Natural breech birth?

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

DS was a frank breech presentation - the safest to deliver vaginally. Our hospital unfortnately has a strict no diagnosed vaginal breech birth policy. I was diagnosed the day of induction (no it didnt go ahead, instead I was booked in for a c/s for the next day ) You can however deliver there if you go in, undiagnosed, in labour. Thats the only way they will let you here. So hospital/BC policy will dictate a lot usually.

My hospital had advised me even if a foot was out when i arrived in hosp they stil would have continued with a c/s no choice.... wouldn't it be great if these things were uniform and we all knew where we stood.. it's such an important thing and yet there is so much variance.

[Traveller]

If you arrive at hospital and there is a bum protruding out of your vagina no doctor on this earth can force you to have a caesarean section, regardless of their policy. They may advise you strongly to have one, but if you decline then they will be faced with the options of either supporting you, or turning you away to deliver in the hospital carpark. Can you bet which one they will choose?

There are 2 options for having a breech baby vaginally. Breech delivery (often involving routine forceps) or breech birth, which is a hands off event. I would advise anyone with an interest in the topic to google Jane Evans and Mary Cronk's "A Day At The Breech" which is a UK wide training programme teaching midwives how to safely catch breech babies, and when it is not safe to do so.

[Persephone1]

Oooh, thanks ladies. I figure the Birth Centre Antenatal Classes will give me an idea of what the BC policy is, and I have a Doula who will no doubt help me decide what to do if he does go breech. So far the only response I was given from an Ob early in my pregnancy was that breech = c-section, so I need to check what the BC will actually do with that.

Thanks again!