Breech birth experiences much appreciated...

[McSnail]

Hi - my sister is 33 weeks pregnant. Her baby is breech. Obviously the baby may move by itself, and she's booked in to have it manipulated (don't know the correct medical term for this although she did tell me)

If it stays breech though, what can she expect? Will she be offered a C-section? Or will she still have regular labour followed be emergency c-section if needed?

Also, if you can be bothered relating your breech birth experience on this thread, that would be great.

Thanks so much.

The procedure that your sister mentioned is ECV where they try to manually turn the baby into the right position.

She could try some of the exercises on the Spinning Babies website. My baby was lying breech at 28 weeks, I did an inversion for a few minutes, three times a day for about 10 days and at my 32 week check baby was head-down. Moxibustion has also been suggested for turning breech babies.

There is still time for your sister's baby move, however if it doesn't (and there may be a reason why it physically can't e.g. short cord) then I think most obstetricians would offer a c-section, particularly if this is a first baby or previous children were delivered by c-section.

I hope this is helpful.

Thanks very much.

Hi I was booked in for ECV 5 days before my due date. I was told that if I went in to labour before the appointment for ECV I would have a c-section. Went into labour 12 days before my due date so was given a c-section.

Hope this helps.

Hi sorry to jump in on your thread mcsnail.

I am in the same position as your sister, 33 weeks and breech baby, but no further appt til 37 weeks as it's my second pregnancy. If baby is still breech by then I will opt for the ECV but obviously hoping she'll move before then.

My last resort for delivery would be a c-section as I have an 18mo dd and my dp can really only take a week or so off work as he has only just started a new job! I don't think I could cope after a section.

I was wondering, are they always so quick to section, or do they actually allow people to deliver naturally now with a breech baby?

Again I'd be interested in peoples stories.

Lola - jump in all you like!

DS was breech. I turned down ECV so was offered a section on my due date as there were no earlier spaces but went into labour at 37.5 so had an emergency section. I think whether or not they let you labour depends on the type of breech position as certain types may allow you to try for a natural birth. I did ask with DS and was told no way due to his position and because it was my first labour. 33 weeks is still quite early - they can turn up to the last minute.

DD was undiagnosed breech. They only spotted it after 12 hours of labour sigh. Didn't really get the option to try and deliver naturally and tbh, by then I was glad to hear the words c-section.

i was offered an ECV as DD was breech

i turned up for the procedure which was at 37 weeks and she had turned

i used reflexology and moxibustion to turn her

i think your sister has quite a while

at my hospital it is policy for all breech babies to be born by schedules section @ 3 weeks

i mean 39 weeks

and a lot of "i" in that post

Hi, I posted something a bit like this in the childbirth section a week or so ago as I am 31 weeks with twins who are stubbornly in breech position.

I do not wish to have another CS and my hospital is happy to support breech delivery with a doctor - the midwives have no practical experience of it (only videos). I think this is very very sad as in other parts of the world a bum first presentation breech (obv not the technical term) is treated as a normal delivery. I would far rather be supported by midwives only but breech delivery done by inexperienced staff can be dangerous but then, how do they get experience without doing it?

I am rambling a bit, sorry, but to me it seems that in this country we are too quick to opt for CS and it limits the options for others to have normal deliveries with experienced staff.

It is normally standard procedure to deliver breech babies by c-section, it is in both the health authorities I have been under.

Ds was breech but they could not perform an ECV because I had reduced amniotic fluid and the procedure would have been too risky. Ds was delivered at 37 weeks as I picked up an infection. The worst thing for me in having a section was having to stay in hospital for 48 hours, I felt well enough to go home after 24 hours and didn't have a good experience in hospital. I had very little pain, I was off painkillers within 24 hours and was told off by mil as I was literally sprinting out of the hospital! I recovered very quickly and I didn't feel as if I had had an operation.

I am now 31 weeks pregnant and baby is breech again. I have been told there is plenty of time for him to move. Part of me would like another c-section due to the positive experience first time round but on the other hand I am worried that I may not as recover as quickly as last time as I am 6 years older and not as fit as I was first time round.

Just as an aside, it isn't up to the hospital to "allow" you to try to birth your breech baby vaginally - they can have as many policies and make as many recommendations as they like, but ultimately they cannot force you into theatre to have a CS.

Re. presentation, frank breech (bum first, legs straight) is safest, followed by full breech (budha style, but usually born bum first) with footling (anything else first) carrying the most risk. With a vaginal breech the biggest risk is of cord prolapse - and as there are more gaps around the presenting part so it becomes easier for the cord to fall down first.

DD1 was born vaginally as a breech baby. After doing a lot of reading and talking we decided there was no research to say that breech birth was more dangerous than a CS, but plenty to say that position was only true as long as your had MWs and/or Drs skilled and experienced in breech birth. We were lucky to be able to find IMs with a lot of breech experience who were able and happy to take us on at 36 weeks.

PeasPlease - I completely agree, and it feels like catch 22. The real shame is that the MWs that have really strong breech skills, like Mary Cronk, are all at or nearing retirement now. I am worried that we've gone so far down the road of medicalised breech birth/delivery that we no longer have enough individuals with the skills that allow them to consider breech as an unusual variation of normal that it will be incredibly hard to bring those skills back to midwives as part of their standard practice .

lola0109, if you wish to deliver a breech vaginally it is your choice to do so, you will only be advised according to policy, nobody can disallow you.

If a ECV doesn't work and a CS is your last resort then like me I would suggest you do some research to build your confidence as you might get a lot of negative comments. Someone on the other thread posted this which is nice: Mary Cronk and Ina May Gaskin writes a lot of positive stuff about it in Spiritual Midwifery.

Thanks for the comments mcsnail I'm jumping in again!

My mum is a midwife but has been in triage for 10 years and even admits that the rate of vaginal breech deliveries has rapidly dropped due to inexperienced staff which is a shame.

My mum delivered my DD and I would love her to deliver DD2 too as well but if she is still breech she said that there is no way the hospital would allow it due to the length of time away from labour ward (although she has delivered in triage but only straightforward deliveries) and my mum doesn't trust the staff to be experienced enough either so although she'd prefer I delivered naturally, it might come down to a c-section.

I have read up on it though so maybe if she is still breech nearer the time I might ask for a scan to see in what position and decide from then.

It is so difficult! I realise that there is still plenty of time to turn but if that doesn't happen I want to know all my options not just the hospitals preferred options!

But fingers crossed that baby and Mcsnails niece/nephew behave themselves and turn in time

My daughter was a footling breech, but went undiagnosed until I was in labour - literally fully dilated and feet coming out...

Luckily a doctor experienced in breech delivery was on hand and I was able to give birth vaginally. They whisked me into theatre just in case, and I was given one shot at delivering naturally. Luckily for me it worked! My whole labour was very quick and I think I would have probably have had a c-section if not.

I've also heard of people using hypnotherapy to turn babies - sorry no more detail than that though.

Keep us posted as to whether she turns lola!

Had a hospital appt today and she's still breech, got my next appointment in 3 weeks time and they'll decide then the best plan of action if she hasn't turned!

So for the next 3 weeks I will be doing handstands

No one else seems overly worried so i won't stress myself either. But will know my options so I'm not railroaded into section!

Hi

Dd was breech - several times!

Went in for reduced foetal movements at 36 weeks and they discovered she was breech. Scan confirmed frank breech, but hospital said they had no midwives or consultants experienced enough to offer safe vaginal delivery. They also insisted that none of their consultants were experienced in ECV so turning her wasn't an option.

They wanted to book a 37 week section date there and then, but I said I wasn't happy to do this without discussing it with the consultant first. This was on Thursday afternoon and they booked me in to see the consultant on Monday morning, with a view to having a planned section at the end of the week.

That weekend ds2 was rushed into hospital with serious pneumonia and I spent the next week sleeping on a z-bed next to his hospital bed in an isolation room.

Went back to see the Consultant the following week, had a quick scan first and lo she was cephalic! (Maybe it was that uncomfortable z-bed that did it?)

So was booked for pre-induction appointment at 40+12 and induction at 40+13 and went home to enjoy Christmas.

Went in at 40+12 and discovered she was breech again. This time there happened to be a lovely consultant on duty on the postnatal ward, which was adjacent to the room I was being monitored in. Stroke of luck, he overheard the midwives discussing me at the desk and said he could do an ecv there and then.

Had a quick chat with him, he was very experienced in ECV (so obviously they were lying when they told me none of the consultants could do it) and also very reassuring, in that he explained every step, all the checks they would do and that he wouldn't go ahead if after all the checks he wasn't absolutely sure it was safe for dd

So I was taken to the delivery suite, where dd was monitored for an hour and the I was injected with a muscle relaxant (which made me feel a bit sick and very odd). The consultant explained that he would scan first (mobile scanner) to check her position and the position of the cord, then would only try to turn her once and if she didn't move within 2 minutes they wouldn't try again. Then he grabbed her head and bottom through my bump (this did hurt, but was bearable, I was offered G&A but didn't want/need it) and turned her in one deft movement. I was scanned again to check she and the cord were ok and then monitored for another hour. Consultant checked everything again and then I was discharged overnight to be induced the next morning.

Needless to say, I sat bolt upright most of that night to stop her turning again.

I was induced the next morning and dd was born after a labour of just under an hour and a half with no complications.

So, I would say there's still time for her to turn by herself but if not, based on my experience I would say ECV is definitely worth a try. (Although I am aware that ECV doesn't work for everyone and you do need a very experienced consultant.)

hth

DD breach, undiagnosed went into labour and abrupted placenta, so emergency c-section.

Ds breach also, booked a section but went into labour and had a less eventful emergency c-section.

With Ds I had lots of advice on manipulation and expensive course of accuptunture.
So I took the money I would have spent on accupunture and spent it on a cleaner for the first 4 weeks post section.
Best decision of my life.

Both sections where practically pain free and although the first few days after you think you will never walk again after a week I was fine and off all painkillers.
No horrendous scar, honestly 5 years later it has almost disapeared. Pelvic floor still in tact, no vaginal pain or damage and healthy babies.
Win, Win .

Giving birth is not a competion and you don't get points for trying your hardest. You don't bond better, you don't get some mothering instinct by having a vaginal birth.

Good luck to your sister in what ever she choices or has to face.

Can I also add that the idea that you can be Railroaded into having a c-section is ridiculous.

If anything I found the opposite pressure and in one good friend abject horror that I should consider a c-section for my Ds despite explaining the simple and clear statistical danger of a Vbac in my case.
Doctors, nurses all offered me every chance to try for a Vbac before my asking if it was them would they risk it and everyone of them said no way. But their first option was always a Vbac to the extent I was getting a bit annoyed to have to keep repeating at every scan ( I had 17 for ds) that I wANTED a c-section.

Its not the end of the world, its a safe birth and that was my only priority.

I have nothing against c-sections and am under no illusion that I will bond with dc better if I have a vbac, but as explained earlier, I have a very active 18 month old and that my DP is unfortunately only getting one week off from work (may even be less due to financial reasons) so the recovery from a section would be very difficult for me.

I am not treating childbirth as a competition and had this been my first or if the age gap between my 2 dd's been greater then I would be all for the section.

I'm aware some people are fortunate enough to recover really quickly but I have also seen a close friend take more than the usual 6 weeks to recover.

I just want whats best for both my dd's and if that's a section then that's what it'll be, but I want to be offered all that is available first.

Unfortunately still breech but just over 5 weeks to go so still plenty of time for her to move! fingers crossed

Hi DD (now 2) was footling breech. Tried ECV, uncomfortable but fine, consultant was great (can't remember his name, at UCH London, also works at Portland).

Unfortunately didn't work, neither did reflexology and doing handstands in the swimming pool. Ended up having a planned c section - was advised (but in a completely non-pressured way (?)) by consultants that it was the best option in the circsi.e.,1st birth, didn't know what I was doing, DD in 'worst' type of position and had/has a very big head .

I am now pregnant with no 2 and hoping to go for a VBAC but if he/she ended up being breech would probably go for c section again. It was fine, really. very calm, drs and nurses very helpful and asked what i wanted to do in terms of 'birth' plan etc. recovery ok and i don't have that c section overhand (i have a jelly belly but that is from stacking on 4 stone and eating cake every day). I lived in London so not being able to drive wasn't a problem but if she's in the country may be more tricky.

ps my friend's baby turned day she went in for a c section so she had him naturally

DD was breech - no chance to discuss options because I went into labour at 36 weeks - result was EmCS, all went smoothly and I was up and about within 2 days, albeit carefully!

zanz1bar - my experience is that if your baby is breech late in pregnancy then there is a strong likelihood that you will be railroaded into having a CS.

After a scan at 36 weeks we saw a Registrar who presented the options as "either you have a successful ECV followed by vaginal birth or we'll give you a CS". They didn't even mention the possibility of a vaginal breech until we asked explicitly. If we hadn't been aware that this was an option - although the highly medicalised vaginal breech delivery they reluctantly discussed wasn't an option we'd have contemplated - then we'd have been left without any choice and would have felt railroaded into an operative delivery.

undiagnosed breech here too - discovered after 1 hours of labour

delivered DS vaginally with episiotomy...it can be done if she wants to...

good luck!