ECV tomorrow - anything I can do now to help? And what is it like?

[ASecretLemonadeDrinker]

Had a scan today (37+5) as baby has short long bones and they said he was transverse/breech (can't remember what one they decided on in the end). I did get straight up for a ECV but the woman does them Tuesdays usually so am going back tomorrow afternoon. I was told I would get an injection, and gas & air and it would take an hour or so but that's about all I know. Is there anything I can do to help tonight? What exactly is it like - do they just play around with your tummy and sort of try and push them over? Shall I go in a tracksuit? Can it start labour? If it works, how can I help baby not turn back? Thanks

You should prepare for an emergency c-section too (worst case senario). It can cause baby to go into distress and baby may need to be delivered straight away. I am confused as to why they didn't tell you more about this.

They probably were going to (I was meant to go straight to delivery suite as I thought DH had an exam tomorrow, but went to tell him and the exam is in the morning so we rang the delivery suite and said if it was easier we would come tomorrow, when the woman normally does them - it was quickly discussed as I was wiping down from my scan) I will definatly bring my bag then (in the car), thank goodness I packed it yesterday! I was suprised she said I would get gas & air though, is it more painful than baby just turning itself?

I have never had it done. I think that it can be uncomfortable, depends from person to person I suspect. Sometimes the baby can be turned no problem other times the baby doesn't like it and may need to be delivered straight away. Definitely take your hospital bag and prepare for the 'just in case' but hopefully everything will turn out ok for you. Good luck

I had one of these with DD1, doesn't matter what you wear they do it on a bare tummy, the person doing it just 'manipulates' your bump and 'pushes' the baby round.

I had an injection of salbutamol to relax the uterus a bit when it didn't work initially - felt a bit odd and made my heart race like I'd just had a sprint. Wasn't offered gas and air - although I have heard some people say it was a little uncomfortable...

Mine wasn't painful, just firm pressing right at the bottom of the bump and at the top. Then you have to be monitored for a while with a heart rate thingy on to check the baby is OK and still moving fine.

I was warned to bring a hospital bag because it could result in a c-section if the baby gets distressed. They say that it won't go back because there isn't enough room.

I'm breech and plan to refuse a ECV this thur at my doc appointment.
Gas and air for a proceedure that is supposed to be mildly uncomfortable? You're kidding!
I have done too much googling on ECV and find the stats all rather odd, some say up to 70% others as low as 30%. I think it depends on the person doing it, so if you have to go tomorrow for a certain person, that sounds quite positive. Ask them what their personal success rate is.

If you go ahead then I suggest you only let them try once, no more than 5 mins and then accept the elective C Sect somewhere around 39 weeks if they don't manage it.

Big babies are harder to turn. Footling or incomplete breech and frank breech are harder to turn. (so I read)

I know about 6 mums who have had this done, and it worked on none. And every one of them has told me not to do it because it is too painful. But that is only two local hosp to me, so maybe the people doing it aren't very good!
I also think the incidence of breech must be increasing! How can I know more breech mums than not!!

But can you let me know what your experience is???? Seeing as I'm in same boat!

DD (now 16 months old) was breech at 37 weeks. Went in to discuss options with the consultant four days later and she was cephalic again. She then turned at least twice (that I know) of between then and 42 weeks.

Found out she was breech - again - when I went in for a check-up the day before induction and the consultant performed an ecv there and then.

Had a quick scan (mobile scanner) to determine the position of her head etc and also the location of the placenta and umbilical cord. She was monitored for half an hour. Then I had an injection to relax my stomach muscles (as someone else said, makes you feel a bit spacey and heart races a bit, but its not horrible). The consultant left me with a midwife for about 10 minutes, iirc, while it took effect then came back in, another quick scan (literally 2 minutes) then grabbed dd by the bottom and head and turned her round in one deft action. Took all of about half a minute and was uncomfortable but definitely not painful. I was then put on the monitor again for an hour to ensure they had a good trace on dd and allowed home to prepare for induction the following morning.

I was told that if it wasn't successful in two tries, took longer than two minutes or was painful they would stop and wouldn't try again.

I sat bolt upright all night that night. After all her acrobatic shenanigans I wasn't going to give her the chance of turning again and landing me with a c-section at the last minute.

She was born in her waters (torpedo stylee ) the following afternoon 1 hr 30 mins after my first contraction.

To be honest, I refused ecv at 37 weeks as I thought the potential for her turning again was too high for it to be worth the risks involved. As it happens I was right to refuse, as she was most definitely not intending to stay put from then until delivery.

For what its worth, I also had a neat little bump and the consultant and midwives said they were flummoxed as to how she was managing to keep turning around so, contrary to what you might be told, size is no indicator as to the likelihood of your baby turning back round again even if the ecv is successful.

For me personally, I didn't want the ecv at 37 weeks, because I felt not only was there a big chance she would simply turn back again, but also I didn't want to go into labour early. Obviously neither of those were an issue at 42 weeks though.

i was told only one in four stay down so they wont bother at my hospital just do a section

babyboos - that's quite scary! I heard it's about 50% chance of working, then 2% chance of baby moving back. Feeling confident it will, I can feel baby rolling about today so definatly isn't settled breech or anything. Planned on going swimming though this morning but just do not have the time, but fingers crossed it'll work anyway

I had an ECV with my 3rd baby at a major london teaching hospital. There are loads of myths around ECV, many of which date back to the days when they were done without the benefit of scans and heart monitors. A high-tech hospital with staff experienced at doing ECVs is a completely different ballgame.

I was told the 50% success rate is the overall figure -- the actual success rate is much higher in 2nd and subsequent pregnancies (as your stomach muscles are, erm, more relaxed) and lower in first pregnancies. The consultant told me they didan average of 2 ECVs a week, and the last time they'd had to perform an emergency caesarean because of distress had been 5 years earlier, which seemed like pretty good odds to me.

They should have a protocol that lays down how many times they'll try to turn the baby (mine was two attempts iirc). Some put you on a drip for an hour beforehand to soften the abdominal muscles which makes your heart race, but the effects stop as soon as they take you off it.

The actual pushing was uncomfortable, but not agony. Just as I was gearing up to to say, "Owww, actually that REALLY hurts" it was over. I had a normal vaginal birth two weeks later and was out of hosp within 24 hours -- def worth trying it to avoid a C-section.

Good luck!

Well, by the time they scanned me the baby had turned! They were abit dissapointed, I think I was a good candidate for it working and obviously he would have more than likely turned wonderfully on Mon. had I had it done straight away. I do have a feeling he has rolled back again now, he rolls alot. I am not sure if I do theknee/chest exercises etc. if he is the normal way around I will move him breech, or whether it just helps make them the right way, not the opposite way.