manual inversion

[treehuggermama]

Hello ladies...Sorry if this question has been asked before but I didn't see it in my forum searches...I am 34 weeks pg with my 3rd and this little guy remains transverse. In my previous pg babe was head down by now. When I asked my MW about it this morning she had said that if he hasn't moved by next week that we will need to consider manual inversion under a spinal by her backup OB in order to avoid a c/s. Do any of you have any tried and true tricks for getting babe to head south? I remember reading about different exercises a woman could try to achieve this but just don't remember what site I read it on.

Thanks!!

[birthangeldoula]

Here's a site I found useful?

http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/breechcl.html

[Romana]

I'm not a birth professional, but an oft-cited website is www.spinningbabies.com. There are a number of exercises mentioned there that might be helpful.

[courtenay_e]

and try the forum search under the word "version" that might bring more up

[time4another]

Yes to the spinning babies website...

Other things, acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathic pulsatilla...

My DC turned after I spent a week swimming and letting the belly hang in the water.

[Paige, CPM]

Skip the spinal, you do not need one, I would decline it. Why risk a spinal headache or injury? No one around here does a version with a spinal that I have heard of.

We have our moms take a hot bath and get relaxed and we use massage oil and do it gently and slowly (listening to heart tones of course). When we fail we go to a OBGYN/DO we know and he does not do a spinal.

Good luck, perhaps other methods will help first?

[lunaliss]

Chiropractor, chiropractor, chiropractor, look for one who is experienced with the Webster technique, specific to turning babies.

Noxious stimuli, specifically, put something cold like a bowl of ice cream or bag of peas on your belly where the baby's head is. Shine a flashlight in the general direction of his/her face, play some loud music. Then, conversely, have a loved one like your partner or a sib talk to your lower abdomen to get the wee one to come closer.

Breech tilt exercise is a must. Don't let baby settle into your pelvis. place several pillows under your butt, knees bent and float the baby up for 10-15 minutes 2-3 times a day.

You don't need a spinal, just refuse it.
Try everything else before you go for a version. It's a bit early, it's not unusual for 3rd babies to take their time getting into position.

That's my 3 cents!
Melissa, CNM

[mwherbs]

belly binding-
if a gal were my client that is what I would recommend I would palpate the baby's position then put on a belly binder- I might put a rolled up hand towel on one side or the other to help cause a bit more nudge in a direction

there are lots of other ideas about turning babies but with the transverse babies I have seen this is what has worked

also if mom is constipated have her take 500-1000mg of magnesium a day as a supplement it is a smooth muscle relaxant and increases fluid in the bowels so can safely be taken in pregnancy and will help empty a colon which can be a problem with getting a baby into position

another experience I have had with a baby that would not move down into the pelvis and the placenta was not in the way-mom was using a vibrator frequently and for what ever reason the baby steered away from that stimulation just something to consider.

[Lily's_Mom]

Originally Posted by Paige, CPM

Skip the spinal, you do not need one, I would decline it. Why risk a spinal headache or injury? No one around here does a version with a spinal that I have heard of.

Spinal for an EXTERNAL version is unnecessary, but I'm wondering if by "manual inversion" the MW means INTERNAL version (waiting till full dilation and reaching into the womb and turning the baby). I don't know if that's the actual term for it, but that's what reading the OP made me think of.

If the baby hasn't turned by the time labor begins (or during labor!) than this 'internal version' really is the last thing to try before CS. Even if that doesn't work, going into labor indicates the baby is ready to be born anyways, so less likely to have breathing troubles once he/she is out.

HTH

[mwherbs]

the manual version is an external thing often there is some sort of relaxant used to keep the muscles from tensing up and sometimes it is done with quite a bit of force- they use ultrasound to look at the baby and placenta as well as listen to the baby to be sure that nothing goes wrong during the version.
many midwives I know and what I have done myself is get a baby to swim around on it's own- far more gentle to move a baby that way and I have really worked a kid or 2 around as well but it is more like taking up space behind the baby so it will swim out of being trapped you know how you can crowd someone off the couch or get a dog to move over a bit by taking up space same idea-- I am still thinking that belly binding is the simplest way to make a funnel and accomplish what you want

[JunipersMom]

There is still time for babe to move. I recently had a fourth time mom whose babe was tranverse to almost 37 1/2 weeks and then went head down and had a great birth.

[treehuggermama]

Thank you ladies for all the advice. I started to try a few of the ideas and babe has been quite active this morning. Hopefully heading south! The funny thing is that my MW has known that this baby is transverse for awhile but until I mentioned it at my appt yesterday it had never come up. And then she brought up the whole version thing. She wouldn't be the one doing it; it would be her OB backup and it would be external in a few weeks. I am assuming that the reason for the spinal is that it potentially could be quite uncomfortable. Arghhh; I am going to do everything I can to avoid it!

Does anyone know the dose for the pulsatilla? I am going to order some today.

Ok off to the pool to try some of your ideas!

[notjustmamie]

Not a B.P. (but I can't stay away from this board).

If you do go for the version, I would make sure you find out what the plan is if it is not effective. I have read many stories about spinal/epi given before a version not just to relax mom, but because, if it fails, the plan is to go right into surgery.

Best of luck turning the babe before any of this is necessary!