Breech baby TURN!

[CathyS]

Well I'm 35 weeks and I'm waiting for my baby to turn! Anyone else in the same situation?

My first baby was breech and she was a c-section. I am hoping this little girl will be different and turn before her time is up. Any suggestions?

Cheers
Cathy

[Janet]

I have LOTS but this is a no links site. Off the top of my head:

*homeopathic pulsatilla is excellent for realigning poorly positioned babies
*hand stands in a swimming pool
*your normal optimal foetal positioning which your CP should have told you about a long time ago and you should be pursuing as a lifestyle by 30 or so weeks
*ECV as a last resort
*a chiropractic treatment in case it's your pelvic shape that causes you to grow breech babies
*acupuncture
*board tilting
You MUST go to the spinning babies website which has HEAPS. There are also excellent websites devoted to breech babies which google will show you.

Breech is just another position and breech babies, like other babies, are easily born vaginally. I know many women who've birthed their breech babies easily at home. Did you know that RANZCOG recently changed it's policy on recommending c-sec for breech and now supports vaginal birth?

The UK AIMS journal has LOTS of articles on birthing breech babies optimally.

Birthing a baby by the breech at home.
Beech B. AIMS Journal, Vol 14, No 2, 2002, p4-5

Coroner's inquiry into a breech delivery.
Beech B. AIMS Journal, Vol 14, No 2 2002 p19-20

Breech Presentation - Caesarean operation versus normal birth
Lowdon G. AIMS Journal, Vol 10, No 3, 1998, p1-4

Natural, Active Breech Birth.
Lowdon G. AIMS Journal, Vol 10, No 3, 1998, p5

Keep Your Hands off the Breech.
Cronk M. AIMS Journal, Vol 10, No 3 1998, p6-8

Why are some babies breech?
Lowdon G. AIMS Journal, Vol 10, No 3, 1998, p8-9.

Turning Point for the Breech?
Thomas P. AIMS Journal, Vol 10, No 3, 1998, p12-13

[CathyS]

Hi!

Thanks for that! I was told with my first baby that vaginal birth was out of the question as a ct scan of my pelvis showing an 11cm diameter (and I was told they like 12cm for a breech delivery in case the head is in a funny position coming out).

I will try some of those things and see how I go! If they don't work I will try ECV.

Cheers
Cathy

[Phteven]

Cathy, have you checked out the sticky here with links and resources for breech babies?

[bruky]

HI there Cathy

I did have a breech bubba @ 36 weeks and absolutely freaked!!! I have to admit it really scared me that I might have to have a C/S...lol Just scared of the unknown I guess...I wasnt too fussed on ECV either as I had heard some bad stories???

So I tried everything i could to turn my lil princess and I have to say I beleive the handstands in the river did it...lol there was no way in hell I was going to a pool to do it in public so off we went to the river and then proceeded to have a handstand comp...I didnt think it did anything but lo and behold it worked \/ \/

I did a lot of research on ways to get them to turn and am sure I read that being in water helped us relax and also somehow produced more amniotic fluid which helped the babies turn...its worth giving a go anyway

Fingers crossed for you xx

[Janet]

There is ABSOLUTELY no way an x-ray or ultrasound of your pelvis has ANY bearing on your birthing potential. Pelvises are not fixed like fences, they swing like gates and babies mold. Even breech babies bums mold perfectly and so do their heads, they just do it in reverse. How your pelvis looks when you're lying down has nothing whatsoever to do with how it performs when you're brimful of relaxin and progesterone and in an upright open position with a baby being pressed down by a powerful uterus. Obviously breech babies can be born or we wouldn't keep producing them.

[CathyS]

Hey guys

Thanks for the tips! I should try a handstand hey? I am happy to hear it worked for you!

Janet, I felt very much that the hospital staff were against breech deliveries, especially first babies. It does not surprise me. I think too many are worried about being sued if something goes wrong.

I have read the sticky on breech techniques. I just wondered if anyone had any personal tips to share!

See my dr on tue, see if she has moved yet. I don't think so though.

Cheers
Cathy

[Janet]

Make sure you tell your doc you know that her own union has withdrawn it's recommendation on surgery for breech. Even in their original statement it said that one reason to not perform surgery was if the mother didn't wiant surgery. It's your body and your birth and your recovery period with another child to care for. The surgery is available if you really need it but if you're allowed to birth spontaneously without interference there isn't really a reason you'd need it. Unless your Ob is going to come to your home and help you in the aftermath of a second surgery, she needs reminding that you have needs which extend beyond your time in the hospital.

[CathyS]

Thanks Janet! I appreciate your comments! And it is MY body, so it should be my choice.

I am going to go swimming this week I think..try some headstands/sommersaults etc. See if the baby likes that!

Cheers
Cathy

[becky23]

I just found out today at almost 38 weeks my bubs is breech will be confirmed tomorrow and will most likely be booked in for a ceaser next week and I am totally ****ting myself

[CathyS]

Oh Becky. Sorry to hear that. Did she turn breech just recently then?

Have your dr talked to you about ECV? (external cephalic version?)

I went to see my dr today (36 week appt) and we are going to try turning the baby at 37 weeks. (friday week) I am still hoping she will turn herself sometime before though.

Cheers
Cathy

[becky23]

Well I don't really know Cathy I haven't felt him turn apart from at about 34 weeks but the midwifes didn't pick up on it don't really know why

[CathyS]

He may have been breech all along. I sensed this was the case with my daughter Yasmin. I was told all through my check ups she was "Head down". And then an ultrasound (to check on 'small for dates' belly size) showed she was breech!

Even now, every dr I see thinks this baby is head down at first, and then they double check and are wrong. I have been getting scanned by a portable ultrasound machine every appt at the hospital as they just weren't sure!

Cathy

[becky23]

I reckon he must of been they just didn't pick it up they just thought he was being difficult when they tried to find the h/b but they were looking in the wrong spot!

[CathyS]

There you go!

Cathy

[CathyS]

Well I went for a swim today...it was lovely to feel so weightless. I did some handstands and sommersaults. Several actually. (luckily there were few people in the pool). I don't think it made a difference though. She is still breech.

Cathy

[Alan]

Hi Cathy
Hows that baby of yours?
One trick I use for breech babies is to get mum to rest on elbows and knees for 20 mins each day. You can do this on the bed, floor, lounge, anywhere that is comfy.
Something else I have recently read about is to shine a bright torch on the lower part of your tummy also get a radio and put it low down on your tummy with music playing

[BellyBelly]

She still has plenty of time. I was 9 days overdue and turned vertex (head down) the day before I was born As you may have seen in a previous post, RCOGNZ have amended their stance on breech birth and it is actually favourable in certain circumstances, which is a small step! The thing is they ask for average sized babies (not large babies but how do they guess that) and continuous monitoring etc... try and grab a copy of Breech Birth Woman Wise by Maggie Banks and / or The Thinking Woman's Guide to A Better Birth by Henci Goer.

A relative of mine was raved about in the midwifery profession when she rocked up (in NSW) to birth her baby and had an undiagnosed breech. The room filled up with staff and students who were dying to see this breech birth and all went very well. Luckily the head midwife on at the time had said, no, this baby is coming and we're going to do our best to help. This was mum's first baby so she was none the wiser. Baby (now a toddler) is perfectly fine and healthy!