Breech baby and ECV?

[Niniel]

Hi everyone, 

I'm 35 weeks pregnant and my baby is stubbornly breech. She flipped head down about 26 weeks but then turned breech again at 28 weeks and has stayed that way since. I've tried several of the positions on spinning babies, I've tried playing music to my bump and I've tried moxibustion but she hasn't moved at all. She seems to be very settled with her head towards my right side, she hasn't moved her head from that position at all really. I'm due for a repeat scan on Friday to check her position again but I'm not feeling very confident that she will have moved. My doctor mentioned maybe trying to perform external cephalic version if she is still breech. 

I really can't make up my mind. I keep reading conflicting things about it, that it doesn't have a high success rate and that it's not very safe. I'm beginning to wonder if maybe she is breech for a reason? Maybe the cord is holding her in place or something? I'm pretty scared of having a c-section though (my last two births were drug free home births) I'm very worried about recovery, especially as my DH will be back at work pretty quickly after the birth and I will still have a 3 and 2 year old to look after as well as the baby.

I guess I would just really like to hear people's experiences of ECV and any experiences of vaginal breech births please. 

Thank you

[dogretro]

My first daughter was breech from 22 weeks until birth, with a brief interlude in the middle as transverse. We tried *everything* to get her to turn, including a version. I was totally okay w/ the version b/c then I could say that I had indeed tried every single thing I could have to get her to turn and have my awesome birth center birth. Needless to say, the version was a failure. She was in lotus position & they could not get her legs to clear my pelvis. The procedure itself was quick b/c the dr does not want to risk anything going wrong, either. DD ended up being a scheduled c/s & there was no evidence that she was prevented from turning (cord problems, etc). I went on to have a hospital vbac w/ dd2 & plan on another vaginal birth later this year. I have since found a homebirth midwife who has breech experience & would use her in case of another term breech. 

I would have regretted it if I had not had the version. I would have kept saying, "What if?" My c/s was totally fine & recovery was comparable to vaginal birth, for me (both have pros and cons). I was scared before hand & I am no longer scared of having a c/s, even though I don't want another one :)

[Niniel]

Thanks for the reply

[Monkey Keeper]

My DS was a pretty unstable lie from 34w on. He spent a lot of time breech. Have you tried chiropractic and massage to help with any soft tissue restriction?  I definitely would try both before I tried an ECV. AND I would absolutely try massage as close to the version as possible to aid in relaxing things to give baby as much space as possible.

I agree--NOT trying an ECV would leave me wondering if it might have worked. 

[MarleneCPM]

There are so many safer ways to encourage a breech to turn before resorting to an ECV. DC tx would be my 1st not last resort!  That usually works. Also need to determine if there is a low lying placenta, fibroid tumor, or anything else preventing her from turning. then If no cause discernible & DC adjustment doesn't do the trick, your midwife should be able to do a visualization with you, &/or show you how to do the breech tilt exercise. Most of my breech babies turn before (or even a few during labor) SO I don't often have to deliver a breech, but if you've had smooth homebirths before, you know you have an adequate pelvis & knnow you don't need surgery now, no matter which end is up when it's time for the birth!

BTW, there's going to be a "Heads Up!" breech conference in Chevy Chase, MD In Nov. I'm going! Hope many of  you are.