Breech Babies

[MrsReady2bMama]

Anyone want to commiserate / share strategies?

I am 37wks 3days and baby seems very content to be frank breech (butt-first).

I've tried a couple of exercises - involving some very attractive hands-and-knees pelvic tilts (DH loves these) and also laying with my pelvis higher than my head.

No luck so far, so I'm going in for a version on Thursday morning. Dr. says this works about 50% of the time, so fingers crossed!

Anyone else got a stubborn breech baby?? What are you trying??

Anyone successfully get a baby to turn??

[mamaveggie]

No experience, but I just wanted to wish you luck.

[RootBeerFloat]

I'm not in your ddc, so I hope you don't mind if I poke in. I have been told, and have read, that acupuncture has a 70% success rate turning breech babies. Bladder 67 is the point, I'm pretty sure, the outside bottom edge of the pinkie toe on the left foot. Seriously.

[MrsReady2bMama]

Thanks for the luck!

If the version doesn't work, I may try acu or chiro -- thanks for the tip on the pressure point!

[mrflowers]

I just wanted to 'second' what the PP wrote about acupuncture. My baby turned just before week 37, through a combination of acupuncture, moxibustion, and cranio-sacral manipulation. I didn't feel it at all when he turned, but he stayed that way and was born head-first.

[jennay]

I'm 39w4d and scheduled for a c/s on Thursday due to breech. Over the past month I have tried swimming, pelvic tilts, hands and knees, ice packs, the flashlight thing, chiro, and even moxibustion. Nothing has worked for this babe. Due to a medication I am on it would be dangerous for me to have surgery still on the meds so I had to schedule in case baby was still breech so I could go off meds before hand. I am very bummed - I really wanted another VBAC. A planned c/s is stressing me out. Only hope is that her butt is not engaged so there is still the possibility she could flip at the last minute.

[cherubess]

I'm putting my hands up here. Another breech and I'm 36 weeks.

I too have tried the cold/warm packs, flash light, music, pelvic rocking/tilts, head down bum up, slat/ironing board, walking on hands/knees, visualisation, praying, talking to baby and I have the last two weeks seen a chiro for the websters technique.

I will have a version on Monday if all else fails.

I hope that your baby turns very soon for you. My problem is that my little one is small enough to keep on moving around in my uterus.

[Usually Curious]

Originally Posted by jennay

I'm 39w4d and scheduled for a c/s on Thursday due to breech. Over the past month I have tried swimming, pelvic tilts, hands and knees, ice packs, the flashlight thing, chiro, and even moxibustion. Nothing has worked for this babe. Due to a medication I am on it would be dangerous for me to have surgery still on the meds so I had to schedule in case baby was still breech so I could go off meds before hand. I am very bummed - I really wanted another VBAC. A planned c/s is stressing me out. Only hope is that her butt is not engaged so there is still the possibility she could flip at the last minute.

I just wanted to give you some support! Sometimes, babies are breech for a reason and turning would not be good for them. Maybe all of your 'work for nothing' really is a good thing and baby knows what's best - NOT turning head down - for some reason.

Please don't get too stressed about it.

If the babe flips, I assume they'll check before proceeding w/the CS, will they let you wait it out?

[jennay]

Originally Posted by Usually Curious

I just wanted to give you some support! Sometimes, babies are breech for a reason and turning would not be good for them. Maybe all of your 'work for nothing' really is a good thing and baby knows what's best - NOT turning head down - for some reason.

Please don't get too stressed about it.

If the babe flips, I assume they'll check before proceeding w/the CS, will they let you wait it out?

Yes, they will check again before surgery. My OB knows how much I wanted to avoid a c/s.

If baby is head down - I will be induced since I will already be off the medication.

[Stayseeliz]

Breech here too. She's actually transverse and camped out there. And she's so big I don't think she's going to make an effort. She seems comfy.

I had the same problem with DS. He was head down then moved to transverse. The dr said when babies are breech at term that it's usually for a reason. When DS came out he was so WIDE that the dr said it was for the best that I had a c/s. He was a very very big boy..

Hoping your little one moves for you! I've kinda given up at this point!

[MrsReady2bMama]

Well I am not glad that all of you ladies are having to deal with this too, but I am glad at least for the company and to know that my baby isn't the only stubborn little one!

Jennay - best of luck at your c/s tomorrow! It may not be what you hoped for, but you are going to get to meet your baby tomorrow, and she is going to be healthy and HERE!! And who knows - maybe she will flip at the last minute. My fingers are crossed for you!

I'll be sure to post after the version tomorrow (assuming it doesn't result in labor!) to let you ladies know what it is like. I really hope that it works!

If it doesn't, I will probably pursue Webster. If that doesn't work, I will have faith that the baby knows what is best, and a c/s is just what is meant to be...

~ Gina

[thorn]

just wanted to post my support! my c/s was due to breech, dd was also frank breech. this babe is head down and I am also lucky enough to be with a provider that does vaginal breech deliveries (even vbacs) this time around, luckily it wasn't an issue anyway.

I hope your versions, tilts, websters, and acupunctures work!!

[MrsReady2bMama]

Well, I had my version this morning. Unfortunately, I was in the 50% that it does not work for! I thought I would tell a bit about my experience in case anyone else has to endure one.

I checked in and got into my hospital gown. Then they monitored fetal heart rate and contractions for 20 minutes, looking for at least two good bumps in heart rate over that time. Baby performed beautifully for them. After that, they did a quick ultrasound to confirm baby was still frank breech.

Then they gave me a shot of terbulatine (? I am butchering that - I can't quite remember what she said) to relax my uterus. Side effects are that it can make you shaky, but I was actually fine. After giving that 10-15 minutes to kick in, the doctor came back in to start the process.

They lowered the bed so that my pelvis was higher than my head, and lubed up my stomach. DH held my hand down by my head, and then she began pushing. I was surprised how hard they actually do push! It was more painful than I thought it would be, and is just a lot of intense pressure. They tried it a couple of times in each direction, but baby just really wanted to stay put. According to the docs I was a trooper and they did the best that they could.

Afterwards I was on the monitor for about an hour, and they gave me a snack. It took a bit for baby's heartrate to satisfy the nurses by accelerating twice in twenty minutes, but we got there after a little while. It was interesting to see that I was having contractions every 10 minutes or so the whole morning - I didn't really realize they were that frequent, as they aren't at the painful stage yet.

Anyhow, afterwards I was told to monitor fetal movement and given some more pelvic exercises to try. We are scheduling the c/s for week of 10/15 - I am asking for 10/19 to give baby as much time as possible to spin around!

If anyone else is having a version, yours will be successful since they work 50% of the time, right? You're welcome

~ Gina

[Traceyky]

I have seen an ice pack (frozen peas? ) on baby's head work. Seriously. One of my mamas had a baby still breech at 40 weeks 4 days. (we were planning a viginal birth even if baby did not turn) She finnally had it... plopped the ice pack on for 45 minutes... and the sweet darlin flipped. We had a nice, head first birth a week later :-) Babies have been known to turn even in labor, so I would hold off scedualing if you can :-)

Tracey Ky
wife, mama, midwife

[thorn]

mrsready2bmama, I'm so sorry the version didn't work!

[Stayseeliz]

Gina, I'm so sorry that it didn't work! I imagine it must've hurt. My little one is still transverse and the ob moved her over a little bit on Monday and it did NOT feel good!!

[cherubess]

Gina I am very sorry that the version didn't work for you.

I have one more chiro appointment this morning and I'm hoping that will help. Failing that I have an OB appointment tomorrow to see if I will be having a version myself next week.

Tracey I wish the cold trick would work for me. I tried frozen peas and frozen ice pack right at baby's head about 8 times for an hour each time but baby didn't flip head down at all.

I really hope that it doesn't mean what I think it means.

[cherubess]

My OB has confirmed what I pretty much knew anyway.

Baby is still stubbornly breech.

I am going into hospital early Monday morning for an ECV.

Fingers crossed this will get her head down and she stays put.

[Hippiemommie]

Good luck everyone! I hope your baby turns heads down if that is what is best for him or her!