Breech at 37 weeks

My DD was breech from 34-37 weeks... I did EVERYTHING to try to get her to turn. I drank massive amounts of fluid, laid upside down on an ironing board, put ice at the top of my belly, shined light at the bottom of my belly, had acupuncture, did moxibustion...can't think what else, but if there was anything else, I did it. In the end, she didn't turn on her own... between 37 and 38 weeks I went in for an external version. It was virtually painless and by far the easiest version any of the attending medical staff had ever seen (it took literally 30 seconds and no one in the room could believe it was done and accomplished when it was). I am convinced that even though she did't turn on her own, everything I did set myself/her up for being able to be turned that easily. She ended up being born naturally at 39+2.

Any chance your friend could have a version? Or do any of that other stuff? Good luck to her! I was devastated at the thought of a c-section as well!

Send her to Robin's "Breech Birth Coalition" webpage! If her first birth was vaginal, and if baby is in one of the "good" breech positions (i.e. butt presenting, not feet or knees first) then she should absolutely insist on a trial of labor because vaginal breech is usually a safer delivery for both mom & baby. They can't force her into surgery against her will *unless* the baby is in severe distress and even then they'd legally be required to honor her wishes or face repurcussions. She has as much right to refuse a routine c-section as she has the right to consent to one.

I always recommend Spinning Babies and a chiropracter trained in the Webster Technique, and if those things don't work, then an external version. Be sure to ask for an ultrasound along with the external version to check the position of baby's cord. That seems like a really logical thing to do but it's not always standard practice. Good luck to your friend!

My DD went from head down to breech at 37 weeks and stayed that way. Nothing worked to turn her and I ended up with a c/s. In hindsight, I think we could have tried harder and done more, but the past is the past.

momw (Christa) had her youngest DD about a week before my DD was born. Hers was a VBA2C and I'm pretty sure that she was born butt first, and I'm she'll come by here and share that story with you.

There's always a chance that they'll turn on their own, but if not I know there are ways (as mentioned above) to get them to turn. Hopefully you can get your LO turned around and still have the birthing experience you planned.

There is an acupuncture technique that is specifically designed to turn a breech baby that she could try: http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/May05/childbearing.htm

Other than that, here are some other tips:
http://pregnancy.about.com/od/breechbabies/a/turningbreech.htm

I sure hope that things work out for the best and that baby will turn for her!!

:lurk:
DS turned breech on 7 September, 20 days before he was born (I felt him turn, trust me that was unpleasant). I had an ECV done around 38 weeks but it didn't work, I was also seeing a Webster trained chiropractor daily as well as spinning babies and an accuprssure pont, playing music to the bottom of my stomach, cold peas on top of my stomach, basically everything except accupuncture/ moxibustion. There are a lot of ways to try and some babies turn when labour starts. That was my last effort. Sadly DS had turned and engaged his butt pretty quickly so nothing worked for me, but it's worth trying everything to avoid a c section when possible

I got a surprise breech delivery with my last baby. She was, as Anna said above, my VBA2C baby as well. Since her birth I have delved pretty deeply into research and information about breech delivery. There are lots of suggestions above about how to turn baby. Another one I've heard is to really talk to the baby about how important it is to turn. One thing I have found over and over and something that was really upsetting to me when I had my baby girl is that most, almost all, OB's do not know how to safely deliver breech babies. My dr cut an episiotomy as soon as he saw her butt coming out and actually held her in me until the nurses were able to find a special pair of forceps used for breech just in case. Her 1 minute apgars were a 3, she ended up coming around but I have a really hard time not blaming the staff and their idiocy.

I was standing up while pushing but they made me lay down on my back (stupid idea #1), the dr held her in while waiting on the forceps (stupid idea #2), it was a hands on delivery (stupid idea #3), and they cut her cord to deep suction her when her 1 minute apgar score was low (stupid idea #4).

I hope your friend can get her LO to turn!!!

Thanks for all the advice ladies, I've passed it all on. She's now (almost) 38 weeks and baby is still breech. She has been trying everything.

What I don't understand though is her OB told her that she is going on vacation on March 15 - 2 days before my friends due date - and that she wants the baby born before then. My friend is feeling pretty bullied into a choice (c-section or induction-then wait and see if he turns). I feel so badly for her. She's scared to object, but she's also scared to have another ob deliver - especially if she winds up with a c-section.

My daughter was delivered (in Toronto) by a different OB than anticipated and he was amazingly good! Your friend could be happily surprised. Why do we always anticipate the worst?

"gardenbug" wrote:

My daughter was delivered (in Toronto) by a different OB than anticipated and he was amazingly good! Your friend could be happily surprised. Why do we always anticipate the worst?

I agree. I didn't know who would be delivering my baby until I showed up--granted, it was a birth center so I knew all of the midwives were at least reasonably in line with my preferences, but the one who ended up delivering my DD was the ONE I had not ever met AND had heard bad things about. And you know what? I LOVED her.

Personally, I'd rather take my chances with another OB than *definitely* get induced or have a section just trying to fit into my current OB's schedule...but of course, it's a really personal decision! Good luck to your friend. Glad she has you for support

"cactuswren" wrote:

Personally, I'd rather take my chances with another OB than *definitely* get induced or have a section just trying to fit into my current OB's schedule...but of course, it's a really personal decision! Good luck to your friend. Glad she has you for support

Ditto! I also had a group of midwives with both kids and didn't know which one would be at my birth. They were both great.

Is the baby positioned quite high, or really down low? The lower the baby is the harder it would be to turn. My DS was breech until right before 38 weeks and then he turned on his own, he was born 4 days later. He was always very high though so hadn't engaged into the pelvis.

I don't have any personal experience, but just the other night my friend was talking about her experience, so I thought I would share. Her son apparently flipped into breech WHILE she was in labor and her labor went into a complete halt. Her midwife sent her to a chiropractor that was educated in the Webster Technique. The chiropractor apparently flipped her baby in a matter of minutes using the technique and she has her baby naturally several hours later. So I guess this is just my vote for the Webster Technique and a chiropractor!

"azin_may" wrote:

Thanks for all the advice ladies, I've passed it all on. She's now (almost) 38 weeks and baby is still breech. She has been trying everything.
What I don't understand though is her OB told her that she is going on vacation on March 15 - 2 days before my friends due date - and that she wants the baby born before then. My friend is feeling pretty bullied into a choice (c-section or induction-then wait and see if he turns). I feel so badly for her. She's scared to object, but she's also scared to have another ob deliver - especially if she winds up with a c-section.

With that kind of attitude from her OB, I think anyone else is the better option!

"cactuswren" wrote:

Personally, I'd rather take my chances with another OB than *definitely* get induced or have a section just trying to fit into my current OB's schedule...but of course, it's a really personal decision! Good luck to your friend. Glad she has you for support

Ditto this!

"Spacers" wrote:

With that kind of attitude from her OB, I think anyone else is the better option!

and Ditto to this!!

With an induction she is MUCH more likely to have a c/s even without baby being breech. I think her chances are better with an on-call OB rather than the one she's seeing. Baby can still turn on it's own either before or during NATURAL labor. Good Luck to your friend. KUP on what happens.

So, a friend of mine who has 3 other children was pregnant with her twins. She just had them this morning. They were going in to do a c/s because both babies were breech and well, there's no options around here for a breech birth. Anyway she went in and told them she wanted one more u/s just before her c/s because her belly felt different and sure enough baby A flipped to vertex. She was already dilated to a 5 and had already delivered 3 other babies naturally so they started a little pit on her and she delivered both babies naturally after a very short labor and the twins were HUGE, one was 9lbs and the other just a tad smaller. Baby A flipped last week from breech to vertex and this week back to breech and sometime last night back to vertex. There couldn't have possibly been very much room in there but he managed to do it!

"momW" wrote:

the twins were HUGE, one was 9lbs and the other just a tad smaller.

:shock: