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Breech Baby - Need to Make Decison NOW :(  

post #1 of 30
9/13/06 at 1:39pm
Thread Starter 
Just came home from my doc appointment. I'm 39 weeks and baby is still breech. Doctor wants me to either go in for a turing and induction or schedule a c-section for tomorrow. She will not deliver breech and she doesn't think baby will turn this late.

Has anyone been thru this? This is my FIFTH baby and I've never had a c-section. I'm really disappointed and afraid. On the other hand, I do not want to go thru the turning and then an induction which will likely be a very bad labor... or the turning and have it not work and get a c-section any way.

I have to call her in the next few hours - any advice is appreciated.
post #2 of 30
9/13/06 at 1:44pm
I'm sure some experienced moms will come along and help. In the meantime, have you been to http://www.breechbabies.com/ yet?And of course http://www.spinningbabies.com/ too.


From what I know about due dates, 95% of babies don't come on their due date. What if your baby needs 41 weeks to be ready... or 41 and a half... It sounds like your intuition is leaning away from induction and personally I think you are right to listen to that.
post #3 of 30
9/13/06 at 1:50pm
That would depend on what kind of breech you're dealing with. I would personally attempt any but a transverse breech ( not many know how to deal with that and its often impossible to get one to turn at such a late date ) But if you have a frank breech, which is I'm guessing the most common, I don't see why you can't deliver him/her naturally. And why the induction?? I'm sure you know all of the complications that can arise with artificially inducing labor-this being your 5th child. Do you have confidence that you can deliver this baby in the position its in? I'm sorry I could say so much more...babes need me. I read a lot about breech deliveries in Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth. You need to get this book NOW. Like, get it on Amazon and have it shipped in 24 hours. The bottom line is that breech is NOT impossible- and if you have a doctor or midwife who knows what they're doing and has experience with this, there is NO reason you should be forced into an induction or c section. IMHO, I wouldn't have the baby turned. As soon as you let those doctors mess with you, you're on their clock. You need to be as relaxed and uninhibited as possible for this labor.
post #4 of 30
9/13/06 at 2:08pm
I don't know anything about delivering breech babies naturally. But, I do know that my scheduled section for a breech baby (dd) was the most miserable of my three sections. I'm furious with myself for allowing them to talk me into it.

I know the medical profession claims that scheduled, labour-free sections are easier on mom and baby. I did not find that to be the case at all. I've had three sections, two with labour, one without. I'll never have a section without labour again.

So...if I were you, I think I'd look into birthing a breech baby naturally, and see if that's something you're comfortable with. If you're not - I'd still insist on waiting for labour. I didn't have a good reason for my OB, but if it were now, I'd say that I think labour benefits the baby, and if I'm in labour, I'm sure the baby is ready to arrive.
post #5 of 30
9/13/06 at 2:14pm
hugs mama, this is a tough choice. I would buy yourself some time to find out what your body and intuition is telling you. You will know if induction is a bad idea, and like a pp said, the fact that you are leaning away from it says something. Do you know what type of breech your baby is?
post #6 of 30
9/13/06 at 2:15pm
Thread Starter 
Yes I also feel that labor happens for a reason and means baby is ready. But my doctor said that she does not want my water to break if baby is breech... I should have asked why on this.

Can you tell me what was worse about the c-section... was it the recovery or the process?
post #7 of 30
9/13/06 at 2:30pm
were it me, i would determine whether or not it is a frank or transverse breech, and once determined, decide what to do with that. foremost, i would try to turn the baby--via spinning babies or related.

if that didn't work, and the lie was transverse, i'd schedule a section at week 40.

if it is a frank breech, i would go ahead with natural birth.
post #8 of 30
9/13/06 at 2:30pm
Okay - things that were different (worse) with dd than the other two:
  • Emotionally, I was a wreck - it just felt weird to be showing up to have a baby like a hairdressing appointment. (DS2 was also scheduled, but I argued with them long enough to go into labour first...at 41w,5d.)
  • DD had breating problems for weeks - nothing that required NICU, but it freaked me out. She'd just stop breathing for a breath or two, and I'd sit there with my heart in my mouth waiting for her to start again...
  • She was the only one of my babies to be jaundiced (don't know if that was related or not)
  • It took days for my milk to come in - I wasn't even producing colostrum, so I had to supplement with formula in hospital. She screamed constantly at the breast...
  • My recovery was similar to my other two sections, except for incision pain lasting for months (so much for "easier on mom")
That probably doesn't sound like all that much, but that was all on top of all the usual c-section recovery and caring for a newborn issues. It was just an all-around horrible experience. Even after all my issues with letting them bully me into another section with ds2, it's dd's surgery that I have the PTSD flashback to and the nightmares and insomnia from.

I know other women haven't felt that way, but that was my experience with it.
post #9 of 30
9/13/06 at 2:52pm
if a baby is in a favorable position for vaginal breech delivery, is it possible to find another provider who has experience in delivering breeches vaginally?
post #10 of 30
9/13/06 at 3:30pm
Honestly, I don't know what you should do. I mean, breech babies were birthed vaginally for centuries (most without complication) but you'll be hard pressed to find a doc that will do it now. Could you transfer to a MW who does breech this late in the game? At any rate, if you're going to go for the C/S, I would definitly wait till you go into labor. Studies have shown that C/S babies whose mom's labored even for an hour or two have better outcomes and a term baby always nurses better than one plucked too green.
post #11 of 30
9/13/06 at 3:35pm
Thread Starter 

update

doc ended up calling me and i told her that we've decided not to do the turning... this is our last child and i've lost a child before and i'm not willing to take any risks, no matter how small they are. she indicated that we can also wait until i go into labor and if baby hasnt turned just do a c... if she turned all will be well. so that's what i've decided to do - i didnt schedule a section and will wait for my body to go into labor on its own. i'm hoping once contrax start she will just go head down.

thanks mamas.
post #12 of 30
9/13/06 at 3:35pm
I want to start by saying I have never had a breech baby, but a good friend of mine had a breech baby and this is what she did. She got acupuncture, and then spent a LOT of time on all fours. She also had an herb ( I can't remember what it was, someone here probably does) that she burned in her living room. Those things didn't work for her, so she ended up having the baby turned in a hospital. Why do you have to do an induction if you have the baby turned? She didn't have to....She went into labor naturally a week or so later. She was about 38 weeks when all of this happened.
post #13 of 30
9/13/06 at 3:37pm
oops sorry I cross posted.

That sounds like a good plan! I hope everything goes well, who knows maybe the baby will turn on his/her own! s
post #14 of 30
9/13/06 at 3:43pm
I would call every chiropractor in your area and find out if any are certified in the Webster Technique. Chiropractors can be VERY successful in turning breech babies and there is no danger involved.

Keri
post #15 of 30
9/13/06 at 3:45pm
I just wanted to add that I'm guessing the reason she said she would not want to break your water with a breech is because there is a slightly higher risk of cord prolapse with a breech. I'm glad you've come to a better solution. Hopefully your baby turns (have you tried Webster technique with a chiropractor or moxibustion?)
post #16 of 30
9/13/06 at 4:01pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mama Poot
I don't see why you can't deliver him/her naturally. And why the induction??

The bottom line is that breech is NOT impossible- and if you have a doctor or midwife who knows what they're doing and has experience with this, there is NO reason you should be forced into an induction or c section.
She mentioned in the OP that her provider will NOT deliver a vaginal breech. It doesn't really matter WHY, just that for whatever reason (like maybe they've never done one before, so they DON'T know what they're doing??), they won't do it.

I highly doubt, though I wouldn't say it would be literally IMPOSSIBLE, that she's going to find someone to take over her care and delivery at this point in the pg, but it's worth looking into if she really desires to avoid an attempted version and/or c-section.



One of the biggest reasons for attempting a version NOW vs waiting is that the bigger the baby gets, the less likely he/she is to turn and the more likely complications are from the version itself. Immediate induction if version is successful is typical in order to insure baby doesn't simply flip right back to breech in the coming days/weeks while waiting for labor.

This scenerio is one in which I can see inducing, even with all its risks, if vaginal birth is the ultimate goal and the provider in question won't do vaginal breech births. The longer you wait, the less likely baby is to turn on its own, the less likely version is going to work, the more likely you are to end up being sectioned.

Also, the concern with membranes rupturing with breech babies is the increased risk of cord prolapse, a rare complication, but one that is much more common in breech babies...especially those who have yet to 'engage' in the pelvis. If baby's butt is firmly planted in mom's pelvis, I wouldn't be as concerned about this.

However, if baby's butt is NOT firmly engaged and/or amniotic fluid levels are high-normal, I'd be much more concerned about having my membranes rupture.
post #17 of 30
9/13/06 at 4:17pm
5th baby a breech should be no problem to birth (given it's butt or feet, although feet is supposedly riskier). I'm sorry your OB is not willing to do it. If the spinning babies etc does not yeild a turned baby, I would look for a new OB. I switched to a mw at 33 wks and she has had mothers come to her as late as 42 wks. So, I'm just supporting the idea of finding someone who will attend a breech and that it is never too late to change providers if you are not happy with their recommendations and they are unwilling to see that their 'recommendation' is not mandatory.

There is another thing, it is the OBs "recommendation" to have a c/s if turning fails. It is not a mandate. You have rights maternally. There is a website about maternal rights in child birth. http://birthpolicy.org/

And absolutely you could enter the hospital with the butt crowing and there really isn't anything they can do at that point it would likely go pretty fast, faster than they could say no,no no we need to do a c/s -- baby would hopefully be out before you were prepped. My mother labored in the hospital parking lot with my sister! It's just an idea.
post #18 of 30
9/13/06 at 4:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by EStraiton
doc ended up calling me and i told her that we've decided not to do the turning... this is our last child and i've lost a child before and i'm not willing to take any risks, no matter how small they are. she indicated that we can also wait until i go into labor and if baby hasnt turned just do a c... if she turned all will be well. so that's what i've decided to do - i didnt schedule a section and will wait for my body to go into labor on its own. i'm hoping once contrax start she will just go head down.

thanks mamas.
Sending you good labour vibes.

My first turned breech during labour, so it definitely does happen. Also, I understand the concern about waters breaking and the risk of cord prolapse -that's scary stuff. But, labour doesn't have to mean waters breaking! I laboured over 20 hours with my first - to transition - and my waters never did break. My sister's waters broke at 34 weeks with her first, and she didn't start to labour for hours. The rupture of membranes can't be controlled by scheduling a section.
post #19 of 30
9/13/06 at 4:57pm
See a chiropractor and an accupuncturist! Quick!
post #20 of 30
9/13/06 at 5:01pm
I second or third the chiropracter.

If you refuse the csection and are in labor will all the OBs really NOT help you deliver your baby?
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