Breech baby at 31 week, can it be normal?

[mommy777]

I had an ultrasound yesterday to check my baby's weight (he was 4lbs even, I know that is the ultrasounds guess) Anyways, the tech said he was head up and that he should have turned by now. She said that I will probably have to have a c-section. I have had three wonderful vaginal births, I'd be so heartbroken to end up with a c-section with number #4. I can feel my baby boy kicking my bladder so I know he hasn't moved since yesterday.

Also, I had a lot of bleeding in the begining of my pregnancy, I had a previa early on that moved. The ultrasound said my placenta was "anterior" Is anterior considered normal enough for a vaginal delivery (in case he does turn)

What are the chances that my baby will turn head down? I am so scared and don't want a c-section

[katelove]

That tech doesn't know what he/she is talking about! I feel so angry for you They had no right to say things like that.

Breech at 31 weeks is considered normal. Rate of breech at that gestation vary depending on what you read, from as low as 7% to has high as 25% but by term the rate of breech is about 3%.


This is what spinning babies says http://www.spinningbabies.com/baby-p...tions/sideways

And the anterior placenta shouldn't impact on your delivery choices as far as I'm aware.

Regards
Kate

ETA - I would consider a complaint to the office manager of wherever you had the scan. That tech was *way* out of line!!!!!

[arianascrunchymama]

my DD was breach until 34 weeks. it made it slightly uncomfortable when she did decide to turn because she was getting bigger. once she turned I did a lot of lunges, pelvic tilts, etc to open up my pelvis for her to settle into. I knew that once she was engaged she wasn't going to flip again.

An anterior placenta can make a baby present in a posterior position in early labor, but a lot of babies do. the PP linked you to spinningbabies.com which has a TON of great info in both breach and posterior babies. When you're sitting, make sure your knees are always lower than your hips for one, and try to spend some time each day in your 3rd trimester on your hands and knees. If you have a good chiropractor, adjustments late in pregnancy can help keep everything aligned so that even if baby is posterior early in labor once he starts to drop down further he'll have the room to flip to anterior.

[kltroy]

I don't have the article at my fingertips but I've had 2 breeches, so I remember the stats relatively well. At 31 weeks something around 25% of all babies are still not head down. This percentage decreases every week. At this point you have about a 70% (or thereabouts) chance that your baby will flip on its own. The longer the breech persists, the smaller the percent of women who are still breech (down to about 3% at term) and the lower the chances are that yours will flip.

With me, #1 was breech from 30 weeks until term (despite concerted efforts and a failed ECV) and was a c-section. #2 was breech at 31 weeks (I just about went through the roof when I learned that!) and turned within a week of discovering this with the help of moxibustion and accpuncture (and some good luck). #2 was a great VBAC birth.

If I were you I would start chiropractic (Webster), moxa, and breech tilts NOW. It's easier to turn the baby now than it will be later. Hypnobabies also makes a guided visualization CD called Turn Your Breech Baby NOW that I had a copy of (and later sent to a friend who needed it). Worth the $20 I think. I'd throw everything in the book at it ASAP. Good luck! Chances are very good that your baby will flip with or without your help, but it can't hurt. Mostly, try not to worry too much. That really ruined the last part of my first pregnancy and I wish it hadn't.

[BanditaMamacita]

my first two turned head down at 34 weeks each with no problems. my third turned head down around 31 weeks. my mws never even checked till after 34 weeks because it matters so little before then. don't worry!

[etsdtm99]

as others have said, that tech shoudl not have told you that! i would defiantly complain..

my DS was breech until 35 weeks (found out at 32 week u/s) .. i went to a chiropractor to help him turn.. (webster tech.) i 2nd/3rd etc the spinningbabies info.

[emnic77]

the tech is totally wrong.
my DS was breech at 31 or 32 weeks, he turned by himself with no issues. my midwife at the time said it's totally normal for second (or third, etc) babies to have more room at that point than your first, and that's giving them LOTS of time to turn.

That said, I do agree with kltroy that starting prevention techniques now is never a bad idea (I've never had a breech and already started seeing a chiropractor to have the webster technique just to be safe). Optimal positioning and all that (I'm trying to avoid another posterior baby).

[Turquesa]

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[Turquesa]

Ultrasound techs are not doctors and are grossly unqualified to be giving obstetric advice.

From the very "mainstream" website of Baby Center:

When labor begins at term, nearly 97 percent of babies are set to come out head first. Most of the rest are breech.

By the beginning of your third trimester, your practitioner should be able to tell what position your baby is in by feeling your abdomen and locating the baby's head, back, and bottom. About a quarter of babies are breech at this point, but most will turn on their own over the next two months.

I'm not promising that your baby won't be born breech. But it is pretty rare.

As mentioned in the article that I linked, your doc/midwife can turn your baby by external cephalic version (ECV) if your baby is still breech at 37 weeks. (And if they don't offer or dismiss the idea, definitely find a new practitioner). I hear that the procedure is uncomfortable (I think that's a euphemism for "ouch!") But it may be worth a shot.

A lot of women here also swear by going to a Webster-Certified chiropractor. This site talks about that and helps you locate one in your area. Others have had luck with acupuncture.

My DD finally turned at 36 weeks. All that I did were some exercises recommended in The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth. Not sure if it was by cause or correlation, but my baby did turn!

You have lots of options; try all of them if you're super nervous. Good luck

[skyblufig]

Ultrasound techs are not doctors and are grossly unqualified to be giving obstetric advice.

What she said, times a gazillion!

My dd flip-flopped from breech to vertex and back again until about 10 hours before she was born, so please just let that go in one ear and out the other. That made me mad for you, that you had to hear that, and I wasn't even there! Grrr. Talking C-section at 31 weeks makes me just....

[AlexisT]

Mine turned at 36 weeks.

My completely mainstream obstetrician, who is now head of L&D at the hospital where I gave birth, was completely blase about it. Basically, she booked me in for a 36 week ultrasound and said if that showed baby was breech, then we'd discuss the options. And she didn't mention it again. (Baby turned the morning of the u/s.)

If your baby is still breech at 36-37 weeks, then it becomes a concern. But really--at 31 it absolutely isn't.

The only concern you need to have is that late breech (I forget the cutoff) is associated with a higher risk of hip dysplasia. If your baby turns late in pregnancy, you may be advised to have her hips scanned. It's painless and easy (we had it done).

[sapphire_chan]

1. Babies are often breech at 32 weeks or later and head down well before labor starts.

2. My cousin was actually post-dates before the fact the baby was breech was found, her midwife sent her into the hospital to get the baby turned, and she had a terrific homebirth. This just happened a month ago.

[neveryoumindthere]

I have had an anterior placenta with all 3 and again now with my 4th. My 2nd was breech from 32 weeks until 37 weeks. Did a lot of the spinning babies exercises and felt the baby turn the day before my next appt.

For me, I'd do some of the exercises and make sure I lean mostly forward while sitting, found that really helped

[hapersmion]

What everyone else said. It's too early to worry, but doing some exercises and watching your position can't hurt and will probably help you worry less.

Also, breech babies don't HAVE to be a c-section. My first baby was born breech, naturally, with no problems. If yours stays breech, look into your options! Good luck!

[Materfamilias]

I would report the tech. Idiot! My babe was breech and turned at (I seem to recall) 36 weeks. It's totally normal. It does feel like a rodeo in there when they turn around, though

[Bokonon]

I was in the hospital for 3 weeks before DD was born because of preeclampsia. I had twice a day fetal monitoring, so it was pretty easy to tell what position she was in. Between 32 and 34 weeks, she was head down, breech, and transverse, all several times! I wouldn't be too concerned about baby being breech at 31 weeks, and it looks like you've gotten some great advice here!

[mommy777]

Thank you so much ladies, I feel so much happier and better about it now. I kind of knew that the tech was nuts, but just didn't know for sure.

I am so glad that there is still hope that my little man will turn. I swear I feel him head up some days and head down others. He is my fourth baby. I have never had an ultrasound at this point of pregnancy before, so I wouldn't know if my others were breech at this stage or not. I've only ever had 20 week ultrasounds. This 31 week ultrasound was all new to me.

Thank you all SO much, you have made me feel SO much better!