when should I stop throwing money at my breech baby?

[bubbamummy]

so, Im 35 weeks and 2 days. I have known baby was breech since 32+5 and im almost certain babe has never been head down.

So far ive tried:

doing TONS of spinning babies stuff each day (spending at least a total of 30minutes with hips elevated and doing the stair inversions etc)

Chiropractor Webster Tech. i will be on my 6th visit tomorrow

Acupuncture (moxibustion) went for my 2nd visit today

playing music to my lower belly

having daddy talk to my lower belly

ice pack/heat pack to encourage baby to the heat

Ive also tried begging and pleading for baby to flip

visualization

The next thing on my list is to find a pool and do some headstands

Ive been at this for over two weeks now and baby is still well and truely breech, no signs of wanting to turn. It occasionally gets its head in a kind of central belly spot...I have no idea whats going on when it does that

When is enough enough? I sounds drama-queen-ish but i feel pretty upset about the whole thing. A c-section is about the furthest from the delivery I wanted that you can get. My son was such a wonderful easy natural birth I feel depressed that this might not be the case with this baby.

The chiropractor and acupuncturist are pretty expensive and sometimes I just feel like im throwing money away on a baby that's not going to flip...

when would you say enough is enough?

[NorthernPixie]

Do you have plans to try a version? With my breech babe I felt like I needed to do everything within my means to turn her. It was not successful, and while I still have difficulty accepting the section from over two years ago, I think I would have had a harder time had I not done everything. And everything for me might not be the same for you...so if you can afford it, and if there's a chance s/he'll turn, if you need to keep at it for your sanity, keep going. However, if at some point (and I think that you have time yet before giving up) you need to just accept whatever options you have for a breech birth, then do that. I know sometimes a breech baby will turn when labour starts, but that would mean waiting until then for the section, and you might not be mentally prepared for that uncertainty. Thinking spinny thoughts for you!

[umsami]

I think only you know the answer to that.

Here in the States, I don't think they'll try an external version until 36 or 37 weeks, so you could hold off and wait until then.

You could also, at minimum, ask to be allowed to go into labor naturally... before a c-section...as at least that would mean that the little one was ready to come out. Of course, s/he may turn...or may not.

Are there any docs or midwives who will deliver (vaginally) a breech in the UK? Could you start trying to find one? Call around? (Of course, you may not be comfortable with that.)

I don't know if this helps or not...
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/262159-overview

Prior to the 2001 recommendations by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), approximately 50% of breech presentations were considered candidates for vaginal delivery. Of these candidates, 60-82% were successfully delivered vaginally.

[frontstreetmama]

no personal experience, but when my friend was pg with twins they had schedule her for a c-section for Monday morning because both were breech... she went into labor naturally on Saturday night and they did an u/s when she got to the hospital and both babies had turned! based on this and other womyn's experiences, I would say that there's still time for them to move on their own! best wishes for a smooth delivery!

[bri276]

When you feel you're done, it's okay to stop. Sometimes babies are breech for a reason that cannot be figured out until after they're born. Sometimes it's no reason, too, of course, but you shouldn't feel like the onus is on YOU to make this happen. It could be one of those things that is out of anyone's control.

[bubbamummy]

thankyou for your input.


Im actually here in the states right now and breech= automatic c-section for the hospital where I would deliver (im right now scheduled to deliver at a brithing center but of course they cant 'do' breech babies)

I have another chiro. app. tomorrow, last time I needed no adjustment-when he messed with my legs he said they were 'equal' so I dunno but im guessing that means i dont have any 'misalignment' that could be contributing to the breech-ness!?

Im such a fool, every morning I palpate my own belly, and when i feel a giant head right at the top my heart sinks again

I guess I will speak to the midwife this week *sigh*

[MaerynPearl]

Also no personal experience, but I talked to my mom about breech babies and found out my older brother was one of those that suddenly (and according to her very obviously and uncomfortably) flipped around at the start of labor at 41 weeks... it really DOES happen sometimes! So don't give up 100% no matter what doesn't work... baby could still decide to flip on their own.

That said... if you don't feel the chiropractor or acupuncture are helping... I see no reason to continue doing it (yes it COULD help... but you could also keep paying them to do nothing) but I wouldn't stop doing the free things that you are trying. Baby may decide to turn yet, you still have a good few weeks that they can make that decision in.

[bubbamummy]

My mother had a (failed) external version with me at 37.5 weeks. A week later I turned on my own. Maybe its genetic ?! I wasnt small either 7lbs 11oz and my mum isnt a big woman...Im still hoping

[Amanda_Reyasmom]

I'd probably wait a little while to throw more money at it if it were me. Maybe closer to 39ish weeks. {{{mama}}} Like everyone else said.. a lot of babies wait til the very last minute.

[etsdtm99]

I agree with the pps who said you might want to at least consider going into labor to give baby a chance, I think at this point you should just think about how you'll feel after the fact , will you want to know you did everythig you could and at what point will you feel tha comfort, knowing it's up to baby and out of your hands

[Aka mommy]

Find a new chiro, you should still be getting adjustments for your spine and pelvis even if you're legs are equal. Have you looked into CranioSacral Therapy?

Personally, i would stop throwing money into trying to get your child to turn now. And instead i would throw money into finding a midwife team who would be willing to deliver breech. But that's just my own personal opinion/choices on such a situation.

[mamaspirit]

My last was breech forever... I did chiro, moxibustion, spinning babies. I finally got her to turn when I put my vibrator up by her head. She turned so fast I thought she was gonna burst through my belly! It was crazy watching my belly flop around as she made a mad dash for my birth canal. This didn't happen until I was over 37 weeks.

[organicmom3]

Originally Posted by Aka mommy

Find a new chiro, you should still be getting adjustments for your spine and pelvis even if you're legs are equal. Have you looked into CranioSacral Therapy?

.

CranioSacralTherapy, I believe is also the best bet.....does your chiro do this? It IS aspecific type of therapy....how much experience does your chiro do? You could also find a DO that routinely does the CranioSacral Therapy...not all of them actually do it though it is an extensive part of their education...that's why their DO's instead of MD's.... some only do that (not sure where you are located) while some are family medicine docs who do a lot of it.

[RedOakMomma]

Originally Posted by mamaspirit

My last was breech forever... I did chiro, moxibustion, spinning babies. I finally got her to turn when I put my vibrator up by her head. She turned so fast I thought she was gonna burst through my belly! It was crazy watching my belly flop around as she made a mad dash for my birth canal. This didn't happen until I was over 37 weeks.

[Calleiah]

According to my mom, I was nearly 2 weeks late. I was breech till a week before that (so apx 41 weeks). The doc was threatening a C but I flipped and was born a week later. I weighed 7lbs 6oz.
Dont give up momma. If the expensive stuff is getting to you, stop doing those, but keep up your other exercises (spinning babies, etc). Maybe you are feeling all tense and stressed by his position? Maybe it's a good time for a massage and some relax time. Let those tummy muscles relax and who knows, it might be the room he needs to somersault!

Hang in there!

[sanguine_speed]

I did it all last time and all I got was a preterm premature rupture of membranes.

This time, I didn't spend a cent or an ounce of energy, though i was going to have an ECV. My baby turned just before Monday, at 36 weeks.

I understand the frustration.

Many of these turning methods are not evidence-based, though some have some merit. Most cases of success that I hear or read about are "my brother's girlfriend's grandma's dog" stories.

In fact, I'm sure that if I had gone to the chiropractor on Friday, everyone would believe my baby turned because of that. And i can see why.

However, sometimes breeches are meant to be breeches.

But I do understand the tension between feeling resourced-out (time, money) and wanting so badly to do EVERYTHING possible to avoid a c-section.

I know.

[craft_media_hero]

I want to ditto the pp who said put your time/money/energy into finding a birth attendant who will help you deliver breech, just in case the baby doesn't turn. Lots of midwives will do it. I know it could be a huge pain to change providers at this stage, but it sounds like you really want a natural birth again!

My first was breech til about 37 weeks then turned while I was getting a massage and doing visualization. I didn't even realize that meant I avoided a c-section--the hospital I chose would've done instant section if she had stayed breech.

I hope that a. the baby flips or b. you find an attendant who will help you deliver naturally regardless of the baby's position. Good luck!

[sanguine_speed]

Originally Posted by craft_media_hero

I want to ditto the pp who said put your time/money/energy into finding a birth attendant who will help you deliver breech, just in case the baby doesn't turn. Lots of midwives will do it. I know it could be a huge pain to change providers at this stage, but it sounds like you really want a natural birth again!

Just to clarify, there are some jurisdictions (such as mine) where midwives are actually prohibited from attending breech births or they risk losing their licenses to practice.

[mediumcrunch]

One other thought. Maybe breech is where she needs to be and there is a reason she is being persistant and it is better to leave well enough alone at this point.

[2sweetboysmom]

My bff's son (second pregnancy) was a persistant breech he did not respond even to ECV. She scheduled a c-section. He turned on his own at 39+ weeks, (the day before the C) He was born vaginally about a week later.

My third was persistant breech. ECV was not something I was comfortable with, I chose an u/s to see if we could see why he prefered that position. The vibes from the u/s made him turn head down VERY quickly (something akin to Mamaspirits vibrator) Placenta was in a good place, and there were no fibroids, so we could not see a reason why he was breech. We did note he was really small. After a failed NST at 39 weeks, I was induced. When he was born we all immediately saw why he was small, and why he had prefered breech. He had a true knot in his cord, and the cord length was very short.
Sometimes there is a reason. I would focus on relaxation and the spinning stuff.