It is just not fair..

[*The_Mrs.*]

..that doctors hear "breech" and immediately throw a c-section in your face without so much as a second glance. As I approach birth I feel like I am being robbed of something beautiful. With DD1 my labor went so smoothly and beautiful..I was actually anticipating this birth. How can it be fair that NO doctor over here will let me deliver my baby breech? she is even in an amazing position breech wise. I am having such a hard time accepting this and worry that I will develop PPD after birth because of this. I am also worried that breastfeeding will fail...

I am obviously past the point of no return..but I really wish I could see the positive within this..

Everyime I hear someone go into labor I feel so jealous. When I go into labor I will be having a surgery..not giving birth. My hospital wont even let me have skin to skin until I get into recovery. UGH

[ladybirdflies]

Hi....I just read this and had to reply. Have you heard of a film 'A Breech In The System' it's about a woman in Byron who was pregnant with a breech baby and no-one wanted to allow her to try and labour. This film follows her journey and the ending, (which I won't ruin in case you are going to watch it... let me know if you aren't and I can tell you) is so profound I cry every. Single. Time I watch it!!!! If you are wanting to know your options I highly highly recommend this film, perhaps you will end up with a caeser, but let it be your choice that you came to yourself through research and information as opposed to feeling like you have no freedom and are backed into a corner. Go well x

[Rowellen]

Have you tried acupuncture to get her to turn? It's not too late yet.

I hope you get the beautiful you want.

[Enchanted]

Have you also checked out the site Spinning Babies?

If you haven't already, arm yourself with all the knowledge you can & try whatever you can to get her to turn.

Sending you loads of hugs & spinning vibes

[Enchanted]

*double post*

[LionsandBears]

Any chance you can homebirth? Or find another doctor/hospital? Any chance you can get to Ina May's Farm for birth?

Let's face it, the baby is breech if it comes out the vagina or the sunroof, so I never understand the rush to c/s. but then we had a vaginal breech with DS1. The most important thing is "hands off the breech". With us, the OB didnt touch the baby until he was all out. Just wiped away gunk. She may have slightly helped him turn.

I realise with a bicornate uterus, bub may not turn. I suggest you find somewhere else to birth, or start reading empowering c/s stories and start arming yourself with information so you can get a better birth.

[Ladylove]

TM I know this is easy for me to say as my baby is not breech but a CS does not necessarily inhibit breastfeeding. You can also request to have skin on skin contact after a C section. The midwife will probably say this will depend on the circumstances but you can emphasise this and have it recorded at your hospital and also mention to any OBs, doulas etc involved in your birth. My yoga instructor actually told me this - most mothers assume they will miss out on skin on skin with a CS and many hospitals do not offer it automatically but it is your right to request this, excepting an emergency etc.

I also totally agree with forshelby - a CS is still a valid form of giving birth. Try not to feel guilty or let down if you do have one. You have still grown and protected your baby for the all important nine months and you have still managed to safely bring her into the world following that nine months. This is an enormous achievement and the product of months of hard work on your behalf. x

[forshelby]

Honey, c/s mothers still gave birth. I define birth as the passage of a baby through an opening in the mother's body- ending with separation of baby from mother. Your little one is going to make her entry via the sunroof. It's not ideal, and it's not what you want (or what I wanted). But it is what it is.

You are no less a mother for having a c/s. But I do understand the feeling of being robbed of a vaginal delivery. I feel it too.

[LysnDan]

Having a C section is giving birth.

Please don't fear them. A c section saved my life and Amelia's. Had I not had it, we both wouldn't be alive today.

Hun, trust in the drs. They know what they are talking about.

PND is a LOT better than having a dead baby in my eyes and if they leave her in if she can't turn herself or she gets majorly distressed during natural labour because she can't get out, then it may end up that way.

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[kristi14]

Babies can turn at the last minute. Thats what happened to me. I had a little munchkin that loved flipping in and out of breech on me. My Ob and i decided we would wait and see how she presented on her birthday, if she was breech and it was going to be dangerous we would go straight to theatre, if she wasnt breech we would go with the flow. 3am the morning i was to go in to have her, she wakes me with the biggest movement i ever felt. Got to the hospital to find out she was out of breech and that big movement would have been her flipping out of breech because i know she was breech the day before. So hope is not lost, im not saying your baby will turn out of breech but there are things you can try to see if it might. You have rights too, if you want to trial a vaginal birth with a breech baby then your caregivers need to listen to you and work with you to figure out some form of action plan. Please dont give up hope yet, knowledge is power, arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can..........research, research research.

[Floweryfields]

Babies can turn at the last minute. Thats what happened to me. I had a little munchkin that loved flipping in and out of breech on me. My Ob and i decided we would wait and see how she presented on her birthday, if she was breech and it was going to be dangerous we would go straight to theatre, if she wasnt breech we would go with the flow. 3am the morning i was to go in to have her, she wakes me with the biggest movement i ever felt. Got to the hospital to find out she was out of breech and that big movement would have been her flipping out of breech because i know she was breech the day before. So hope is not lost, im not saying your baby will turn out of breech but there are things you can try to see if it might. You have rights too, if you want to trial a vaginal birth with a breech baby then your caregivers need to listen to you and work with you to figure out some form of action plan. Please dont give up hope yet, knowledge is power, arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can..........research, research research.

Yes, could you labour at home for a good while and wait to see if bubs might turn last minute? No one can make you go to hospital.

[ladybirdflies]

thats what the film i spoke about is about. a woman waiting with contractions at home until it was 'too late' to go to theatre when she got to hospital, with a brilliant safe outcome. she was armed with advice and research and got the birth she had wanted!

[Arimeh]

Both mine turned after 37 weeks (close to 38) so don't rule it out just yet.

Fwiw, I don't feel any different towards "birthing" my babies - I've had 4 births - 2 sections, 2 vb's. Regardless of how they exited, I still gave birth

[Fleur]

Well, there's still time for bubs to turn, fingers crossed. If she doesn't... I know a CS isn't necessarily desirable, but you know, mine wasn't as awful as I thought it would be either.

And FWIW, I had one CS & three vaginal births, and my CS baby was the only one that breastfed for any decent length of time. Go figure

I had a beautiful experience with my second, and wanted to repeat that so much. It didn't happen... I got a CS with my third and my VBAC was rather underwhelming (compared to my second labour). My point being, you can't plan for what you're going to get. Go in planning for the best & prepared for anything. Fingers crossed for you

[Traveller]

Having a C section is giving birth.

Please don't fear them. A c section saved my life and Amelia's. Had I not had it, we both wouldn't be alive today.

Hun, trust in the drs. They know what they are talking about.

PND is a LOT better than having a dead baby in my eyes and if they leave her in if she can't turn herself or she gets majorly distressed during natural labour because she can't get out, then it may end up that way.

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With the greatest of respect LysnDan, the situation the OP is talking about is not the life or death scenario I know you were faced with only a few weeks ago. There is no evidence that vaginal breech birth with a practitioner who knows what they are doing, and with a healthy term infant, is any riskier than a CS. The original study that suggested a risk was highly flawed and no subsequent studies have mirrored the results. The issue here is the absence of a skilled practitioner and I think the OP is justified in feeling upset at that issue. PND is not a small issue and for some women it sadly does become a life or death issue.

To the OP, have a look at the spinning babies website and try some of their techniques. They can be incredibly effective and your baby has time to turn. If you shop around you may find an OB or midwife who is comfortable with a vaginal breech birth. Remember nobody can force you to have a CS so take the time to discuss your options with your care provider. If you make an informed decision to accept a CS rather than feeling forced into it then you may find the risk of PND is much lower. Also speak to the ABA about breastfeeding after a CS. It can be trickier, but it is far from impossible and I'm sure there are lots of ladies on here who can share their positive CS and breastfeeding stories to help you prepare. Good luck with your planning

[ElleJay]

With the greatest of respect LysnDan, the situation the OP is talking about is not the life or death scenario I know you were faced with only a few weeks ago. There is no evidence that vaginal breech birth with a practitioner who knows what they are doing, and with a healthy term infant, is any riskier than a CS. The original study that suggested a risk was highly flawed and no subsequent studies have mirrored the results. The issue here is the absence of a skilled practitioner and I think the OP is justified in feeling upset at that issue. PND is not a small issue and for some women it sadly does become a life or death issue.

To the OP, have a look at the spinning babies website and try some of their techniques. They can be incredibly effective and your baby has time to turn. If you shop around you may find an OB or midwife who is comfortable with a vaginal breech birth. Remember nobody can force you to have a CS so take the time to discuss your options with your care provider. If you make an informed decision to accept a CS rather than feeling forced into it then you may find the risk of PND is much lower. Also speak to the ABA about breastfeeding after a CS. It can be trickier, but it is far from impossible and I'm sure there are lots of ladies on here who can share their positive CS and breastfeeding stories to help you prepare. Good luck with your planning

I'm sorry - I wasn't going to post anything in here but I find that highly insensitive of you to say that to Lysndan. The OPs birth COULD turn out to be 'life or death' so she's giving her side. But that's just me.

FWIW, and my 2 cents - It doesn't matter how baby comes out, c-section or natural vaginal birth, as long as the child comes out healthy and alive, shouldn't that be what matters?
With DS I had an emergency c-section, almost losing him twice in the process. No, he wasn't breech, but in severe distress because I failed to progress in dilation. Had I not had the c-section, I wouldn't have found out that it'd be practically impossible for me to give birth naturally and my son wouldn't be alive now had I said no to the c-section

[forshelby]

as long as the child comes out healthy and alive, shouldn't that be what matters?

Yes..................................it's very important.... BUT..... I'd like to gently add that it's not the only thing that matters. I of all people know how damaging disregard for a mother's wishes / emotional wellbeing can be. Some drs can't see past the baby enough to realise the mother is a human being, and more than an incubator.

The Mrs - I completely understand your feelings about this c/s being uneccesary. I have the same feelings about my own birth. Healthy pregnancy, very overdue, induction of labour, lots of interventions, 'failure to progress' and bingo, c/s. On some level, as soon as IOL was mentioned, I knew I was going to get the slice n dice special. I just couldn't see it ending well. Maybe it's a case of 'what I fear, I create'. Either way, I fully support your right to be upset at being robbed not only of one VB, but of any future natural births you may have had. FWIW I've also been told by a rather ill-informed OB that I will never have a vaginal delivery. He based this on nothing. No tests, measurements etc were performed.... and yet he is of the opinion that DS's head was too big for my pelvis. Forget the fact that his head was IN MY PELVIS when they cut me open. My OB reckons he can see into the future apparently.... as he thinks my next baby will also be too big for me. I've disregarded what he's said, as this is all just his skewed opinion. And he's oldschool. And I don't like him at all.

Sorry for rambling. I get a bit worked up when c/s is mentioned sometimes! I hope you can find a way to get your natural birth, but if not.. please do some research and arm yourself with knowledge (hence power) for your c/s. It doesn't have to be the end of the world, but I admit it does and will suck for a while afterwards when it's not what you want.

[WeeMansMummy]

I really wouldn't advise you to stay home until its to late to c/s. The consequences of that could lead to a lifetime of regret. The most important thing is the safety of the baby.

I agree you might benefit from hearing some empowering c/s stories and getting your support in place and your mind ready.

Researching successful breech births is fine of course, as long as your willing to research the ones that went wrong also. Arm yourself with knowledge from both sides itms.

Best of luck