Upset about Cesarean

Hi,
have just found out that bubby is still Frank breech at 37 weeks.
I live in WA and will be going to Glengarry Private Hospital.
My obstet has been away over Christmas (DR Gan) and Dr Tai has been filling in. I will be seeing Dr Gan on 21st Jan and cesarean will be booked for pretty much straight away as my due date is 6th Feb and they can't let me get too close to that. Glengarry is not set up with equipment to handle emergency c's or anything out of the ordinary.
I had an ECV last night with no success, just a very painful experience and sore today.
I have attempted for the past month, inversions, acupressure, pulsitilla and ANYTHING natural to turn bub.
Am faced with reality of cesarean now and so upset.
I know I have to get my act together and come to terms with it for my sake and bubbys's, but just needed to speak about it here and hear from others.
I didn't want the cesarean for may reasons.
Mainly the stream of drugs from beginning to end which I was trying to avoid (Induction, then epidural etc...)
Also the disappointment of not having the excitement of waters breaking, phoning hubby and the contractions starting. Just booked in and away you go, all the surprise being taken away.
Also the lack of contact straight after birth. MAYBE they will hold bubby to my cheek and then whisk away.
The longer stay in hospital (about a week) and the recovery of 4-6 weeks.
Also concern over bubbas legs being in that Frank Breech position and not being able to stay down for weeks. Not being able to swaddle bub due to this, which I felt was important. Maybe there is something wrong with bubbys legs now?
I am broken hearted....anyone else the same? Or had similar experience?
:(

i have not been in you situation but i know you can still be an active person in your ceaser!
one of the girls on her just delivered her baby by ceaser! you can have baby with you all the time! they dont have to take it away!
HTH

I have never heard of a Frank breech before so i went and done a google search and i found this in regards to what doctors believe can still be safe and a vaginal birth:

:

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The baby should be a frank breech and near full term. The thighs, hips and back combined are nearly as large as the fetal head in a full term baby. Any other leg position will not dilate the birth canal adequately

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HTH and good luck...

Nell71 - I have just had my second c/s, first emergency after my son inhaled meconium, the second elective after my daughter stopped growing and I could not get induced. I had the same dissapointment initially especially since this is very likely to be my last baby.I had my heart set on VBAC and had done lots of preparation to achieve this. My recent c/s was much better as first as was much calmer and got to hold her while she was still attached to me. She did get taken away but got to hold her once she had had her apgar etc done. I had to go to recovery for about half an hour then up to room to start feeding her. I have bonded beautifully with both my babies and have had no trouble breastfeeding. I sometimes wonder what I have missed out on not having had a vaginal delivery, but I have no regrets and certainly do not feel any less of a woman. Your bub may well turn in the next two weeks, but if not just remember that however they come into the world, you will soon have your gorgeous baby in your arms and soon after that the way that your bub came out will not matter.
The procedure itself is admitedly a little scarey, but only the epidural. It does not hurt and the c/s itself you cannot feel much at all. The pain started about two hours after which I managed with panadol mostly.
Recovering can be a little tricky and all I can say is get as much help as possible and resist any urge to over do it.
Sorry if not relevant information, but good luck!

i had an emergency csection and was able to have bubs just as soon as they checked her breathing was okay.... they only need to take them away if they have trouble breathing or fluid in their lungs. HTH

Hi Nell,

Have you considered a vaginal birth? There are careproviders who will attend these. A c-section is not your only option.

Thankyou all for your kind words and reassurance, though you would know it is hard to shake the disappoinment and anger at first. It will take time.
SamanthaP, I do not know of any in Perth and how to go about it.
Do I "sack" my obstet? and "grab" a midwife in the last 3 weeks of my pregnancy?
Sounds scary to me....Would'nt know where to start.
And have also been told that to give brith to a Frank Breech vaginally could squish bubba's hips and cause damage....

Why don't you make an appointment with the hospital to discuss what will happen after the baby is born. they may allow you to have the baby with you and feed in recovery. You can at least find out what the procedures are and what you can do to make the best of it if you do have a c/s. Good luck.

Hi Nell

I have a link in my signature to Lucy's birth story, which to my disappointment was also a scheduled c/s due to an uncooperative placenta that would just not move up away from the cervix.

But despite my initial disappointment, we were still able to have a wonderful birth experience. I found it helped to talk about exactly what would happen with a c/s and how I would like certain things to go. I was able to see her being born and holding her almost immediately was okayed.

I guess the thing is that you are experiencing c/s disappointment now and not after the birth (which some women feel after an emergency c/s). At least you can prepare yourself ahead of time.

Btw my recovery was great, I didn't stay in hospital as long as expected and wasn't reliant on painkillers after about six hours. I was fine to emergency brake and drive after a couple of weeks and altho I avoided lifting had no pain at all after a week so could have pretty much gone back to normal. It all depends on you and how you heal.

If you have to have a c/s at least you'll be prepared. Good luck!

i have friends who have given birth to footling breech babies also frank breech(this one was a home birth vbac her 1st was also a breech) all naturally
i would say dont sack your ob but tell him you want to try giving birth naturally! remember no one can force you to have a ceaser if you want a m/w im sure you could find one! i know m/w of the year is in perth (i meet her at the home birth conference but have forgotten her name:redface:)
i think research giving birth to a breech birth not just going by your obs recomendation
breech labours are very hands off little intervention (even in hossy)! you would be suprised what your body can do! especially when left to go with your own insticts!
http://www.breechbabies.com/contents.htm

I have a friend who had her 1st baby in Germany in frank breech, vaginally. It is the safest of the breech deliveries (although all are possible vaginally, some are riskier) because the hips+thighs folded together are the same size as the head, and once they have passed through the likelihood of the head getting stuck (which is the problem which can occur with full and footling breeches) is pretty much eliminated. My friend had to drive 250km in labour to get to an ob who would do the delivery vaginally but she didn't even tear during the birth. Bubs was fine, her hips were fine, and though her legs were and still are very flexible there was no problem swaddling her right from day 1.

Talk to your ob, tell him you should like to deliver vaginally and ask to be referred to someone who is trained in it and comfortable with it. If there is no-one who can do it for you don't panic yet, keep doing inversions and if you can, try moxibustion. I have heard handstands in a swimming pool have worked well! Keep trying even after your surgery is booked - you never know. And if you have to have the section, do it with a light heart hun - you will have done everything possible to get your vaginal birth and fate or your baby will have decided how it has to be. Sometimes things happen and we can't see why, but later on it's fitting, kwim? I was a planned c-section after an emergency c-section (in 1980, no VBAC, and single layer suturing was still normal) and my mum always used to joke that i gave her the least trouble in birth and in life (she was 43 and had a heart complaint and wouldn't have relished a (7th!) labour anyway). :hug: to you, it's hard when life pushes us where we wouldn't choose to go.

Bx

Hi Nell,

Have you asked your current Ob if he will attend a breech birth? It does sound though like he may not be willing and quite frankly, I wouldn't want to be birthing a breech bub with someone who only knows how to do the medicalised version, iykwim?
Get hold of the book Breech Birth, Woman-wise by Maggie Banks. It is an excellent resource.
As for careproviders, I don't know anybody in Perth however I think a starting point would be perhaps calling the CMP and asking them for some midwives names who are happy to attend a breech birth. Even if you decide to go ahead with the c-section, you might find it easier to accept knowing that you have truly explored all your options, not just the ones presented by the hospital.
Sam.

Thanks so much for all your help and hugs.
I am going to try moxibustion, also keep going with pulsatilla, inversions etc.
Am seeing obstetrician on Monday and will ask more questions and hope to convince him to let me go as close to due date as possible (6th Feb) giving more chance for bub to do it naturally if it is meant to be.
In mean time will search for midwife in Perth to speak to and let you know how it goes.
It's so hard to know what is right to do.....so many decisions and so little time.
x

Nell - bubs was breech and I went through a lot of the similar thoughts of disappointment to you. We tried an ECV and it didn't work and I'd tried all the tricks on spinning babies etc. The way I came around to it was that it was the best for bubs to be born via Csection. I'm in a country area and would have had to travel 2.5 hours if I'd wanted to deliver vaginally so that wasn't an option for me. In the end I really liked the fact that I knew when she was coming and was able to plan around that - last hairdresser visit, nice dinner with DH the night before etc.

Looking back on it now, the way she was born didn't matter, she is healthy and happy. I can't even remember what position she was in!! DH got to hold her in theatre and she lay on my chest. I got to feed her in recovery and the only breastfeeding issues we had were after my milk came in and she was getting frustrated.

Good luck

Thanks so much everyone for your replies.
We are booked for caesarean for 1st Feb, this Friday.
Even if baby turned now, the hip ball joint wouldnt have formed 100% and vaginal birth could dislocate hips further.
We have tried everythign possible to get bub to turn and there is obviously a reason why.
I think caesarean is best for bub although not for me.
My first decision as a mother to look after baby ahead of herself =)

Well good luck :)

Nell...wishing you all the very best.

I also had a c/s which is not what I was hoping for...

But now I have a very healthy, happy 5 month old who is just a delight in our lives.

The c/s went really well and overall was a pretty positive experience.

I wish you the same!

All the very best!

Thanks Monnie and Aussienic x

Good luck - what a shame you have no breech Obs there. We have quite a few in Melbourne and I have attended some too - no dislocated hips. Some women choose to birth at home as they know they can have a midwife and they are skilled in it. Its safer to have an Ob/Midwife who is skilled in it and have a breech birth but if no-one who is available who is skilled in it, a c/s is best as they can do damage if they try and actively manage the birth. Its ironically a more hands off approach that is needed for breech birth and I guess thats something most Obs aren't used to - or care to be.

Nell - in four days you will meet your child - what exciting wonderful news - being a mummy is the best job I have ever had. :hug:

Hi Nell, please don't be disappointed, you are still giving birth to your much loved baby. I'm sure the hospital will be able to make it as 'demedicalised' as possible if you have a chat and a plan. I ended up with an emergency c section but was not disappointed in my experience. He was with me in recovery, had two feeds in recovery, and has continued to BF well, so it didn't affect our relationship in that way.

It will be so exciting for you to meet your lovely little one, we look forward to hearing your announcement!

All the best for Friday Nell. I also had a c/s and I have to say it was a beautiful experience even with all the medical staff etc. My little man went up to the SCN after he was born but looking back on a tough day it all worked out perfectly and I wouldn't change a thing.

Once again all the best for the arrival of your precious little bub.