My formerly head-down guy is suddenly head up « Back to Group Discussions

[Sunshine_Amy]

I never had this problem with DD, and this boy has been head down for so long I took it for granted that he'd stay that way. I'm wondering if my morning yoga, with long breaths in downward dog, has got him confused as to which way is up? 

My midwife noted it in our appointment yesterday, and I shrugged it off, saying, "I'd be REALLY surprised if he didn't just turn right back," thinking-- it's gotta be a fluke, my babies have always stayed head down. Then all last night I could feel his hands tickling me above my navel, instead of below, where they should be, and today I can tell he's still head up.  Now I'm feeling worried.  

I really don't want to deliver a breach baby.  Or is this less of a big deal than I am thinking it is?  She suggested accupuncture, and gave me a homeopathic remedy of some kind.  But I don't understand how these could help. Do they?? I feel like visualizing and talking to the baby is the only thing that makes sense to try, and I probably will change my yoga routine just in case, even though she suggested I try doing downward dog to help him turn.  I don't really know much about this issue. I'm open to suggestions, intuitions, and information! 

Please send me Head Down Vibes!

[buko]

Spinningbabies.com may be helpful! I wouldn't blame yoga. The evidence for acupuncture is suggestive but I don't know why anything homeopathic would do anything for breech.

[typebug]

Hmm, see if you can get a few minutes with a birth yoga teacher. I have a feeling you might want to change your routine. Downward dog is one of the positions we used to move my baby upwards to relive pressure on the pelvis and cervix.

[odinsmama]

Several people I know swear the homeopathic stuff worked for them. Pulsatilla 30 c was what they used.
Do check the spinningbabies.com site.
Swimming is also supposed to be really helpful, if you can get to a heated pool obviously.

[Brambleberry]

Most of the techniques/positions that are supposed to help baby flip are just about creating the right conditions for baby to do it on her/his own.  It's the weight of the head that is supposed to pull the baby into a vertex position.  So you try to loosen the uterus up and get the baby's bottom dis-engaged from the pelvis, and gravity is supposed to do the rest.  If your baby just flipped, then everything is plenty loose in there, you probably just need to keep his bottom from engaging so that he has a chance to flip again.  

Once baby is head down you can do a lot of squatting to get him engaged so that he'll stay that way.

[etsdtm99]

I have had a lot of luck in past pregnancies (and maybe this one? this baby has stayed head down all along this time, i've been seeing the chiro the entire pregnancy) with a webster trained chiropractor  ..  I tried acupuncture with my 2nd, he did turn at about 35-36 weeks  but i was doing so many things i don't know what worked

[loveandgarbage]

I fear this is me, again. My baby was head down by 28 wks, then flipped, then went head down again. But for the past few days I've felt a lot of movement that leads me to believe he's transverse again. Yikes!

[Sunshine_Amy]

HE'S TURNED!!!!    

Thank you, Mamas, for all of the feedback and support. It meant a lot to me to know I had some good vibes here. Sorry I didn't get a chance to reply before now.

So, for what it's worth, I think my instinct was right about my morning yoga. I will still do yoga, just not the long, held, downward dog position. (It's an inversion, after all. Now I know why they say to avoid inversions when pregnant!)  I also tend to engage my lower abdomen in that pose.  I think I probably literally nudged him out!  It was my first thought, when I found out he was breach.

I was afraid to do that pose for a few days, until I realized that it was just what he needed, as Typebug said (thanks Typebug!), to get loosened up and have room to move and re-orient.  

So I did that a few days ago--the downward dog pose, held for several breaths-- followed by table pose, to give him space to move without my being upside down. I focused and connected with him. I did it when I could feel he was awake and moving around.  I believe it's what did the trick!  I didn't do any other interventions. It took me a couple of days to see my midwife to confirm that he was head down, and this morning she did!!!!  

Jean, I'm crossing fingers for you!  

Thank you all.

[typebug]

Originally Posted by Sunshine_Amy 

HE'S TURNED!!!!    

Thank you, Mamas, for all of the feedback and support. It meant a lot to me to know I had some good vibes here. Sorry I didn't get a chance to reply before now.

So, for what it's worth, I think my instinct was right about my morning yoga. I will still do yoga, just not the long, held, downward dog position. (It's an inversion, after all. Now I know why they say to avoid inversions when pregnant!)  I also tend to engage my lower abdomen in that pose.  I think I probably literally nudged him out!  It was my first thought, when I found out he was breach.

I was afraid to do that pose for a few days, until I realized that it was just what he needed, as Typebug said (thanks Typebug!), to get loosened up and have room to move and re-orient.  

So I did that a few days ago--the downward dog pose, held for several breaths-- followed by table pose, to give him space to move without my being upside down. I focused and connected with him. I did it when I could feel he was awake and moving around.  I believe it's what did the trick!  I didn't do any other interventions. It took me a couple of days to see my midwife to confirm that he was head down, and this morning she did!!!!  

Jean, I'm crossing fingers for you!  

Thank you all.

  Go yoga! So glad to hear this news!

[loveandgarbage]

Yay mama!! You must be so relieved. I'm hoping for the same news when I see my MW today :).

[Jenny01]

Originally Posted by loveandgarbage 

Yay mama!! You must be so relieved. I'm hoping for the same news when I see my MW today :).

Sending head down vibes your way!! I have my appt tomorrow and am curious as to the position as well, most movements I feel are right across the middle so I have no idea what position she is in these days.

[loveandgarbage]

MW thinks the baby is most definitely head down! YIPEE!!! Jenny01, if it makes you feel better, I was having a lot of crazy side movement/kicks, and my MW thinks one side is the back and one side is the legs kicking out. Wishing you luck, too!

[Jenny01]

Thank you!  We are head down here as well!  Not engaged yet though - she's still moving around quite freely I think but I'm not going to worry about it :)  I've got weekly appointments from now on so we can keep track of her anyways.

[loveandgarbage]

Great news!! Mine's not engaged either. There's still time :).

[HouseofPeace]

Originally Posted by loveandgarbage 

Great news!! Mine's not engaged either. There's still time :).

my midwife has said that w/ any but first born, they don't engage until labor.  not sure if that's law, but i know that none of my babies dropped or engaged (not even my first, which was annoying to my midwives then) until labor was started.  but she also says if they're head down at this point, they are HIGHLY UNLIKELY to find a way to flip around!!!

always good news!  So happy all these babies are head-down!!!  now praying none go posterior!!!!

[Sunshine_Amy]

Hooray!  Good news to hear they're all head down!   {{{ Yes, babies, please do stay that way. Head down vibes still being sent out.   }}}

[Brambleberry]

My baby A is head down and firmly, solidly, (somewhat uncomfortably) engaged.  It's pretty usual for twins to be firmly engaged in the pelvis since they just don't have room to be anywhere else in there.  I think all the pressure on the cervix from that head is part of what ups the risk of preterm labor with twins.  It definitely means more braxton hicks for me.  Baby B is transverse now.  I don't know what her chances of moving at this point are - it's pretty tight quarters - but it seems like transverse is more hopeful than breech for flipping head down.  I can deliver vaginally either way (as long as the first one is vertex), but will be in the OR for delivery if baby B isn't vertex :(