transverse baby at 39 weeks

[kraftwerkkittie]

After several months of being head down (but never engaged), I've been told that the baby is transverse - which makes sense as i was wondering why there were two big roundy lumps at either side of my belly if he really was head down.

I'm lookinag at this website - www.spinningbabies.com/ - and doing all of the sitting forward/hands and knees stuff but it's not doing anything. Maybe I should just get used to the idea of a c-section.

1. Have you had the baby turned and what was it like?
2. I've seen it recommended that you lie on your back with cushions under your bum to force the baby to move. But most books say never to lie on your back towards the end (something to do with blocking an artery and blood flow to you or the baby). Do you know anything about this?

Any help gratefully received!

i had my baby turned by ECV and it was fine

I had a failed ECV with DS. DD2 was a tranny for 38 weeks until she turned head down during labour. Don't give up hope.

DD wasn't transverse but was almost posterior at term. I had acupuncture including moxibustion from a highly experienced practitioner and it did the trick (she turned and was born naturally).

Re your no. 2, I think that is recommended for breech, not transverse. Have another look at spinningbabies.com.

And the baby might turn during labour, especially if you stay as mobile as possible.

Don't assume it'll be a c-section!

Good luck.
x

Thanks! I'm feeling a bit miserable about it for some reason, so any positive words are good good good x

what was ecv like, katiemorag?

also has anyone tried a breech tilt (having your knees on the couch and your head on the ground, in order to try and force gravity to make the baby move)? my pregnancy book and spinning babies said that it could be used for transverse babies too.

It was really hard! And afterwards I had a bit of pain in my pelvis (probably from the muscle strain) but it scared me. Baby shifted for a minute then wriggled back to his favourite spot.

I've heard that an ecv is really painful and can be risky and that if it does end in caesarian, my scar will be bigger and higher up. It's all just made me feel scared, when I've been pretty stoical so far. Can't get through to my midwife until tomorrow and the doctor was pretty nonchalant when he found that the baby had flipped on Saturday.

walk up the stairs sideways like a crab

is this your first? I would be wary of ecv personally unless done by someone extremely extremely experienced.

if your second then you do still have time for the baby to turn and she may turn during labour itself.

I had what my mw thought was a transverse lie at 36 weeks but it turned out to be an unstable lie so my dd was turned by the consultant. It didn't work. I ended up having a c section at 39 weeks.

thanks eniddo, alas i live in a flat!

this is my first. BUT the baby seems to be able to still move around a fair bit. Sometimes I think he's dropped out of transverse but then pops back into it. The ECV would be at the hospital, I guess...

what was the ecv like, yessir? i've heard it can be very painful (i know that labour isn't a walk in the park either, so I guess I should get used to the idea of pain!)

It was extremely uncomfortable but the Consultant came very highly recommended so I knew I was in safe hands. If you're in the Glasgow area I'll pass on his name.

yes, they do it in hospital in case anything goes wrong . AFAIK only consultants do it. it was uncomfortable but not as bad as one single contraction . but i don't think they will do it for a first baby

how many weeks are you?

39 weeks + 5 so getting on a bit... I had a midwife along the way who said I had the muscle tone of someone whose already given birth. At the time I thought she was just a mardy cow, but now I think she may have been right and it might be the reason for the baby's lie. Not much I can do about it though.

Good to know that it wasn't as bad as a contraction. I've heard that the ecv can be very painful. After 3 days wait I should FINALLY get to speak to my midwife today so hopefully she'll have some words of wisdom for me.

Does moxibustion work for transverse babies? have seen it work wonders for breech babes.