Breech babies

[Antheia]

Just a question i was pondering...

Can you have an induction/augmentation when a baby is breech? So like say if bub is breech and you go into labour but labour stops or something, can you have labour augmented or is it an automatic c/section?

[Trish]

Tegan, more often than not lately breech babies are an automatic c section anyway. Sadly there just aren't the Dr's trained in breech babies as they take the surgical way.

I "think" they like to keep the water's intact for as long as possible, this helps with bub being able to move around easier and the chance of bub changing positions.

Not sure on the induction though. I think personally if I was pushing for a breech vaginal birth I would not be wanting to have any induction at all.

Some OB's are known to induce bub early (smaller baby perhaps) and an automatic epidural for breech babies. Doesn't make too much sense to me, Take away the power of movement in a birth that really needs you to be as upright as possible.

[Antheia]

I know you would not want to have an induction if you want a breech bub born vaginally. I meant more if labour needed to be augmented, if they would do that. Like if mum was really against a c/section then would they allow labour to be augmented if she refused the c/s. Unless of course they just let labour start up again on it's own but i think that would be pushing it a bit.

[Danni]

If you found a generous OB, then I guess anything is possible!

I think the fear with having no membranes is the risk of the cord prolapsing. I rmemeber whilst I was waitiing for my c/s after my waters had broken...they checked for the cord every 2 mins or so!

[Antheia]

So im also wondering can you have a breech vaginal delivery in a public hospital if you don't have/can't afford an OB?

I think it is the risk of a cord prolapse too Danni. Probably because there is no head in the way to stop it from dropping.

[Danni]

Probably because there is no head in the way to stop it from dropping

EXACTLY! If bubs is bottom first, it will will be better than feet, but still risk of slipping through.

Im not sure if all public hospitals are the same, but my two definitely said no way. I think that's because they were just so busy and didnt want to "bother" with me

[Antheia]

It is so sad that doctors don't have more expereince in it. Or even willing to have the experience.

[blue daisy]

hey tegan

you would be hard pressed to find an OB who would induce or augment a breech baby...there are too many risk factors associated with it (I can go into detail if you would like)

if it is a 2nd pregnancy then you would be more likely to be 'allowed' a breech vaginal delivery as you would have had a previous vaginal birth...indicating that your pelvis is adequate to birth the biggest part of the baby (the head)

remember sometimes a breech baby is this way as they are unable to engage in the pelvis

yes it is sad that a breech birth is a rare event...especially when some babies make an unexpected bottom first entry into the world and no one in the room/hospital has ever delivered a breech baby...the rule is hands off the breech, if the accoucher starts 'delivering' thats when thing can get complicated

xx yogababy

[Antheia]

Natalie, so why is that it's best to no 'handle' bub if it's a breech delivery?

[blue daisy]

good Q!

as the rotation of the baby through the pelvic cavity is opposite of normal (body then head) and any undue 'guidance' can actually cause the shoulders to become lodged in the pelvis...resulting in the need for someone who knows what they are doing to perform breech birth manouvres, to unscrew the baby or to dislogdge an arm...
also any tugging on the baby to birth the head 'faster' etc puts pressure on the spine, neck and head...which is not good for anyone

xx yogababy

[dee73]

Sorry to steal the thread here, but I have a friend who is 33 weeks and baby is breach (she has also been told baby is quite big, which is not surprising with their gene pool!). Anyway, she lives in the country about 50 minute drive from her hospital, and wants to go into labour naturally then move to c-section rather than schedule a c-section. Is there an increased risk if she does this?

[blue daisy]

hey dee

@ 33weeks there is still ample time for the baby to move into a head down position

there is an increased risk of cord prolapse if the waters broke with a breech baby if she ruptures her membranes in early labor...

xx yogababy

[bon]

This is interesting...a friend of mine recently had a baby and her waters broke at 36 weeks, she goes into the (public) hospital and they have a feel, think the baby might be breech, so they do a scan and sure enough bubs is breech, so it was a c/s for her. They didn't want to 'wait and see' or anything like that because her waters had broken so for them there was too much of a risk.

I don't know how I would feel if it happened to me...I would agree with having a c/s because of all the risk factors and because its a case of not being prepared to have a vaginal breech birth. The thought of having a c/s freaks me a little bit, but then so does the thought of birthing a breech baby vaginally TBH.

[chocolatecatty]

My freind's bub was breech right up to the day she went in for her c-sec and it decided to turn Fickle things, babies! She'd previously had some manual turning done, which worked, but bubs flipped right back after a few minutes.

[robbo3]

Dr Andrew Bisits - John Hunter Hospital Newcastle....is apparently one of the few OBs in Aust that does vaginal breech deliveries.....There is an article on Breach Births in the Sept/Oct 06 issue of Pregnancy and Birth Mag that I just happened to re-read the other day

It doesn't say anything about induction etc but it was informative...it also has his phone number (but the article is old) 02 49214727 that you can call for help in finding a "sympathetic obstetrician".

[Freya]

Interesting thread, Im glad you asked about it Tegan!

I always said I would vaginal birth a breech baby, or atleast try, before I went the caesar route. I think Drs are too quick to jump to surgical options nowdays.

Heck my mother is 51 and my grandmother had her as a breech baby all those years ago, and went on to have 3 more children afterward. If she can do it (no drug options either) then I could