Transverse Baby

[alicia9178]

Anyone have any good advice to turn a transverse baby. While I am only 28 weeks the baby has been comfortably sitting in the same general spot for about 2+ weeks. I hate to get so stressed, but to be honest I am. I just feel like I am working so hard to keep my diabetes at bay and under control that I cannot imagine loosing my homebirth to a transverse baby. I guess I am just upset because the Dr said that since this is pregnancy #5 that my uterine muscles are just "weaker" now and that babes tend to get comfortable and just not turn to where they need to go. HELP!!!!! I will consider a version before we even TALK about a section, but I am hoping to encourage the baby to find its way to a good head down position on its own.
Alicia

[MamaTaraX]

At 28 weeks, I wouldn't freak out too much, pregnancy number 1 or pregnancy number 12. Babies stil have lots of room to turn and flip and flop about for a long time. Mine still flip-flops and I'm 34.5 weeks. Actually, I think she's stuck now but until last week, she'd go breech, head-down, trasnverse...posterior, anterior, wherever she felt like being. Espcially if you hav er alot of fluid, you baby will have lots of room to turn about. As always I recommend checking out www.spinningbabies.com Breech tilts can help turn transverse babies, there's instructions on that site about them. Talk to your baby and tell it about turning head down and how you'd like it to turn daily. Put warm things down low by your pubic bone and cold up high, they turn towardss the warm. Have someone talk to the baby down low or play music, those can help too, especially when combined with breech tilts. The best thing you can do is not stress too much, which I know is easier said than done. Best wishes!

Namaste, Tara

[Tine]

I have neither experience with nor advice on transverse babies, but I do have a story that I hope will reassure/inspire you.

My neighbor (homebirthing, homeschooling mom of 6) was 8.5 mos. PG w/ her 5th baby. Babe had been vertex for weeks. It was July 4, and the family got together w/ another HS family at the other family's farm to celebrate. Come evening, the dads started lighting fireworks. One of them was so loud that when it went off, mom (my neighbor) felt a giant jerk in her belly. It had scared the baby into a transverse position!

Baby stayed that way until labor started. It was a long labor, b/c babe had a lot of maneuvering to do and was big (over 10 lbs.), but the whole birth took place at home, w/ no complications.

[cathicog]

Originally Posted by alicia9178

I guess I am just upset because the Dr said that since this is pregnancy #5 that my uterine muscles are just "weaker" now and that babes tend to get comfortable and just not turn to where they need to go.
Alicia

What that doctor said is BS...plain and simple. Unless you have a heart-shaped uterus, which is very unlikely, given this is your 5th pg, bbaby is probably taking his time turning from breech to vertex...that doc is trying to scare you into an operation. I would change care providers, as you know what is in store if you walk into a hospital with someone like that on duty!
Can you find a mw and have the baby at home? You would probably be a good candidate for hb, all other things being equal...

[JanetF]

Bicycle shorts! Sounds weird, works a treat

[dynamicdoula]

If you were my client, here is what I would tell you:

Babies don't usually settle into their birthing position until about 34+ weeks. Babies can be turned into a head down position even at the very last minute, during labor- so it's never too late to try- although it can be too early. It would be a lot of useless stress for you to spend a lot of time trying to turn her right now when she still has several weeks to flip and flop and breakdance in there. If you were 32, 33 weeks and she was transverse, I would tell you to start paying close attention to optimal foetal positioning, to encourage a better birthing position. If things were closer, say around 36 weeks, I'd encourage you to talk to an acupuncturist about moxibustion which has a phenomenal success rate and is not a treatment using needles so it is non-invasive. I would also encourage you to talk with your midwife about pulsatilla, a homeopathic remedy used to turn babies who are not presenting 'ideally'.

At this point- the best thing you can do is talk to your little one about being head down, visualize her head down when you think of her inside you, and try not to stress out on it too much. You literally have lots of time to do something about it if you find she is sticking to transverse in a few weeks.

Here is a link to my newsletter on Optimal Foetal Positioning .

[crunchymomof2]

Dd went between breech and transverse for several weeks before she settled head down around 34 weeks. I did turn her a couple times and she flipped right back around. I think what helped the most is a visit with the chiropractor and just relaxing about it. Maybe she had a reason to be laying like that. I told her to be in whatever position she needs to be. And once I did that she flipped and stayed. Your babe has plenty of time to move around.

[pfamilygal]

Mine was vertex for 10 wks before flipping to transverse a couple hours before my water broke at 33 1/2 weeks. So there is plenty of time to turn. I did end up being sectioned, but that was because my water broke and she was still transverse.