Sudden frank breach at 39 weeks?!?! « Back to Group Discussions

[Bena]

I just had my midwife appointement and confirmed what I thought had happened earlier this week....baby flipped over and is now looking like a frank breach.  (I completely felt it happen tuesday night...such a weird sensation!)

We have an U/S tomorrow morning to confirm the position and get a better idea as to what the options are at this point.  Midwife still wants me to come in in the afternoon to see if we can turn him, but she is very open and honest that it doesn`t look like we have a good chance of getting that done since he`s pretty engaged already.

With my history of having had an easy and smooth labor and birth last time, I`m apparently a good candidate for a breech delivery, and the hospital where I`m scheduled to go to is apparently one of the top in the province for that kind of birth.  But to be honest, I feel like at this point I am just so tired, both physically and mentally, that I`m just leaning towards the "easy" route and schedule a elective c-section.

But on the flip side, I feel like this is the easy way out and that I`m "cheating" by going that route.  I`m strong, healthy and usually up for challenges.  Why not this time?  I can`t help but feel that having learned this 2-3 weeks ago, with time to mentally and physically prepare, none of this would have phased me.  But now my plan for another smooth easy birth has just been thrown out of the door and I don`t have the strenght to flip around (ha! ha! no pun intended!!) and deal with plan B.

Anyway, thanks for listening!  This was more a vent that anything else! Like I said, the midwife just left 10 minutes ago, and all this is so new that I really just need to get my thoughts down and organised.

[scruffy too]

After some time and maybe some rest, you might find the strength.  It must be quite the wrench in your plans...

[spughy]

From all I have read, the actual experience of a frank breech delivery is no harder than a regular head-first deal.  Easier, in some respects, because I think you're encouraged to let your body do the pushing because it puts less stress on the baby's cervical vertebrae as the head moves into the birth canal after everything else.  So it's kind of a "take it easy and slow" birth, I think.  If the hospital you're at is experienced with it I really don't think you'll have much to worry about.  A c-section isn't an easy way out, unfortunately - recovery is a major bummer.  You can do it, Bena!  It's hard to adjust to something like that this late in the game but honestly I think a c-section would be harder on you.

[SlimP]

Sounds like good advice from Spughy, Bena. There is no 'easy' route. Take time to think so that you're comfortable with your decision, whichever that is. We're behind you either way!

[storygirlcindy]

Man, what a curveball! I have total sympathy with you feeling exhausted and just wanting to take the "easy" way out - I've been struggling with those feelings a lot myself this week.

For what it's worth, I have a friend (who actually also has cystic fibrosis - my disease - and therefore wasn't especially healthy with any of her pregnancies) who has had 4 kids, the 4th one a breech birth. CF woman are strongly encouraged to avoid c-section because we have to be able to cough (hard to do when your abs have just been sliced), so her care team arranged for her to have a hospital vaginal birth. She said it was honestly her smoothest and easiest of her 4 births! So like spughy said, I don't think that breech (esp frank breech - that is considered the most ideal breech presentation, right?) necessarily makes it physically harder. And I agree that a c-section recovery would likely be much, much harder. That is what I've been reminding myself of this week - no matter how exhausted I feel, dealing with a newborn while trying to recover from a CS is almost certainly worse. ;)

Good luck! And you never know... didn't we just have another member on here who had a similar situation and got the baby to turn?

[chocolatechip]

Bena, I can understand why this is hard to wrap your head around this far along! I hope you can figure out a decision you feel good about. It's really nice that you at least have the option of having a vaginal birth at your hospital.  Good luck!

[Chapsie]

I have to echo what has been said here that a c/s is not the "easy" way out.  It took me about 4 weeks to recover after my c/s to the point that I felt only 4 days after my natural birth.  Something to consider!  :)  Good luck!!!  

[LDoulaSteph]

My mom delivered my younger sister vaginally and she was in the frank breech position. She has always said it was no harder then me (I came first) or my brother (he came after my sister). She says it did involve a little more direction from her doctor but that it was much easier then she would assume a c section recovery would be. Just remember that c section is major abdominal surgery so mentally in might seem easier but physically it's a tougher recovery. Good luck with what ever you choose mama :)

[RainGardenMama]

No tips here, mama, just hugs.

[rachelalle]

My second child flipped the day before I went into labor. She was 9 pds 14oz. Anything can happen :) We thought she would def be breech cuz it was so late in the game.

[Bena]

Thank you so much for your replies and encouragement!  It sure gave me some food for thought for the last 24 hours. 

Well this situation took another funny turn (again, ha! ha!); I had an ultrasound this morning and everything was fine!  Baby was head down, snug as a bug in my pelvis!  Hurray!  So either he turned again last night (I did do alot of downward dogs and hip turning and did feel alot of movement) or he never had turned in the first place and because of placenta position (anterior) was just hard to feel, and just happenned to give us a wonky heart beat reading too.  

So strange!  But I guess we'll never know for sure what happened!

What matters now is that I can go back to my daily business of waiting for real labor!  Back to plan A! (just for the record, I"m still having cramps and contractions, but nothing that seems to really lead to something significant!)

Now, I'm just crossing my fingers that the weather cooperates!  They are calling for lots of snow all next week!!!  Yikes!

Edited by Bena - 3/15/13 at 10:37am

[scruffy too]

Great news Bena!!!!!!!  That must relieve a lot of stress! 

[madelaine]

Yay, baby! and yay to you!

[SlimP]

Yay Bena and well done wise little baby!

[eternalw]

Awesome!!

[sunshinelove]

Great news, bena!!

[chocolatechip]

Hooray!!

[nearlyelated]

Great news! Smart baby.

[Melany]

Yay! What a smart baby.