How much chance that baby will turn head down at 34 weeks?

[herbsgirl]

I have a breech baby, and I wondered how much chance I have that baby will turn before 39 weeks? I have gestational diabetes and need to deliver by then, or shortly after. I already know about spinning babies, and I have been trying alot of the things, cold vegtables, and flashlight, upside down, chiropractor, ect.

I wonder how much chance you think that the baby could turn head down in 5 weeks? I read somewhere on the internet that after 37 weeks if the baby is breech there is a 90% chance it will stay breech.

[leafwood]

Both of mine turned sometime between 34-36 weeks. I did some things to encourage dd, but with ds (this past time) I just meditated and really asked him to get into position.

[kitkat5505]

DS#2 kept flip-flopping until he finally settled head down at 36 weeks.

[lactivist]

Mine went from completely transvere to head down at about 36 weeks.
Wendi

[Robinna]

Well, the OB community generally tries to schedule breech caesareans for 38-39 weeks because breech babies have a tendency to come earlier and they're trying to avoid the possibility of the baby coming out of the vagina. If you have somebody who will catch your breech, there's a good chance you could have a vaginal delivery without having to induce by 39 wks.

As for turning over, I don't remember what the stats are but by around 37 weeks, babies are *less likely* to turn over - however, they can and do turn over right up to and during labour. This, for me, is a powerful incentive to not *schedule* a c/s for breech, since you don't know if you have one of these late-turning babies unless you give them the opportunity to do it. Most OBs will try to discourage you from waiting because of their irrational (and it IS irrational, the clinical evidence does not support routine c/s for breech, rather, it supports informed consent) fear that your body might do its own work.

Anyway if it were me, I'd be asking questions about vaginal breech delivery right now. Lots of them. And demanding a referral if your CP is reluctant.

eta - read again that it's GD that is causing the "come early" worry - if your CP is telling you that you *must* deliver by 39 weeks due to GD, I would be looking for a 2nd opinion on THAT, too.

[SiobhanAoife]

My baby went breech, transverse, vertex, breech, transverse, breech, vertex in the period from 34w-36w5d. We were going to do an ECV at 37 weeks but hurray she ended up vertex at 36w5d and is still vertex now at 37w5d... so please please please baby stay vertex!!!

So, I can entirely relate to your 34w panic mode of baby-turning; it worked for us, and MOST babies DO turn by 37 weeks, so don't panic, just keep doing all the right things and try to relax and have faith.

[doctorjen]

I just had a client turn at 37 weeks. She's been seeing a chiropracter for the Webster technique and baby was persistenly breech and turned somewhere between 36 wks 6 days and 37 weeks 2 days. An ultrasound estimate puts her baby at over 8 lbs now, too, so this was a pretty big baby turning around in there, and she's a first time mom with relatively tighter abdominal muscles. Now we are just waiting for her little guy to decide to come out.
About 2-3% of babies are persistently breech at labor.

[paquerette]

Both of my babies turned somewhat after then.

GD is not a reason to force an earlier birth. Neither is suspected fetal macrosomia. Even ACOG admits this. If you have other things wrong, that might change things, but that alone is not a reason. And breech is not a reason to schedule a c-section, even if your provider won't do a breech vaginal. Babies can turn up to and during labor, and even if they do not there is great benefit to the baby in being able to initiate labor.

[Mommal]

I think there's an excellent chance that your baby will turn head down in the near future. Most babies do. I have a friend whose baby spontaneously went head-down at 38 weeks, the day the midwife came to do an ECV!

I just want to address the gestational diabetes aspect of your pregnancy, and ask what rationale you are being given for birthing your baby before 40 weeks gestation? I had borderline GD, controlled with diet and exercise, and my midwife was totally comfortable with me going to 42 weeks, with daily NSTs after 41.5 weeks.

If you GD is totally uncontrollable, then I think there is a decent rationale for having your baby prior to 40 weeks. But if not, then the 40 week deadline is not, IMHO, a particularly good idea. It's just pushing you towards induction-turned-c-section.

You might want to read through this (rather technical) article: Management of Suspected Fetal Macrosomia. Zamorski, MA, & BIGGS WS. American Family Physician Januay 15, 2001. It concludes that "pregnancies" (including GD pregnancies) "complicated by fetal macrosomia" (large size) "are best managed expectantly."

[GAmomto5]

My LO turned head down 4 hours before she was born. I was all set and ready to have a breech HB. And that was at 10 1/2 pounds and pretty much no amniotic fluid left! I agree with the meditation . . and prayer if thats your thing. Worked for me!

[herbsgirl]

Thanks for the encouragement. I think that more babies turn late than some doctors realize. My doctor didnt sound real promising when I ask her. I will continue my prayer, and exercises, and chiropractor.

My sugars have not been the best, over 130 for post meal. So I think it would be safest to deliver by or around 39 -39 1/2 weeks.



When my daughter was born, her shoulders were stuck for a bit and she was only 8 lbs 6 oz. The doctor pulled and she finally came out. I cant imagine myself being able to deliver a 10 lb baby, without it getting stuck.

[wild fire child]

I'm a bit skeptical of the % of babies being breech at x week will stay breech, just because we know that so many c/s's are scheduled due to breech....they weren't given a chance to turn later than 39 weeks, because they pulled them out at 39 weeks. Seems a bit skewed to me. I'm sure there is a percentage, but I don't know that I'd trust a doctor's stated percentage out of hand.

[babybun]

All 3 of my kids (need to update siggy!) were breech until around 36-37 weeks. They all turned by themselves, although with the last one I did sumersaults in the pool and felt her turn soon after. There is hope!!

[skyblufig]

My dd flip-flopped from 34 weeks or so and didn't go head-down until about 10 hours before she was born. It all depends on how active your babe is and how much room there is. My $.02 is, eat a lot of juicy fruits and veggies to keep yourself well-hydrated, walk/ride a bike as much as you feel like, try fitting in a protein smoothie with about 20g or so of protein a day, and trust that your babe will get in to the best position for birth. Also, if you have access to an acupuncture clinic, they can try moxibustion to help with breech positioning -- can't hurt, might help. I went to a local acupuncture college's student clinic and it was very affordable, like $25 a session. Good luck and happy birthing!

[Mommal]

Originally Posted by herbsgirl

My sugars have not been the best, over 130 for post meal. So I think it would be safest to deliver by or around 39 -39 1/2 weeks.

Sorry to keep pushing, but are you getting >130 1 hour after the end of a meal or 2 hours after the beginning of a meal? <140 with a 1-hour postprandial reading is considered normal by many practitioners- high normal, but still normal. But many other practitioners have switched to a <130 or even a <120 standard for the 1-hour postprandial reading.

[Robinna]

Originally Posted by wild fire child

I'm a bit skeptical of the % of babies being breech at x week will stay breech, just because we know that so many c/s's are scheduled due to breech....they weren't given a chance to turn later than 39 weeks, because they pulled them out at 39 weeks. Seems a bit skewed to me. I'm sure there is a percentage, but I don't know that I'd trust a doctor's stated percentage out of hand.

me too.

[meganmarie]

When my daughter was born, her shoulders were stuck for a bit and she was only 8 lbs 6 oz. The doctor pulled and she finally came out. I cant imagine myself being able to deliver a 10 lb baby, without it getting stuck.

Shoulder Dystocia (baby getting stuck at shoulders) can be serious, but is actually not related to the size of the baby at all!

According to this review of research (you need to register for this site but it is full of fantastic resources and data) "Almost half the cases of shoulder dystocia occur in infants weighing less than 4000g"

It also says that induction for suspected "fetal macrosomia" (big baby) has not been proven to improve outcomes. And, that there's no reliable way to predict size of baby anyway.

http://www.childbirthconnection.org/...oad=gecpc3ch22

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by herbsgirl

When my daughter was born, her shoulders were stuck for a bit and she was only 8 lbs 6 oz. The doctor pulled and she finally came out. I cant imagine myself being able to deliver a 10 lb baby, without it getting stuck.

Size has nothing to do with shoulder dystocia. It's about positioning. Both yours and the baby's. The route out of the womb is not cylindrical, it is somewhat ovoid (like a baby's shoulders). If the baby is coming out not perfectly lined up with the birth canal, that's when you see dystocia. They just tend to need a little help, either from mother or from an attendant to get properly lined up. Just remember that the pelvis is an amazing thing, with a great ability to expand, and short of deformity, nobody can say what it can or can't manage when it comes to the size of a baby.

If shoulder dystocia is your fear, I would recommend doing some reading on ways that you can help to get proper positioning now, and ways to do it during labor itself.

[herbsgirl]

Originally Posted by Mommal

Sorry to keep pushing, but are you getting >130 1 hour after the end of a meal or 2 hours after the beginning of a meal? <140 with a 1-hour postprandial reading is considered normal by many practitioners- high normal, but still normal. But many other practitioners have switched to a <130 or even a <120 standard for the 1-hour postprandial reading.

It is more than 130 1 hour after I quit eating. It has very seldom been more than 140. So maybe my sugars arent really that bad?

[paquerette]

Originally Posted by herbsgirl

When my daughter was born, her shoulders were stuck for a bit and she was only 8 lbs 6 oz. The doctor pulled and she finally came out. I cant imagine myself being able to deliver a 10 lb baby, without it getting stuck.

What position were you in to begin with? Did they try the Gaskin maneuver before pulling? How long was she stuck for? I think if the doctor could get her out with a little tugging, manually, in lithotomy, that's not a true case of dystocia. Just "sticky shoulders." Also, the weight of the baby isn't the main thing. Fat is squishy. It's about the size of the head vs. shoulders.