Can you turn/help a baby to turn when labor is starting?

[Funny Face]

When my SIL went into labor she went to the hospital very early and for whatever reason they did an ultrasound when she got there. The baby was transverse. They did another ultrasound a bit later, within an hour, and the baby was breech. She had just had a dr. appt the day before when the baby was head down. They of course did a c/s immediately.

Could they have tried to do a version on her even though labor had begun? (she was having light contractions and was about a finger tip dilate.) Could they have tried to help the baby turn the right way when it was still transverse to avoid a c/s, or maybe let her labor for awhile since the baby looked to be turning summersaults?

I was just wondering if this is the only thing they could have done since they don't deliver breech babies vaginally. They acted like there just weren't any options. I'm curious for future reference.

[Bellejar]

not a midwife

but my own experience was my daughter was breech about 15 minutes before I started pushing and flipped on her own and dropped down - at least with my second. How close to delivery was she? I was seeing a CNM so it wasn't a big deal, but if I had an OB I am sure it would have meant a c-section.

[Stephanie L.]

My MIL was in labor with a breech baby and tells the story of her DH & nurse turning/version to vertex and she delivered vaginally. I believe her story to be true.

[junamoss]

in the hospital if we did it, which almost never happens, we would give something to stop contrx and help her relax. Then give it a shot. But usually they just section them. Occasionally we get the whoops, i thought it was head down and they do deliver breech. I haven't seen one, but in the past year I think we have had 3-4 deliver breech.

[attachedmamaof3]

Not a MW, but DS#1 was coming transverse...as in I'm in pretty good labor and he's literally trying to come down shoulder/side first. My MW did a version and turned him and I delivered vaginally. Not fun, but not a c/s!!

[Funny Face]

Originally Posted by junamoss

in the hospital if we did it, which almost never happens, we would give something to stop contrx and help her relax. Then give it a shot. But usually they just section them. Occasionally we get the whoops, i thought it was head down and they do deliver breech. I haven't seen one, but in the past year I think we have had 3-4 deliver breech.

That's probably what I'd try to do if I knew the baby was breech, but with so few dr.s delivering breech babies these days I'd also be afraid they wouldn't know what they are doing or that it would be dangerous having them in attendance. My mw told me it was safer to have a c/s now days cuz no one knows how to deliver breech (she meant in our area): Such a crappy thing to hear when you're 39 weeks pregnant and worried about it. I guess that's why I'm asking, just for future reference even though I don't plan to birth in the hospital again.