Turning baby round (spine, not feet)

[motherinferior]

Sprog still spine to mine at nearly 37 weeks. Yes, I know there's no need to panic but I'm panicking, OK? Am I supposed to crouch on all fours wiggling my bottom in the air?

[Oakmaiden]

Jean Sutton. Of course! Doh!

[Hales]

My first was op and ended up with forceps. To avoid it happening this time, my midwife said to put optimal fetal postioning in a search engine and look up any site which mentions Jean Sutton.
One good websiet is spinningbabies.com.

I'm due in 3 weeks and so far it looks good. I've spent 20 mins a day on all fours, bum in the air and it is not only getting baby in the right position but stops the back ache I've had. My dd also likes riding around on my back...so everyone is happy!

Also I've been going to a cranial osteopath and it is fantastic for back ache and getting the baby into a more comfortable position. I can really recommend it!

[princesspeahead]

Dr Bourne sounds like a royal pain in the ass...

[motherinferior]

Dr Bourne would be shocked, my dear.

[princesspeahead]

my mw told me today that I shouldn't worry about the baby currently being breech - since it was my third I had flabby stomach muscles so the baby would find it nice and roomy to turn around!

nice to find a positive side to having a flabby stomach...

[pupuce]

LADIES - all these are 1st time babies... and I also had a first time OP (so I can symapthise, I pushed for 6h 1/2 because he was OP!!!!)... 2nd time labours of OP babies are much easier - please don't scare everyone off - they turn during albour as you will have morer room and more efficient contractions....

Oakmaiden.... Jean Sutton

[princesspeahead]

goodness, no idea, it was 5+yrs ago! could have been... sorry not much help

[Oakmaiden]

PrincessPeaHead - I wonder if your baby was ROA? (So that the babies back is slightly to the right of the centre of your tummy, rather than slightly to the left) According to um, the person who did most of the optimal fetal positioning stuff (can't remember her name right now, and can't seem to locate the book) if a baby is ROA then sometimes they try to rotate into LOA (The "optimum" position)at the last minute and have a tendancy to go the wrong way round, so that rather than turning from slightly right through the middle (OA) into LOA, instead then take the "long rotation" and go through the posterior position to get there.

Does that make ANY sense?

[motherinferior]

My epidural last time didn't work properly...oh soddit, sounds like crawling can be worth it but may not be, and that the little wotsit will just do what it feels like. Which is, in a way, quite reassuring.

[princesspeahead]

yes, I had a very nice epidural in place while dd was flipping around like a dolphin

[Gini]

It was discovered while I was in labour that my ds was back to back, although I had had classic signs of this for weeks (when they were looking for the heart beat etc). I was in labour for 32 hours when I finally gave in and had an epidural, and he was born about 4 hours after that - My advice would be if you go in to labour and the baby is still back to back have an epidural as soon as possible - I wish I had!

[princesspeahead]

In my labour with dd she was in a good position until 8cm dilated, and then she flipped all the way around to OP. The midwife said "I thought this one would be born on my shift but you'll be HOURS now" which I thought was very helpful - not! Anyway half an hour later she flipped back out of the OP position and was born facing normally in the end. So I think even if you are OP going into labour you can be quite efficient at turning them during the course of labour.

Mind you the midwife said "gosh you must have a nice roomy pelvis" which made me feel the width of a three seater sofa, bit depressing

[Melly]

Motherinferior, I've just posted on the fresh pineapple thread about this, my dd was spine to spine and I ended up with epidural & Ventouse, before the epidural I did find it very hard going with no gentle build up etc just the most awful pain, so this time I was determined to get ds to move round when he settled into same position at about 36/37 weeks. I did loads of walking, probably about 2/3 miles per day, to be honest it was the last thing I felt like doing, I was knackered from looking after a lively 20 month old and when we did go out, she would invariably want to be pushed in the buggy rather than walk especially up the hills! I can't prove it obviously, but I'm pretty sure this is what made ds turn and as I've said on other threads, I ended up with ds in optimum position and a very speedy labour. HTH

[SoupDragon]

I found out DS was OP 3 days after he was born when my GP popped round to see us and read my notes saying "Oh, that's the most painful labour!" or something similar!

[suedonim]

I've had two OP labours. My first was many years ago before OFP had been thought of. I had an epidural but delivered without the needs for forceps. My 4th baby was also OP. She didn't turn despite my crawling around, but then shifted position constantly while I was in labour. She was born in the normal position and I had just had G&A to help me through.

[Linnet]

My dd was OP, nobody told me, I'm not sure if she was in that position when I went into labour or if she moved during labour. Anyway they didn't tell me and after 22 hours I was taken to theatre for a forceps delivery. I was told after I was back in the delivery room recovering that dd had been in the wrong position, how long they knew I don't know and why they didn't tell me I don't know either (probably because at that point there was nothing they or I could do to rectify the situation), but next time I'll be prepared.

I'm now trying for my second and I will be making sure at every appointment with midwife/dr that I ask what position the baby is in and if it's OP I will be crawling on all fours in an attempt to move it into the right position.

keep crawling around motherinferior and good luck

[JJ]

Both my sons were back to back. One was born in that position and the other was flipped using a ventouse while I was pushing (he had tried valiantly to flip him by hand, but it wasn't working). With the first who was born in that position, the delivery hurt my hip, but wasn't anything serious, just a bit painful (ibuprofen took care of it so, really, no biggie). With the second, once he was flipped he popped right out.

Both times I had an epidural, tore and had an episiotomy. Honestly, the stitches afterwards were nothing to complain about (for me). I consider that I had two very good births -- the second better than the first (because of the ventouse). Just so you know that even if the baby doesn't flip, the birth doesn't have to be a horrible experience. Good luck!

[Wills]

lol motherinferior!

[motherinferior]

Hey, don't worry about hijacking, I'm too busy crawling around and looking for a saucy French maid's outfit!

[Nome]

Sorry to hijack your thread motherinferior, you clearly said spine!

[Nome]

Once the breech was confirmed by scan (how many people prodding your bump did it take?), I was refered straight to consultant. Still saw gp for day to day stuff, but birth plan 'determined' by consultant, so saw the expert in silly baby positions from day one of official breech-ness. poor English, but five month old squirming on lap, thumping keyboard...

I was on a monitor before and after ECV and had to bring my hospital bag with me. Minor contractions which went away after 30 minutes.

[KeepingMum]

Thanks Nome, just a bit worried about having a c section and how difficult that might make looking after a new baby and a toddler. My GP was a bit more doubtful about whether to even try the ECV since there is the risk of baby getting distressed or placental abruption which would end in an emergency cs or it being successful but then the baby turning back round again before going into labour!. She thought I should just try for a normal delivery (obviously this could end in emergency cs as well if baby in completely wrong position). I'm glad you and your friend had such good outcomes. I'll just have to keep scrubbing the kitchen floor and hope it decides to turn on its own.

[caroline55]

Hi Motherinferior

I found out that my second baby with back-to-back at 36 weeks and did turn it round by the time I went into labour. I crawled on all fours for 20 mins every morning and every evening in front of the tv (I crawled in front of every 10pm episode of 'Big Brother' in 2001 -but it doesn't seem to have had an adverse effect on DD!) and never, ever sat in a chair without using cushions to push my back forwards so that I was tilting forwards at the right angle.

Having heard a few stories about the births of b-to-b babies (you rarely hear the good ones of course) I think it was definately worth the effort.

[WideWebWitch]

Thanks for that image motherinferior

[motherinferior]

Thank you, www - have just been crouching on all fours wiggling bum. I do feel I should be wearing some sort of skimpy Ann Summers outfit, and not vastly pregnant, for this...