UC a breech?

[skyblufig]

OK, so here's the deal: my (very nice, kind, understanding) mw, when I told her we've decided on home for this baby told me if I wanted to I could keep coming in for appts just in case I needed to go to the hosp for some reason. OK, great. So I went in yesterday after a 4 week hiatus. Everything's great, I feel great, baby's all over the place day and night however as the mw was feeling around my belly she stops and says "I just want to see something real quick". She did a [literally] 30-second u/s and guess what? Baby's head is right up under my ribs. I'm 34 weeks. I've got the spinning babies stuff bookmarked and the mw gave me a bunch of tips as well but does anyone have experience birthing a breech at home? Somewhere in my head I know that there's plenty of time for it to turn, right up to and including labor, but I'm just looking for someone, anyone to give me a virtual slap and say "pull yourself together! you can do this!" without laying all the scary c/s s*** on the table. I was in tears on and off the rest of the day yesterday, psychically trying to explain to this little one that if there's a good reason it's in the position it's in, fine, but head-down would be much less stressful on both of us.

And please, no flaming -- yes, I know if I had just not gone to the stupid appt it wouldn't even be an issue because I wouldn't know about it but that ship has sailed, I did go, and now I'm battling all sorts of doubts about myself and our plans for a nice peaceful birth. S***far, I'm off to go get weepy again. : My poor toddler is drinking my pregnancy tea and looking a little wary of mama right now. Have to rescue my cup. tia,

[2bluefish]

I don't remember how long mine stayed breech last time, but it did flip. I was totally at peace with going breech at home alone. Mamaintheforest had a breech too that flipped right before labor. Neither of us did anything to turn the babies. Laura Shanely delivered a breech UC.

[alegna]

First- it's still early. Really.

Next- I would never schedule a c/s for a breech as they can turn even in labor. I would feel very comfortable UCing a breech in most positions. Much more comfortable than in the hospital where they don't understand hands off the breech.

-Angela

[Unoppressed MAMA Q]

have you read

laura shanley's stories? one of her babes was breech. my two UC babies weren't breech, but i imagine that if one had been, my story would be similar to hers.

you will be fine.

[skyblufig]

Ah, a quick thanks to you mamas who replied -- I have read Laura's stories [lots!] and they're usually so very inspiring but for some reason I feel totally deflated today. Thanks for talking me down off the figurative ledge, though. Today just happens to feel like one of those rare days when UCing is such a lonely path. Tomorrow will be... tomorrow.

[kettunainen]

Originally Posted by alegna

First- it's still early. Really.

Next- I would never schedule a c/s for a breech as they can turn even in labor. I would feel very comfortable UCing a breech in most positions. Much more comfortable than in the hospital where they don't understand hands off the breech.

-Angela

:

A lot of midwives don't know how to do breech births, either, unfortunately, and you don't know what you're going to get until it's happening, as far as an attendant's knowledge and skill.

Jean Sutton's Optimal Foetal Positioning is also a good resource (google her name or Optimal Foetal Positioning to find it).

[jrojala]

Although there is still PLENTY of time to turn, breech is just a variation of normal! You will know what to do.
Just for a little laugh, a friend of mine did a head stand in a pool the day before she went in to labor for her breech baby, and the baby flipped! If the baby needs to flip it will, if not, it won't. Don't sweat it!

[Nan'sMom]

Check out spinning babies for optimal fetal positioning if you want the baby to turn, but I would be comfortable UC'ing a full-term breech baby. Maybe not my preference, but I would be ok with it. I would not be comfortable breech birthing in a hospital except in extreme circumstances (that made hospital safer than home, which for me there are very few) with a very hands-off care provider very comfortable with vaginal breeches.

[rajahkat]

I know a few mamas have UCed breech babies. I know of one specifically, I don't think she posts here though, I'll see if I can rustle her up to come tell you about it.

Here's the link to her birth story~



Kat

[mama in the forest]

Oh yes! My baby was breech throughout all of my pregnancy, and breech right up until just a couple of hours before labor began. I fully intended on birthing her UC, breech.

I felt very strongly that she was breech for a reason. I couldn't know the reason, but I knew that she knew her best position. I did nothing to alter that. I kept my body in good positions, and kept myself healthy, both physically and mentally, but I didn't do any of the things that midwives tell you to do to try to change her positioning.

She was born vertex, after about 1 1/2 hours of labor, 13 pounds, with a true & large knot in her cord, and wrapped around her neck very tightly. I am absolutely sure that forcing her to turn would have been dangerous to her and that she knew what she was doing by turning at the last minute.

[mama in the forest]

hey, I just noticed you're in Michigan. Me too!

[thismama]

I would not do it.

Haven't I read people talking here at MDC about how midwives need to continue to have the rights to deliver breech babies, because it is a specialized skill, and if they do not keep doing it, that skill will be lost?

How then would it be safe to deliver a breech baby UC? I do not get it.

I think risks are real, and it's one thing to say "the baby will do what it needs to do" if we take the wide view, the highest truth if you will, that any outcome is the 'right' outcome for ours and our baby's karma. However, if we have investment in the outcome, we need to look at the real risk/benefit analysis. Which to me, tips over the edge in UCing a breech.

[Rockies5]

It's early. Mine don't flip to vertex until 36-39weeks.

I don't know what I'd do in your situation, other then labor awhile and see what my intuition (and other senses, and husband) was leading me to do.

Spinning babies has been down for 3-4 days, they keep making promises though!

[Rockies5]

It's back up (spinning babies) but many links don't work and the formatting is wiggy.

[rajahkat]

Haven't I read people talking here at MDC about how midwives need to continue to have the rights to deliver breech babies, because it is a specialized skill, and if they do not keep doing it, that skill will be lost?

Well, I doubt you've read that here on the uc board. I don't think what births midwives have the "right" to attend comes up in conversation much.

I think it's a totally personal decision. As I said, I know of mamas who have birthed unassisted breech, so maybe they can shed some light on what skills are required.

I don't know if I would intentionally go unassisted if I knew I were having a breech baby. I might seek out someone who had attended breeches before. Or I might just pick her brain about what to do in any given scenario. Though that's the cool thing about MDC, because we can do that here. Lots of midwives and others to bounce ideas off of.

The truth is I probably wouldn't KNOW my baby was breech because I don't do any prenatal fiddling, so it would be a moot point.

Kat

[alegna]

Originally Posted by thismama

I would not do it.

Haven't I read people talking here at MDC about how midwives need to continue to have the rights to deliver breech babies, because it is a specialized skill, and if they do not keep doing it, that skill will be lost?

How then would it be safe to deliver a breech baby UC? I do not get it.

The skill in a breech is the wisdom to DO NOTHING. Find an MD who can stand to do nothing. It's often hard to even find a midwife willing to do nothing.

Midwives who attend breech will tell you the safest way is to stay hands off.

-Angela

[skyblufig]

Originally Posted by mama in the forest

I felt very strongly that she was breech for a reason. I couldn't know the reason, but I knew that she knew her best position. I did nothing to alter that. I kept my body in good positions, and kept myself healthy, both physically and mentally, but I didn't do any of the things that midwives tell you to do to try to change her positioning.

Yes, that's what my gut is telling me -- if she's head-up, it's for a very good reason. Or maybe the view is more interesting for the time being.

Oh, and we live by Lake Michigan, but not in Michigan unfortunately. We're down in Chicago [it's a big lake! ] By the by, (OT), you have such a beautiful tribe of kids!

I know a few mamas have UCed breech babies. I know of one specifically, I don't think she posts here though, I'll see if I can rustle her up to come tell you about it.

Here's the link to her birth story~

Thanks for the link to her story, Kat. That helps.

I would not do it.

Haven't I read people talking here at MDC about how midwives need to continue to have the rights to deliver breech babies, because it is a specialized skill, and if they do not keep doing it, that skill will be lost?

How then would it be safe to deliver a breech baby UC? I do not get it.

I think risks are real, and it's one thing to say "the baby will do what it needs to do" if we take the wide view, the highest truth if you will, that any outcome is the 'right' outcome for ours and our baby's karma. However, if we have investment in the outcome, we need to look at the real risk/benefit analysis. Which to me, tips over the edge in UCing a breech.

I certainly appreciate your honesty. It might not be the most popular reply, but I wasn't looking to get sunshine blown up my bum by everyone. Seriously, though, dissenting opinions welcome.

Thanks everyone -- off to make dinner.

[Ruthla]

If I ever had a breech baby, I wouldn't consider anything other than UC. Well, maybe I'd consider having a HB MW who knew what she was doing, but no way in H@#$% would I step foot anywhere near an OB or a hospital if I knew I was having a breech baby!

Everything I've read about breech birth states that you just let the babe come on its own, and grab him/her yourself when the baby is partway out. That the techniques birth professionals use ends up being exactly the same angles that a mama would do birthing on her own. Our bodies really ARE designed perfectly for this!

[mamma2three]

Hi. Kat asked me to stop by. I just experienced this myself. Just a few weeks before my son was born he was head down. He flipped and was born breech. We didn't know for sure he was breech until I was pushing. Everything went really well, no worries. He was butt first, not footling. Do you know how the babies feet are? I needed help from my husband to stretch me over and around his butt, other than that there was no interference. My husband held his body gently, not moving or turning him. Once his butt, legs and chest were out my pushing instinct lessened quite a bit. It took some good hard pushes on my end, and then out came his head. I'm not quite sure which specifics to share. I can answer any questions for you if you'd like. He was healthy and so was I. Recovery was the hardest with his birth. I was good and sore, but aren't we always after birth?

The most important things I would know about for a breech birth are:
*support the baby's body but do NOT move, pull or rotate him/her!
*birth in the hands and knees position
*work hard at pushing, it's best for baby for this stage to not be prolonged
*do not panic! it is important (as always in birth) to stay calm and as relaxed as possible

Please feel free to ask me anything!

~Mandy
mamma2 Zackery, Ainsley, Avery & Zander

[skyblufig]

Thanks so much for posting Mandy! The feet were right around navel level with the bum near ovary level and the head up by my ribs -- so I'm assuming in a sitting position? If I think of any specific questions, I'll definitely post. This is such an active baby compared to my ds that I'll just have to accept that she's coming out the way she's meant to -- head up, head down, bum first -- whatever. Again, thanks so much for posting and "welcome".