Question for those who have had an external version....

[IshaMT]

... I am a few days past 37 weeks and I am thinking I will try a version. I have been regularly seeing the chiropractor, have done moxibustion, getting into the recommended positions, among others things, but nothing has encouraged this little baby to turn. Anyways, I was talking with my midwife today and she said that protocol at the hospital is that if the procedure is successful and baby turns, they will induce labor at that point. She said the reasoning for this is that years ago, a doctor at the hospital successfully turned the baby, the mom went home, and the next day the baby died. Not what I wanted to hear!

Anyways, I have been reading many stories of women who have gone through this and I don't think I have once heard someone say that they were immediately induced following a successful version. So my question to others is, is this standard procedure elsewhere? Any words of wisdom?

[BlackSheepPDX]

A friend had a successful version (done in two parts, on two days), and was not induced. The version "stuck" and she went into labor and delivered on her own time.

[mama2toomany]

I just had a version 2 days ago.. I am 35 weeks with twins. They just did a version on baby A (closest to my cervix). because baby was sideways, I was not induced

Good Luck

[xekomaya]

I have heard that some practices will induce immediately if the baby turns to avoid him/her flipping back again. Lots of people are not induced after a version though. I've never heard "because the baby died" which sounds horrible and not something to tell a pregnant mother.

[CherryBomb]

Sadly babies die for many reasons, I've never heard of people basing a specific hospital policy off of one death? Hmm. I've heard of places that induce if the version is succesfull to avoid baby turning back, though.

[NorthernPixie]

I had a version at 37+1 and it was not successful but there was never any mention of being induced. There was mention of immediate section if it put the baby in distress. It was extremely painful, but something I felt I needed to add to the list of things to do to avoid a section. I can't imagine that your odds would be all that great with an induction at 37 weeks...not to be a downer, but more realistic. I gather there's no good option for vaginal breech birth where you are? Some HCP promote doing more than one version, so if baby flips back they'll try again. I think Henci Goer discusses this in her book. If it were me, I'd try the version and refuse the induction. That was a bit rambly, sorry. I wish you luck.

[gambel]

That is a really poor medical explanation for any procedure, in my opinion. There are many possible reasons for that tragedy, and based on what I have read and learned from my midwives, is likely not the result of a responsibly performed version or of the version at all.
I just scheduled a version for next week, when I will be right at 37 weeks. I have also been doing chiro, acupuncture and moxibustion, all the positions, etc. The protocol here is definitely not to induce right away. The automatic induction is not something I have heard of in any other cases. My midwife told me that they will monitor you for a while to make sure the baby does not go into distress. But a version can also bring about contractions, which may or may not be real labor. My midwife also said that they are very gentle with the version and that usually, if it is going to work, it is not that hard to do; they should not be too aggressive. My suggestion would be to make sure that the person doing the version is experienced and recommended. A friend who is a retired OB suggested I try to schedule with someone older and more experienced--there is an art to it, and you want someone who has a good feel for it. I am not that excited about it but I guess just trying to exhaust all the options since a vaginal breech is not an option around here (unfortunately). Sorry I don't have more concrete suggestions.

[patience7]

I had one!

My first pregnancy, my daughter was breech and would not turn FOR ANYTHING! And I did it all. Moxa, acupuncture, positioning, headstands in the pool (with my husband shaking me by my feet.... ) You name it, we did it. I finally went to this amazing midwife who my OB sent me to, and she turned her externally. My abdominal muscles were so tight when I went in there and she pressed on my abdomen, I thought "wow, this is going to hurt so bad", but she gave me a tincture of crampbark, put in a few acupuncture needles, let me sit for a few minutes and when she came back my belly was way softer.
The actual version was really intense, but I wouldn't necessarily say painful. She monitored periodically with doppler to check the heartbeat, then for a little while after.
I agree with others that I would find someone very experienced in turning babies, because it doesn't have to be awful. My little one's head was wedged up under my rib, so she wasn't going anywhere apparently without help. What I was told though, if the version is done and there is no stress to the baby, chances of them flipping back at that late in the pregnancy is very slim, because they are so big and the head is the heaviest thing, so once you can actually get them head down and they are not stressed, they will stay there purely because of gravity.

I have never heard of induction right away, only a c-section if things go poorly and the baby/cord are having problems.

Good luck and I hope it goes well!

[IshaMT]

Well I went to doctor yesterday for a consult on the version. The doctor seemed to have no idea what the midwife had been talking about and said that she had not heard about the incident from several years ago, and said there would be no problem if I did not want an induction. She actually said she would feel uncomfortable doing an automatic induction without checking lung functioning and the only reason she would do it was due to possibility of baby turning back around. So that is very relieving. I think I am going to get it done on Monday and I will be 38 weeks at that time. Little baby was in a partial frank breech position yesterday though, which the doctor said would make things more difficult. I was really surprised to see her in this position. I was almost positive her feet were down because I feel so much going on down below - maybe hands? It does explain the feelings I have been having up by and under the ribs, a head and a foot! Anyways, I am really hoping this works! I left a doctor at 30 weeks to switch to a midwife practice so I would have a better chance at the natural birth I wanted, but if things don't change I will likely be having a c-section. Breech birth just doesn't seem to be an option around here and as a FTM I don't think I feel comfortable going that route.

Anyways, thanks for all your input, it was very helpful!