Breech at 35 weeks with first pg

[itsababslife]

Hi there, this is my first post to MN and hoping for some advice.

Saw MW about a week ago who thought DD was breech. I'm pretty sure about this too as her head seems to have been lodged painfully under my ribs since bump started developing - cue mega heartburn, breathlessness and wierd tingly buzzing sensation under right boob! I'm starting to get a bit anxious that she likes this cosy position a bit too much and is disinclined to flip round.

I've tried spending hours forward leaning over a gym ball, all fours with bum in air (although this one's a bit uncomfortable for too long), swimming, reflexology and on back with hips up playing music to my pubic bone ! (last piece of advice courtesy of spinningbabies website - just resulted in lots of huffing and puffing and inability to breath).

Seriously considering getting on all fours and scrubbing the kitchen floor - clearly getting desperate !!!

Not due to see MW for another 2 weeks, should I be worrying at this stage, and what happens if she's not turned by next appt -will she be too big by 36/37 weeks to turn naturally ? Really not keen on prospect of breech birth or CS.

Or should I just chill ?

Any advice gratefully received...

you could ask for an ECV. external cephalic version.

try moxibustion for getting the baby to turn too

hi and welcome to MN

Getting on all fours and scrubbing the kitchen floor won't do any harm, you know...

Anyway, to answer your questions, she will not be too big to turn so don't worry about that. If the midwife doesn't want to see you for two weeks then she is obviously not too worried just yet. They will want her to turn if at all possible, they aren't keen on breech deliveries, although if it does come to that, there's absolutely no reason to think that the birth won't go swimmingly.

Has the MW suggested an ECV? It is where the MW will try to turn the baby using external pressure.

Please also try to remember that there is plenty of time for the baby to turn around under her own steam.

interesting article here

where squonk where????
and hello [waves]

You shouldn't be worrying. I've had two breech babies, and two relaxed and happy CSs - and I understand the birth is so important, honestly - and for most people, when you hold your first baby, your new life begins. I know how uncomfortable it is when they stick under your ribs, but even though I have no experience of the other way, I imagine there is no comfortable pregnancy bump after 35 weeks. TBH I am less inclined than others to think she will turn now, but I would be, wouldn't I. Your birth will still be lovely either way. Please don't let this make you anxious and unhappy.

Having read the article, I didn't know only 4% were breech. What on earth am I doing, then? I am now convinced there's a good chance yours will turn!

Thanks for the article, i'll give the crawling a go - may even try with a scrubbing brush in hand!

No one has mentioned an ECV to me, in fact until 2 days ago i'd never heard of it. Had a quick look around the web and it there seems to be differences of opinion about how effective it is. If still breech by next MW visit she's referring me back to the hosp, I guess they'll talk about it there.

DD was my first. She was breech from when they started palpating, and was born as a breech baby at home with IMs. I declined an ECV. I'm more than happy to talk about my reasons and experience if it would help.

Success rate for an ECV will be dependent on a whole host of factors including your baby's exact position and the skill of the practitioner - its worth asking around to try and get someone with a better than average (which is actually 50%) success rate.

If you're interested in researching your options before you next see the MW, try and get hold of "Breech Birth" by Benna Waites and/or "Breech Birth: What are my options" by Jane Evans - I found them both very approachable and felt they had a far more balanced view point than the registrar I saw. And Google Mary Cronk.

There's no right or wrong answer on the best way to get a breech baby into the world. Vaginal breech birth, vaginal breech delivery and CS all have different risks and the risks are not directly comparable - all you can do is make the decision that is most right for you and your family given your personal circumstances. Good luck

I had an ECV at 39+5, as a first-time mum, and there was next to no chance of it working but I thought I would give it a try. It was EXCRUCIATING and DS got to a diagonal position and couldn't rotate any further without even more pain. I am glad I tried it though. It's just if it's your first pregnancy it has a less than 50% chance of working, IIRC.

I went into labour a few hours later so had a c-section earlier than planned. Really, there's nothing to worry about, lots of people have c-sections anyway once they go through labour, and you'd have an advantage in at least being prepared for a longer hospital stay, not being able to drive for a few weeks, etc. Also, I had moxibustion treatment at 35wks but it did no good. Thought it was quite expensive but hey it could have worked.

Best of luck that the baby turns - but not the end of the world if he/she doesn't!

Thanks for all your kind advice. I think I just need to relax, the poor child doesn't stand a chance of turning over in a clenched uterus !

Its hard to stop fretting - this is the 1st successful pg after 3 MCs.

Deep breaths !

hey my LO was breech til 38 weeks and turned one night (which woke me - as hurt, lots!!)

try doing all the things you've been doing, better to be proactive about it... don't let it give you undue stress and talk to your MW or friends...

You know to weigh up the pro's and con's of the ECV - look at it objectively...

good luck

Mine was transverse at 37 weeks. She did go head down by 39 weeks though.

IABL - I can imagine you are fretful after 3 MCs - but the main thing to remember that breech is nothing like any medical condition or issue, it's just about the actual birth. Your baby is absolutely fine! Just make sure you are in control and ask lots of questions to make sure you know what's going on and what your options are. I was reassured when booking my c-section that planned c-sections can be the happiest of births.

DS2 was breech up until I was 36weeks, I don't know how he turned, he was a big baby.
He turned the night before I was having a scan to find ot if I needed a C/S or not.
Worry not, she could still turn.

I just wanted to add that it is amazing how quickly your new baby will make the fretting and stresses of pregnancy fade to a distant memory, however they arrive. Soon you'll have a brand new tot to occupy you all day (and night!), and you'll probably forget all this within a couple of months!

I speak as someone who had a breech baby - he wasn't interested in turning, ever, at any point. We tried an ECV (it really wasn't that painful, some people say it's excruciating but I didn't find that to be the case at all, and you are always free to shout "Stop!"), along with acupuncture, crazy upside down positions, crawling off the bed and the sofa front-first, and putting frozen peas on his head. All of this succeeded only in pissing my poor DS off! I'd have had a bash at a VB but he was quite a big baby and as my first I wasn't confident to try. He was born by planned caesarian and I thought not having a vaginal birth would scar me mentally forever but I can't believe just how insignificant it is to me in the scheme of things.

I really can identify with your concerns because I shared the same worries at your stage. But I wish now I had tried to enjoy the little remaining peace-and-quiet I had

Welcome to Mumsnet and you can be sure here you'll get all the support you want with your new arrival

I should add that they usually won't consider an ECV until your baby is term so not for another fornight

I want to echo the comments about not worrying. I had a breech baby and she was born by CS - her head was well and truely wedged under my ribs and it was a bit of a tug to get her out!

They do actually offer ECV at about 37 weeks - I personally would not do it - success rate low - chance of placenta dislodging and then needing an emergency CS and not many people are skilled enough now to do it (I was going to High Wycombe hospital and they said I would need to go up to Oxford to have done).

The most important thing is to deliver by the most safe route and CS for me was the best thing to do.

Having said all that, the baby might move - you never know!

I had DD my CS after it transpired she was breech. We had known she was breech from the late 20s weeks but at 32 weeks on palpation, MW said baby had turned so no need for action. I couldn't feel it myself so when baby hadn't engaged by 39 weeks and a scan showed that she WAS still breech I wasn't really suprised. I was offered a section which I was terribly upset about accepting (home birth planned, pool inflated etc) but judged it to be the best option given the hospital's limited experience with vaginal breech deliveries. I'd done a lot of research around the 30 week mark when we originally knew baby was breech so I was already well versed on the stats to make a decision.

I was offered an ECV at 39+some and I accepted as the woman at our hospital (RSCH Guildford) is experienced and has better than average rates of success. My experience was the same as MrsJamin above: it was terribly terribly painful. And sorry, IAteMakkaPakka, you can't just say "stop" when the baby is diagonal in your uterus and you're in agony...!! I am told that mine was so bad because it was really a bit too late to do it and the baby was too big (born a few days later at 6lb9oz so not huge really). To make matters worse, they lost the baby's heartbeat during the procedure, and for a few minutes it looked like I'd be red lighted in for an emergency c/s. That was horrible and left DH and I a bit bit shell-shocked as well as bruised afterwards.

The ideal time for an ECV is 36 weeks so you should definitely ask about it if a breech worries you and I would imagine that at 36 weeks it wouldn't be so painful, if at all. They offered me G&A and if I'd have been shown how to use it properly i.e. BEFORE the doctor pushed her hands through my skin into my pelvis, to lift the baby out, I think the whole thing would have been a lot better.

But given the same set of circumstances, I would choose an ECV again as everything's worth a try. And despite it being painful, it wasn't nearly as bad as the recovery from the c/s. It's no easy option.

I also tried moxubustion/accupunture - again this would have been more likely to work around 36 weeks. Again, I would do these again even though they didn't work at the time.

I believe there is also The Webster Technique a chiropractic practice which sometimes succeeds in turning breech babies. I would have tried this too but I was too late by the time I found out.

There's loads of information out there and several viable options including independent MW if your hospital isn't experienced in vaginal breech, as someone above mentioned (again, too late for me and too expensive unfortunately).

And I'm PG with baby#2 now so none of this is really that bad, whatever you choose!!