okay maybe REALLY stupid question about transverse babies

[snugglebug14]

So I was standing in the shower yesterday thinking about different fetal positions and how the baby works it's way out in labor. So my first question is, with a truly transverse baby, CAN they be born vaginally? Do they ever turn enough during labor to squirm out? If not, what happened before the invention of c-sections? Did baby die? Mom die? Both? If a baby died in labor and was completely transverse, how did they get the baby out then? Are malpositioned babies more common now? What could be the cause? These may be really stupid questions but I was just invisioning this 8 pound baby laying sideways and being totally stuck in a mom!

[Reha]

I have heard of many transverse babies (esp in a 2nd twin) turning vertex or breech during labor.

In days before cesarean being so common and (relatively) safe, they did a whole lot of internal podalic version. All of the old midwifery memoirs (that are hundreds of years old) talk about this being done in cases of transverse, or where baby won't come. They would reach up inside the uterus, find babies legs, and bring baby down as a footling breech. I don't think it had a very low fetal morbidity/mortality rate, but cesareans would generally only be done if the mother was dead/expected to die.

But, like I said, the majority of babies will respond to efforts to turn prenatally, or during labor at some point (esp early labor contractions).

[Reha]

Here is a good book on the old days of midwifery.

Mother and Baby Were Saved

[courtenay_e]

My sister was transverse and face up until about five minutes before she was born (this was 26 years ago). Mom mom's doctor was a midwife in disguise and had her doing all kinds of gymnastics (yay team!) to get the baby to turn. Finally what seemed to work was hands and knees between ctx, and then knee chest DURING. I think, though, really, that my sister was just stubborn and was happy hanging out that way until SHE was ready to be born! Cause literally five minutes after she turned, she engaged, the water broke, and she came flying out so quickly they didn't have time to even START for the delivery room! She was my mom's third, and my mom had non existant pushing stages...but really, it can happen that they turn in labor.