In your experience, are breech babies less likely to start labor?

[chinaKat]

I'm past my EDD... and getting a little worried about something my MW mentioned. She said that babies that are breech sometimes don't start labor on their own. Something about the head not pushing down on the cervix hard enough to get the ball rolling.

I've never heard of this, and couldn't find anything by googling. Anybody have any experience with this?

[hapersmion]

I don't know of any statistics, but I did hear somewhere that breech babies are actually more likely to be early. I don't know why that would be, but my breech ds was born 8 days before his EDD.

However, I've also heard that people with breech babies sometimes don't get the urge to push, because the bottom doesn't press hard enough. I never did have the urge to push myself, but that could also be because I started pushing too early, I think. I pushed for about 3.5-4 hours. Maybe if I'd waited a little longer, I would have gotten the urge and things would have gone faster, but transition made me impatient. *shrug* Everything was fine, though! Good luck with your birth!

hapersmion

[Sheal]

My experience

I've only had one footling breech but in my experiences with her - nope didn't affect my labor at all. It started spontaneously - she also had a prolapsed cord and I had a uterine rupture as well.

I also have a bicorneated responsive uterus (the bicorneated uterus is responsive to conception and carrying of a child as opposed to a unresponsive bicorneated uterus where it cannot carry or conceive).

But this is my experiences with a breech baby.

Sheal

[chinaKat]

Yeah, I was under the impression that breech babies came early, too. However that ship has long since sailed!!!

Anybody else with any input? My first baby came early so I'm not used to this sitting around and waiting stuff...

[courtenay_e]

Well......somebody correct me if there's more recent research...but it's my understanding that it isn't the baby pressing on the cervix that starts labor (and my anecdotal experience would show that to be true, as well, as my ds didn't "engage" until I was about, oh, an hour from birth and had been in early labor for quite some time). It's my understanding that it's actually the baby releasing hormones that starts labor. Soooooo, if that follows, it shouldn't matter WHAT part is presenting, the baby would still release the hormones that say they're done "cooking."

Right?...

[MsBlack]

I have seen babies riding very low and pressing on that cervix for weeks, but not start labor until baby was good and ready.

I've seen babies ride very high until late labor, barely touching that cervix and sure enough labor started on its own and proceeded to the finish just fine when baby was good and ready.

I have heard this myth about breech babies not starting up labor because butt is not 'hard' enough to stimulate cervix---in fact, I heard it first from an OB but I do not believe it....I think it IS a myth.

I've also heard midwives speculate about this or that seemingly dysfunctional labor and how they worked to get baby down and well applied to cervix (in head down position) to make labor move faster...but again, I've seen moms dilate and otherwise proceed just fine without head well applied so I think this is a myth, too!

yes, it is a combination of signals from mom and baby both--biochemical signals--that are responsible for labor's onset. I even know a triplets mom whose 'presenting' baby (the one on the bottom) was transverse--no pressure of any butt or head on cervix--and she spontaneously labored to 7cms before u/s showed the transverse lie and she was sectioned...I've no doubt she woulda gone to fully dilated before long (it only took her 5hrs to get to 7), but the OB would have none of it.

So forget that concern, and go ask your midwife to show you the research that supports this--maybe you will help her learn something new, and get her to STOP helping breech mamas believe their babies and bodies don't know what they're doing! But at least clear your own head of this and all other breech birth garbage, cuz you need to be trusting and strong and all positive right now!

[pamamidwife]

I agree with Ms Black - most definitely!

[chinaKat]

OK, cool. You guys are making me feel better.

I am under the impression that science is not entirely sure what *exactly* starts labor, but MsBlack's explanation that it's signals from both mama and baby certainly makes the most sense to me.

Also, I was thinking that babies have been breech since the dawn of time, and nobody ever induced or cut them out until recently, right? The other option is that their mamas went into labor like everybody else.

I really love my MW and I can't believe she said something like this to me, because I truly don't need ANY self-doubt creeping in at this point!!!

[Reha]

don't forget that your baby isn't considered "late" until 42 completed weeks. The EDD is just that....estimated due date. Babies are considered full term anywhere from 37/38 weeks-42 weeks.

[chinaKat]

Originally Posted by Lennon

don't forget that your baby isn't considered "late" until 42 completed weeks. The EDD is just that....estimated due date. Babies are considered full term anywhere from 37/38 weeks-42 weeks.

I know, I know.

I do keep telling myself that. It's tough to be patient, though...

[bryonyvaughn]

Originally Posted by chinaKat

...She said that babies that are breech sometimes don't start labor on their own. Something about the head not pushing down on the cervix hard enough to get the ball rolling...

I think that statement shows more truth about your MW than breech babies. The truth I hear is your MW's patience runs out faster than some breech babies start labor. It could be too that she is repeating other folks' observations and prejudices as her own belief.

I think the best thing going for me as a HCP was my realization most of what I was taught as fact was actually speculation. When I started going into situations open to possibility what I was taught was wrong, I was stopped dismissing some things as irrelevant and became a much better observer, and could get a much more effect handle on what was really going on with people.

~BV