trying to accept what will be will be, but I also really wanted to experience a v-birth and I'm unlikely to have any more children.

Peonies I go to pregnancy yoga and I've just joined a lovely pool so I can go swimming lots - good to know that can help!

I've heard about moxibustion, yes I'm similar, not into 'hocus pocus' but also open minded!

Thanks for the other stories everyone!

I tried the moxibustion, exercises and having it turned in hospital (awful experience, do not recommend!) and nothing worked so I had to have a c section which was fine so try not to worry if you end up having that! Only time I felt her nearly turn was when I swam to the bottom of the pool! She didn’t quite make it all the way round though. Good luck!

There’s actual evidence around moxibustion that shows it works. Some NHS trusts actually offer it. It’s the least of all the “hocus pocus” stuff you can do 😄

I turned DS1 the old fashioned way. I got on my hands and knees and gave the kitchen tiles a good old scrub. Yes, really. I think I was 33 or 34 weeks, can't quite remember as it's years ago.

That night in bed I felt the oddest sensation as DS1 flipped himself the right way round. So it worked and not a bit of hocus pocus about it.

DD2 was breech from 28w to 39+2 when I felt her turn. Scans up to that point had confirmed she was still breech. I declined the ECV and a C Section was booked for 39+5 but I went into spontaneous labour about 12hrs after she turned and had a vaginal delivery. Interestingly, I never tried spinning babies as I had been happy to go for the section, but when she turned it was after I had been sat with my bum on the sofa and leaning forward to play a game on the floor with DD1. I also took DD1 swimming each week, but that wasn't really swimming for me as I was mostly carrying her around the pool, so not sure if it made much difference! When DD2 was born, the midwife commented that her cord was unusually long so I do wonder if she might have turned earlier otherwise.

Oh wow that's amazing! I assume maybe that was possible because your first twin being head down meant you were already fully dilated? My consultant said the worry with vaginal breech deliveries is because the bum / feet are smaller than the head, they can start to come through the cervix before it is fully dilated, which then causes serious problems for delivery of baby's head.

I had acupuncture and a very long walk to avoid baby being turned manually in hospital. Could have been a coincidence but it worked.

Yes, that's a very good point about already being fully dilated. Thank you!

My DS was breech the whole way through and didn’t turn. My midwife was convinced he had turned on several occasions but I was certain he never did as all the kicks I felt were left hand side just below my stomach! He was sat in my pelvis with his legs straight out. I tried spinning babies but didn’t work for me.

I turned down the option of an ECV because it was Covid times and they wouldn’t let my partner in the hospital. I asked to speak to a consultant about this option but they would only give me a student doctor so I just felt like I wasn’t equipped with enough info to go through it alone.

When I was actually in hospital for my c section I found the care second to none, so in hindsight I wish I had tried the ECV as I found my section recovery quite hard. I just wish they had reassured me at the time but instead they treated me quite rudely for questioning it and put pressure on me to get the c section booked on the spot!

Pregnant again now, so will be interesting to see if it’s another breech…

I would say several of my friends have been told their babies are breech and then they have turned in the last few weeks xxx

My first was any way except head down until 32 weeks. My second was frank breech up until nearly 37 weeks when he turned by himself. I did nothing different (except eat a Subway on the night I'm sure my second turned) to get them to turn. Honestly, I wouldn't worry or try anything until 32-34 weeks.

I wanted to try moxibustion but couldn't as I had pre existing high blood pressure. Tried spinning babies stuff. Had an ECV but the dr could only get her to turn about 5 degrees and as soon as he took away the pressure she just pinged back so he didn't continue. Years later it was discovered I had scar tissue in my uterus so that may have been there then and caused a bit of a barrier. Had a wonderful c-section where she came out bum first. No regrets about not getting a vaginal birth.

Hi there it's a labour ward midwife. I would say it's too early to worry at 29th weeks. Moxibustion and ECV are evidence based strategies but you need to be further along. There is no evidence Spinning Babies or antenatal yoga work- however it's not the same their techniques don't work- it's just no one done a proper research on them. If you heart is set on the vaginal birth you may want to start investigating if there are any hospitals or independent midwives offering them where you live. Vaginal breech birth is much safer with an person experienced in facilitating a breech birth. Unfortunately much of the expertise has been lost with the publication of Term Breech Trial. That study was so deeply flawed that 2 years later one of the authors insisted the Lancet withdrew its conclusions. Unfortunately the damage had already been done and there is very little vaginal breech birth expertise around. I hope you little one will turn by 35-36 weeks, this will be the most favourable outcome. I hope it helps

They wanted to turn my baby but I refused. I was later told that I had an abnormality to the uterus that would have made it impossible and dangerous.

ECV is only ever attempted in a hospital by a senior doctor or a senior midwife who would have checked all the relevant information and asked all relevant questions. There are small risks there just as there are risks with an elective Caesarean. As a labour ward midwife I would say I have seen more complications with an elective Caesarean (adjusted for the numbers of ECVs and caesareans)

Honestly OP don’t worry about it at all yet. My baby was breech all the way through, I was booked for an ECV to turn her and for the week before that tried absolutely everything (search spinning babies on Youtube), I did those videos 4 times a day for a week😂 had my final scan to check position at I think it was 39 weeks 3 days, and she was still breech so they booked my ECV procedure the following day, I turned up all ready to try and turn her and when they quickly checked again before we started she had turned herself! Not sure if the videos helped at all but worth a try! X

Mine turned at 33 weeks. And again at 35 weeks. And again at 39 weeks.

I had a planned c section due to unstable lie. He is fine.

They found my abnormality at C-section. It was never mentioned during the 7 years of fertility treatment. 2 D&C. Throughout my pregnancy. During any of my scans. They just weren't aware. My next pregnancy I took medication throughout because there is an associated risk of late pregnancy loss. I'm glad I didn't agree to having my baby turned.