Hi NoraB (this ended up a lot longer than I intended)
Yes, Frank breech w/ chin tucked is ideal, however there have been many breech babies born complete, footling and kneeling. The Farm has a good breech birth video. In the video it shows 5 breech births (several first time moms). Since producing this video, Ina May now prefers moms to deliver upright (ie birth stool) rather than on their backs on the edge of the bed as in the video. The video also covers baby's position, how to tuck the chin, deliver arms etc. When I was researching the breech birth of my baby I read everything I could find online and in books.
www.breechbabies.com Was the best online resource. It has many links to breech births in hospital and home, planned and unplanned, assisted and unassisted. It is essential that you and your dh are completely committed to vaginal breech birth. An experienced caregiver is also essential.
www.spinningbabies.com has information on optimal position for baby.
www.birthstories.com has a searchable database of birthstories. I found many helpful breech birth stories there. A google search of "breech birth" and "breech homebirth" will bring up many helpful sites.
Helpful books-
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/se...044580-1727056
At 20w5d of pregnancy I had an accident wherein my 8yod was running down our hallway as I was leaving my room. Her shoulder struck my abdomen quite hard. About 8 hours later I began bleeding heavily. My dh took me to labor and delivery where we discovered via u/s that the baby's placenta was anterior and had separated in two places, near the cord about the size of a quarter and on the edge of the placenta, one entire cotyledon. At the hospital we never saw an attending physician. We were told that we had enough children and to "let this one go" I was furious. We left the hospital and on my midwifes recommendation I went on strict bedrest while the placenta healed. At 30 weeks pg I knew that something was still not right. I was no longer bleeding and had been off bedrest for two weeks and was doing well. However I felt very strongly that I should schedule an u/s with an independent u/s provider. At that visit we discovered two things-
1-baby was breech (I knew at that moment that she would be born breech)
2-the amniotic fluid index was a very low 7.
I came home and was able to obtain an appointment with an o.b. that is very positive toward homebirth and informed parents. We discovered that the placenta was very small and had scarred rather than reattaching giving less surface to provide our baby with nutrients. Naomi also measured small for dates. My pregnancy was monitored selectively for the next 9 weeks. We had a very good relationship with our o.b. as he is also a lay clergy for our church over our area. In one of our visits with him he stated "as your dr. I recommend a gentle c-birth, as your religious advisor I recommend that you go home and pray/meditate on your decision and choose what is best for you and your baby". We then went home and prayed/meditated for over a week. We felt very strongly to call a midwife, D, I had known that now lived 5 hours from us. In talking to her she told us of another midwife in the same city (5 hours from me) that had over 40 breech births experience. When we called M she told us that she had wondered why she did not have any clients in the month when we were due (she usually has 6-8 per month). M was willing to travel 5 hours to assist us with our breech birth. The peace I and my dh felt was so strong. We could now just focus on the birth. I spent the last two weeks before Naomi was born meditating daily for 1-2 hours in my birth space (spare bedroom filled with items to inspire me in birthing breech). I visualized every scenario I had read about. Breech births tend to fall into two labor patterns short and intense or long and drawn out. I visualized all of the following:
-a fast labor and birth
-a long labor and birth
-an easy to start baby
-a slow to start baby
-extremely painful labor
-pain free labor
-having to labor knee to chest with bum up to fully dilate
-every breech birth story I read I visualized that labor happening to me
When my labor started I called M to let her know what was up. She said that she would leave within the hour, pick up her assistant and be here in about 7 hours. I told her that I was worried that labor would be long and that she would be here a couple days, M replied that it was fine she was prepared for that. After several hours I realized my breech birth was going to fall in the long drawn out category. My contractions were only 30-45 minutes apart. They were very STRONG contractions though and doing their job. After the first 24 hours I was getting very discouraged. I felt frustrated with my body that it was taking so long to progress. M reminded me that my baby had a very delicate placenta and that the contractions were so far apart so that the placenta could keep up with the baby's needs. Sunday morning at 5am (36 hours into labor) I got into a hot shower and leaned back onto my dh and let the water run over my belly. As I looked up I had a vision of my baby smiling at me and reminding me to be patient. I got out of the shower and I asked M if she would check me. I was 7cm with a bulging amniotic sac. She told us that she would break the sac if we wanted as that would let the baby's bum put more pressure on the cervix. I told her we would like to think about it for a while. Dh and I discussed it and felt that it would be a good thing to do. Dh went out and told M that we had decided to go ahead and break the sac. I sat on the birth stool, M told me to push a little to bring the baby's bum down. As I did that the sac popped on its own. I felt the baby settle onto my cervix perfectly. My contractions were still 30-40 mins apart but VERY strong. Finally at 50 hours of labor I felt pushy, M checked and I still had a lip but baby's bum was starting to slip through the cervix. I knew I needed to go to knee chest position so that I could be as dilated as possible. The baby's body can slip through a cervix that is not fully dilated but the head will get caught. I was in the knee chest position for one hour when the urge to push was very strong. M said that was a sign that I was fully open for the baby to pass through. I sat on the birth stool with dh behind me. Back labor with a breech baby was incredibly painful for me. I have had back labor as 3 of my children were born posterior looking right at me, this was so much more than any of those had been. I had prepared myself to push until the baby was out as I did not want her head to be stuck. I pushed once and her bottom came down to "rumping" (as opposed to crowning). With the next push I pushed her body out, the pressure from her feet in the birth canal was extreme, as soon as her legs were born it was such a relief. I could feel her arms wriggling to come down and out. All that was left was her head. I have never had such a feeling of fullness (even with my 9lb 4oz baby) I continued pushing and her head popped out. From "rumping" to birth was 52 seconds. That push was so hard and powerful and fast we both took a minute to catch our breath. As M handed her to me Naomi gazed into my eyes and gave me a huge smile, we have it on video and it is so beautiful to watch her smiling over and over for several minutes. The placenta came 2 minutes after she was born. It was the smallest placenta M had ever seen (she has attended over 600 births). It was as big around as a cereal bowl. The scarring was very evident and comprised about 15% of the total placenta. Naomi was my smallest baby at 6lb3oz. It took about 3 hours for her to relax enough to wear a diaper. To this day (she is now 10 months) she can fold completely in half as she was prenatally.
The main factors contributing to our successful home breech birth were, dh and I were completely committed to breech homebirth (even if it was unassisted), I carefully chose a caregiver experienced and secure in breech birth. I chose support persons for my other children that were comfortable and supportive of breech birth. I did not tell anyone else of our planned breech birth. Most family members and all friends were told afterward.
If you are feeling strongly that your baby will be born breech seek out a caregiver that is experienced. I wish you the best in your pregnancy and birth. This is just my experience of vaginal breech birth. I do not feel that this is a decision to be taken lightly. To me breech isn't a wrong way to be born, just another way to be born.
Best wishes in your decision and your search for answers.
Blessed pregnancy and birth to you.
Sarah
:
) I think she kinda mentions what she does to make sure things are coming out right(chin tucked, airway, etc).
