Transverse lie - very uncomfortable

[roary]

More of a whinge then anything else, and to see what people here know about transverse lies. I am 30 weeks with no2 and have been saying to DH for days that the baby is in a very different position from DD1 - and very uncomfortable, lots of twinges in the bump, very hard to find a comfortable sitting position. Lo and behold baby is transverse, and MW says that it is no doubt stretching my uterus in this position!

I am not hugely concerned (yet) about the position for birth, as there's lots of time for the baby to turn, but:

1. Did you have one that didn't turn? A part of me thinks that the baby has been like this for a couple weeks already and seems pretty cozy in this position
2. Do all fours positions help encourage the baby to turn, as they do with breech?
3. Is it normal for the bump to be uncomfortable if transverse?

Ds2 was transverse a lot of the time and I agree, very uncomfortable! Especially when they streeeeetch!

All the stuff that is supposed to help a breech baby is also supposed to help a transverse.

Mine was transverse because the placenta was down the bottom and there was no room for his head, which is presumably not the case with you, or someone would have mentioned it by now.

My second one was transverse right up to 37.6 weeks - turned head down with a mighty yowl from me and was born 3 1/2 hours later! It was extraordinarily uncomfortable as he put on fat (born at 38 weeks - just - at 9lb 7oz ... glad he wasn't overdue!). The last few weeks were very, very uncomfortable.

I had reflexology sessions, 2 I think, in weeks 36 and 37, plus tried to sleep on side, crawl around after DS1 on all ours etc. Definitely check out spinningbabies website for advice.

... all fours ...

Fruitful, did your baby turn? Placenta is not low so that should be ok.

Thanks trl! Will try as am seriously uncomfortable now. Baby and I would both be happier if he went head down! And I don't want him getting more cosy where he is either.

I had the same problem with DC2 and he turned the day before the hospital were going to admit me. (All fours and swimming worked but it hurt.) Unfortunately the placenta was low too though so he shifted back out of position to oblique/transverse facing in the other direction.

FWIW I quite liked being able to do up my jeans right to the third trimester, but I have a terrible figure now.

Good luck!

am hving a similar thing, my little boy is lying transverse and I'm 29 weeks, feel like he's stamping his little feet through the left-hand side of my belly!!! Tis very uncomfortable lately, I have tried being on all fours and swimming, I hope he doesn't stay sideways!!!

Hello

I was extremely uncomfortable over Xmas (at 34 wks) and a scan on 30th Dec revealed why - DD's head was in my left hand waist area and her bum wedged up under my right hand ribcage.

I lay in bed that evening and 'encouraged' her round (fairly firmly) using some stretch mark oil and my hands, and the next day when we went to the midwife she was head down! She is still there now at 37 wks so fingers crossed she'll stay.

HOWEVER a word of warning - a midwife friend has pointed out that sometimes babies are in the 'wrong' position for a reason - could be a short cord, could be that if baby moves the cord could get stuck somewhere, etc etc.

What has your MW said?

Good luck

Think I'm in same position - or at least baby is - at almost 31 weeks. trying to spend a lot of time on all fours to see if this helps. Have a scan booked for 25th to check baby's kidney and MW appt on 27th so hoping for some advice then.
Let me know if your babies turn. Good luck ladies.

Thanks everyone! Baby is still definitely sideways, and it's good to have an explanation as to why all my regular trousers fit and my maternity ones don't....

I've checked out spinning babies and will spend more time on all fours, and maybe get a ball to hang over. Hard part is that I am very, very tired so not as active this pregnancy, which probably doesn't help....Fingers crossed!

I had a scan at 32 weeks and the baby was transverse - explaining lots of the twinges I was having. I'm having an elective section with this one so wasn't too worried about moving him, but tried the odd thing.

However, at my midwife appointment at 36 weeks, the baby has moved and is now head down - so there is hope!

Thanks for that Fififorgot

Had a scan this morning and baby is in right position - phew! Let's hope he/she stays that way now.

I'd definitely echo what the MW said about baby being in a bad position for a reason. With my DS - first baby and with an anterior placenta - I was utterly neurotic about his position after hearing some back to back birth horror stories, so bounced on my birth ball, wandered around the flat on all fours, always leant forward and slept on my left side religiously. He never did manage to fully engage and I'd often feel him floating up around my ribcage, then when he turned posterior I gave up the couch for the last three weeks of pregnancy and did my damndest to get him back to LOA.
I shouldn't have bothered! The little bugger eventually turned transverse 17 or so hours into my labour - and after an hour and a half of pushing despite me telling the midwife it didn't feel right as I had no urge to push.
One em c-section later it turns out he was too big for me to birth. He was absolutely fine by the way...

I have just given bith (well 4 weeks ago) to my DC3 who was pivoting between breech, oblique and transverse for all of the third trimester. I had an elective section booked for other medical reasons but the little blighter kept turning and turning and turning. It was sooooooooo ridiculously uncomfortale - actually quite painful - most of the time. With a section, they scan just before to check the lie so the surgeon knows where the baby's feet are. Confirmed - baby was still transverse. Whilst they were trying to put the epidural in - baby turned head down and fully engaged (38+5)! The surgeon had a good laugh whilst trying to retrieve her and said I would have trouble with this one !

Suffice to say we had a lot of trouble getting the epidural in because of the sheer discomfort during that time!

However, for the comments about being transverse for a reason... whilst doing the scan (and I had loads in the last 6 weeks or so of the pg), the surgeon queried a "mass" in the uterus that was not the placenta. She said - "oh
well, we'll see when we get in there". Lo and behold I had what they termed as lots of engorged blood vessels/clots that were pretty much the size of a placenta on the opposite side of the placenta meaning that the baby only had a certain area she could lie in comfortably, thus the unstable lie. Amazing that nobody picked it up beforehand but I guess these things are sent to try us. For sure, try the all fours technique and acupuncture is also supposed to bring good results for turning the baby.