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Has anyone heard of the procedure called external cephalic version (ECV) for turning a breech baby? If so what do you think of it? Is it safe? Have you had it done and did it work? The dr has booked me in for one on Tuesday and am hoping it goes well. I want to have the best chance at a vaginal delivery. Although if I need a c-sec I will be happy with that also. I will be 37 and 1/2 weeks pregnant when i get it done.
Thanks in advance for your advice or thoughts.
Here is the link for another thread on this topic.
https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...phalic+version
Hope it helps :)
Thanks I have checked out the previous posts and will take a look at the spinning babies website. My u/s shows no reason why she has not turned. There is plenty of fluid and her legs are not going to stop her. Here is hoping she turns on her own or is able to be turned successfully. In the previous post it said ECV has a 60% success rate.
Thanks guys.
Megan, have you thought about trying acupuncture yet ?? It is very successful in getting breach bubs to turn. My 3rd baby was breech and I had an ECV, unfortunately for me it did not work. I did not know about acupuncture then. SIL recently had her baby and he was breech up until 36 weeks when I took her for acupuncture and bub turned afterwards.
You could also try inversions, where you lay on your back with your legs up a wall with pillows under your butt. The idea is to tilt your uterus and making baby uncomfortable, thus resulting in the doing an about face. Also getting down on all fours, keeping your bum in the air and trying to rest on your elbows and not your hands. Do this on your bed, it's much more comfy than the floor.
Goodluck and I hope bub turns very soon for you :)
Thanks Trish I will give those exercises a go. She is starting to get to0 big now to turn on her own the doctor said, so if she doesn't turn in the next couple of days he doesn't think she will. Here's hoping she does.
Loads of babies turn in the last week of pregnancy too hun, so don't give up hope. Some babies even turn in labour. My guess is though your OB will already have you booked for a c section. I wanted to do everything I could to avoid a section as I know it has an impact on any future babies I had. Unfortunately it wasn't the case for me, but I have gone on to have another baby, at a planned homebirth and am pg again, planning another homebirth.
Trish I too am trying to avoid a c-sec. Hoping the EVC will work if not will try everything else. Glad you were able to go and have home births after a c-sec.
hey megsgr,
Not had it done myself, but my SIL had an ECV done at 37 weeks and her daughter turned and stayed turned and she birthed vaginally at 41wks3days (induced). They first scanned to see where the cord was, then turned her, though the Ob said he was only scanning for the benefit of the student doc, he himself could "feel" if the bubba could go where he wanted or not.
My mum told me **Don't try this at home!** that with her 1st bubba (in 1955), the doctor put an ice-pack on the top of her bump, against his head, to make her baby turn. She was around 35wks. Poor bigbro!!!
Hana
Actually Hana, that is something that is well recommended, the ice packs at the top of your bump. The idea is that the cold will make them uncomfy and they will turn to the warm area, also shinning a torch on the lower part of your stomach and playing music down there.
Thanks Hana, it is good to hear of someone that had it done successfully. I have to say I am still a little nervous about getting it done, but I really do want the best chance for avoiding a c-sec.
Hmmm ice at the top, interesting.
hey :)
i recently posted about this (dont think anyone replied) but i went on to do alot of research elsewhere in regards to ECV.
im currently 38.5 weeks pregnant carrying a frank breech baby (my first).
i had really hoped for a drug free vaginal birth so i was pretty freaked out when told my only options were ECV or c/section.
at first i was seriously leaning towards the ECV in the hopes of still having a vaginal delivery but have since decieded to go with the c/section. even though the success rate is 60% (which in my opinion may as well be 50/50) it is even less for first time mums. this is supposed to be due to our muscles still being tight, whereas with subsequent children the chances may be higher. also my fluid levels are quite low so the chance was lessened again.
ultimately we deiceded on the c/section as we thought it would be the safest option and less stressful for both mother and baby. the risks for the ECV were still just too high and we wanted to avoid an emergency caesar at all costs...
goodluck with your decision.
ps. we were informed that if we wanted to go with the ECV IF it was successful i would be induced straight away so the baby could not turn back. if the ECV was unsuccussful i would be taken in straight away for an emergency c/section as some of the risks associated with ECV are feotal distress, bleed from placenta or bubs getting caught in cord...i hope they explained all of this to you.
Hi there!
Sorry bub is in the wrong position - I've heard of two ways to turn baby, ice pack on the top of your uterus, warm one on your pubic bone - apparently coaxes baby down ... also using a light at the bottom of your uterus where you want baby's head - inquisitive little babies will go check it out :D
There's also the trick of rocking on your hands and knees... GL!
My first was breech and unfortunately no one spoke to me about anything other than a c/s..I wish I had this sort of info then. However with my second he was transverse for a while there and I was told sitting backwards on you dining chairs so that your arms rest on the back of the chair...same reason as some of the others..it tilts your pelvis forward to encourage bubs to turn down. I was also told about the ice, so there has to be some merit in it.
They did not tell me this. They said they will book me in for a c-sec the following week and if she has turned then we will just see what happens. How funny that different doctors and hospitals do different things. I don't think I would have it done if they told me what they told you- way too scary. Good luck with you c-sec.:
Thanks Jessykasmum and Cass I will give those ideas a go. I appreciate your ideas. Here is hoping something works.
just wondering if you had the ECV yet and how you went?
Yeah I had it done. It was pretty painful, but it didn't work. The doctor I had was great. He said they they were not there to prove anything we will give it a go for no longer than 15 minutes and it she doesn't turn then we leave it. Well she is very happy where she is and wasn't going to budge.
Thanks for asking how it went. I have an appointment tomorrow to discuss a c-sec.
What a bummer!! Have you tried any of the other things?? I think sometimes that you're right...bubs just gets way too comfy and don't leave themselves enough room to turn!! I hope that it all goes well for you.
Hi Cass,
Yeah have tried a few of the other ways. I have a feeling she just has a mind of her own. How funny if she just turns on her own after all the things i have tried. I can't wait till she is here, starting to get anxious now to meet her and know that she is alright.
Hi,
Just wanted to pop by.
SHame she didn't turn but maybe she's just not got much room in there.
Don't know what sort of policy your hospital/ob have but i have a girlfriend who had her first baby, in true breech (feet up by her ears) vaginally in hospital, no problems, no TEARS. The doctor had to give her pitocin to speed her labour up after she got to 6cm and phycially hold her DD's bum back while she dilated the rest of the way, but delivery was perfectly fine, she didn't even have gas and air! She was on her knees, and 2 midwives performed the pelvic press move as he did a special kind of maneouvre to get baby out (which involved tucking DD's chin into her chest and easing her out chin first at the same angle as she'd have been born if head first, albeit backwards.
With an experienced (in breech vaginal deliveries) doc vaginal breeches can come out just as well as head-down bubses.
Best of luck with your appointment.
Hana
sorry to hear it did not work, Megan.
I thought i would post my experience here just in case it helps others.
I had and ECV at 37weeks at Newcastle John Hunter Hosp and it worked wonderfully. It was uncomfortable but not really painful (and not even worth worrying about compared to the discomfort of major surgery c/s!!!)
I had tried acupuncture, moxibustion, Websters, OFP, torches etc!!! The works! Nothing helped until the ECV. Bub turned and stayed there and was born vaginally 3 weeks later.
They monitor the baby during and after the transfer in case of distress. But the risks of ECV are less than that of a c/s (for both mum and bub).
Michelle.
Hana , not sure about delivering a breech baby. Sounds like your friend did a great job, I really admire her. My midwife said there are not a lot of dr confident or experienced in delivering a breech baby these days at my hospital.
Michelle, so glad that the procedure worked for you. I really wish it did for me, but i guess it wasn't meant to be. I am glad that I gave it a go though.
Yeah, my friend had to drive 250km in labour to get to an ob who could do it. It's such a shame, the only way to learn it is to see it done but c-sections are so prevalent now it's hard for docs to find places to learn. Will they try another ECV or do they only try once?
Best of luck whatever happens. ::-):
im sorry to hear it didnt work out...
our baby has not turned either and we are ready for our c/section on monday.
our hospital does not deliver breech babies!
all the best. :)
the dolphin- good luck tomorrow. I hope everything goes well. I have a c-sec booked for Thursday.
hoobley- No they only try to turn them that one time. They have booked me in for a c-sec on Thursday. It is a shame more doctors are not confident in delivering a breech baby. Although the more stories I hear of breech births the less I would have liked to have gone through with it given the chance.
I have followed this thread with interest .
I know its still early for me, but, so far, bubs is planning on being far more comfortable head up. So, trying now to encourage it to turn around. Fingers crossed it will work. Dont want to do the ECV - sounds horrid to me. And dont want to have a c-sect. There is apparently only 1 obs in Perth that will deliver a breach baby - so, my options at the moment are to spend heaps of time on my elbows and knees.
Will try the ice and torch thing - but, its abit cold now for ice!
Any other recommended methods?
Someone told me to bandaid a peppercorn under my little toe, as there is some pressure point there that will help the baby to turn?
The pressure point is just below your tonail on your little toe, sort of to the outside. Moxibustion is great for getting bubs to turn, and during acupuncture this is the point they like to use.
Like you said it's still early days for you. But definately keep trying to erncourage bub down south. You might want to give an Acupuncturist a call too. I would say to start trying from 34 - 35 weeks on.
Goodluck :)
I had the ECV it wasn't very nice and did not work for me but it does work for around 60% of people. Plus It was only painful for that short time that they tried. I was happy that I gave it ago and have no regrets doing it. I would try it again if we have another breech baby. It was painful for me but others have said that they did not find it that bad. Hope your little bubs turns on its own. Sometimes babies are just stubborn and want to do their own thing.: