Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

MW thinks baby is breech. Scan on Monday (38+4). Advice needed re turning please!

40 replies

MamaG · 17/10/2008 13:27

MW said that if baby is breech, if I want to, they will try to turn him whilst scanning him to check the cord doesn't get in the way. Apparently I'll be given a muscle relaxant ().

All sounds a bit gruesome - I didn't ask at the time, but the "if I want" bit has made me wonder - are there any downsides to this procedure?

TIA

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Pinkjenny · 17/10/2008 13:29

IIRC - it can send you into labour, that's why they continuously monitor you. The way dd was lying meant that they wouldn't try ECV with me.

curlywurlycremeegg · 17/10/2008 13:34

You could try moxibustion, if you know of a local accupunturist they should be able to help:

Moxibustion, a Traditional Chinese technique, involves using moxa sticks (made from dried mugwort, a
herb) as a heat source applied to acupuncture points on your feet. The Bladder meridian is an acupuncture
energy line running through the body which connects with your uterus, & ends with the Bladder 67 point on
the outer edge at the base of your little toe nail on each foot. It is thought to stimulate hormones to increase
your baby?s heart rate & movements & to relax your uterus slightly, enabling your baby to turn to head first.
Research shows that it is about 65-70 % successful & may be effective even up to 38 or 39 weeks of
pregnancy. Once your baby has been confirmed as still being breech, you & your partner can do the
procedure at home, any time after 35 weeks of pregnancy.

Then there is shining a light or using music to try to aid turning (do I sound like a crank yet ?) If you know wehe babies back is start at babies head with a torch or radio and move it toward the symphysis pubis in the direction that your baby would be doing a "tipple over" IYKWIM.

Or you could try thr hot and cold method, a pack of frozen veg up by the head and a warm hot water bottle by the bottom, baby is supposed to move towards the heat (I have known this work).

Adopting the same sort of postion you would for a posterior baby, bottom in the air, hips shoulder width apart for 20-30 mins at a time will help open up the pelvis, it's best to do this when baby is most active as the kicking against the uterus is what helps the baby move position.

scorpio1 · 17/10/2008 13:35

Get a Shiatsu appointment.

CookieMonster2 · 17/10/2008 13:36

It will also be very painful, apparently you will need to spend at least the rest of that day in bed once it has been done, and the chances of it working are quite small (can't remember exactly what the odds are). However, many people think all this is preferable to a c-section (me included although for complicated reasons they wouldn't try to turn mine).

curlywurlycremeegg · 17/10/2008 13:40

Why did I read your post as what else can I try? Sorry!

Yes there are some disadvantages to ECV:

Risk of Placental seperation and fetal distress, this is why it's done under scan, however you will probably have to sign a consent form for an emergency c/s prior to it being performed.

Original poster
MamaG · 17/10/2008 13:50

O.M.G.

I hav no chance of an accupuncturist (sp?) or a shiatsu thingy as we are miles from anything like that (v rural).

I'm a bit worried to try anything until I've had the scan, as baby is not definitely breech and I might end up turning him breech IYKWIM!

Shit. Fucky fuck. Do you think I should make request DH come with me to scan? I don't want to do anything that will cause distress to the baby but I would like to avoid a CS if possible.

Bugger bugger bugger!

Thank you very much for the quick responses.

OP posts:
Pinkjenny · 17/10/2008 13:51

We turned up to our ECV appointment to be told that dd was definitely breech and lying in a weird position so they wouldn't turn her. They gave me a section date and off we went.

It was like ordering a baby out of a catalogue and specifying a day for delivery.

Original poster
MamaG · 17/10/2008 13:53

curly - it didn't even occur to me that there was anything else I could try, so please don't apologise! Its really helpful thank you

OP posts:
scorpio1 · 17/10/2008 13:53

MamaG, we are rural (ish) too, some will travel...
just a thought?

Try not to get stressed; i would ask my DH to come, yes. It is supposed to hurt a bit.

curlywurlycremeegg · 17/10/2008 13:55

If they are going to do the ECV at the same time as the scan then yes I do think you should take your DH, at the best you will prob be tender and sore afterwards and maybe need a bit of molly coddling At worst (fingers crossed this won't happen) you will be scooted down the corridor to theatre for a c/s. I don't want to scare you but you do need to be prepared. Is there any possibility that you can get into the day unit/ labour ward for a very quick scan just to check position? They would literally need 30 secs to run the probe over the fundus to see whether it's a head or bottom ther. You then would have time to think about what you would like to do re the ECV.

Original poster
MamaG · 17/10/2008 13:55

It will be very weird if they do that for me pink. I've had 2 babies and never had a CS, I think it would be a big shock! I'm not overly worried though, if I have to have one I will, I really don't want to cause any distress to the baby though.

OP posts:
chequersandchess · 17/10/2008 13:58

No advice on ECV but just wanted to say I was told the same by m/w and GP at 38 weeks and they were WRONG.

I was v relieved when the consultant scanned me and said I didn't need a section after all (though in the end I would have given my right arm to have had an elective c/s rather than the birth I had!)

ladytophamhatt · 17/10/2008 13:59

19 yrs ago my SIL had her PFB turned because she was breech.

In teh car on the way home the baby turned back around. She was born vaginally in etj breech position.

Original poster
MamaG · 17/10/2008 14:06

scorp I'll do some research this afternoon, see if I can find somebody.

Curly no, they can't fit me in today unfortunately (MW rang them this morning) so I have to wait until Monday (gah). I'll tell DH to come with me!

OP posts:
curlywurlycremeegg · 17/10/2008 14:07

Well good luck, lots of baby turning in you sleep vibes (if they are actually breech) and let us know how you get on

Original poster
MamaG · 17/10/2008 14:08

Good point chequers but, er, thanks for second para

LTH - God the thought of a breech vag birth sounds v painful...

OP posts:
CookieMonster2 · 17/10/2008 14:09
  • Def take your dh with you, no reason why you should have to go on your own. Also because of the small risk you might have to have a c-section if it causes you to go into labour.
  • Don't worry about the distress to the baby. They will monitor you throughout and if it looks as though the baby isn't happy they will just stop.
  • They will do a proper scan first to make sure there isn't a reason why they shouldn't try turning the baby. Its worth going for this because if they do decide they can't try turning then you don't have to worry about whether you made the right decision or not.
Original poster
MamaG · 17/10/2008 14:19

Thanks cookie

OP posts:
chequersandchess · 17/10/2008 14:22

Sorry MamaG! You'll be fine though, you've done it twicwe before. Mine was a nearly 10 pound firstborn.

Original poster
MamaG · 17/10/2008 14:25

was only teasing chequers. Oh, the other thing is that baby is Huuuuuge according to fundal heigh measurement (yes, i know, they are often a load of bollocks, but I was scanned at 32 weeks and theyh told me then that he was big) so MW said she would have sent me for a scan to check size anyway

Am going to have a 12lb heifer cut out of me aren't I

OP posts:
chequersandchess · 17/10/2008 14:39

Gulp.

Good luck MamaG!! Keep us posted.

TinkerBellesMum · 17/10/2008 14:48

As it's your third you could have a normal delivery. Remember some babies turn the right way in labour.

If baby isn't breech doing the things suggested will be OK because they encourage baby to be head down. Another one would be to get your husband to talk to the baby, resting his head on your legs so he's talking really low down on your bump where you want baby to be. Baby will move towards the familiar voice.

Apparently handstands in the water can help, but I don't know many pregnant women who would try!

expatinscotland · 17/10/2008 14:50

good luck, mamag!

at least you won't go late this time.

have a feeling i'm going to wind up being induced in november here.

Original poster
MamaG · 17/10/2008 14:56

DH has taken Monday off work - hopefully all will be fine and we can spend the day togehter whilst the DC are at school

Tink - thanks, but don't think my bath is deep enough

ooh expat guess what - my Mum phoned and said sorry she'd let us down etc etc and that she will be there for us when baby comes, so we're back on - no last minute panic about who will have the DC etc - If baby isn't breech, I'll be induced on 13 November apparently - 2 days before my birthday, whoopee what a fun day I'll have. They make yuou wait until 14 days over so I'll have a race to teh birth with you! We can have a nice moany, feeling sorry for ourselves overdue thread

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 17/10/2008 14:58

they'll make me wait till 12 november here.

he ain't budging, i can tell ya.

in a way it'd not be so bad because my folks will be here from 18 November till 18 December and then they'll just be in France.