Hi ladies,
Just have a couple of quick questions, any advice or answers would be great. So thankyou in advance. Now I am only 33weeks so its still early days yet, but i am just wondering what happens if bub is still breech at 36ish weeks? Do they try and turn him? Offer a c-section? If they offer a c-section, do they do it before my due date? if so how much earlier? My boy hasnt even attempted to move from breech since 26weeks and my midwife told me she doesnt think he will go head down at all. and i am unsure as to what happens if he doesnt.

I am guessing no-one has had this problem lol ??? Or does anyone know of a friend who had the same situation. Any breech stories at all ????

I was told my jnr was breech at 26 weeks (he has since turned) but the midwife advised me that they try and turn baby and aim for a natural birth. I then think a consultant will be able to advise you if you need a C-S.

I think a great benefit of having a C-S is that you KNOW what date you will have your baby.

Good luck hun - im sure you will be advised properly.

Thanks, I have another appt on Friday so we will see then, but eveyone keeps telling me that i will feel when he engages and my belly will drop. Nothing has happened. My belly still sits VERY high and he moves around all the time and im always feeling his little head under my ribs so i know he hasnt moved yet. I just dont want to sound like an idiot asking my midwife (altho im sure many mummies to be have asked the same thing). Im not against getting a c-section if he is breech, in fact id prefer it as i dont want to take the risk. Im not sure if they do it on ur due date or at like 37ish weeks. :shrugs:

i was told by my doctor that the baby can turn until 38 wks, mine is actually transverse which is worse than breech. there are doctors who will deliver breech babies but the norm is to turn them if you choose this option and they see it as helpful ( all depends on the babies exact position) and if that doesnt work or you dont choose to go for it (it is painful and not always successful) then you have a c section, as its not a medical emergency i would imagine they give the baby as much time as possible to turn ie: til wk 38 and then schedule you a section for wk 39 if he doesnt turn.
so you still have time, its a wait and see game! they will check the position again closer to 38 wks by ultrasound or by hand (some doctors can do this) or even both.

My baby is breach as well.I see my midwife today so she will say he she is still breach. Im under a consultant who i see tommrrow (not for breach) but i plan on asking her what my choices are. I will message you what she says. As far as i no they can try and turn the baby. But im gonna opt not to have this. Its painful and they often turn back. Or they will arrange a c section for around 39 weeks. But you will be scanned before to make sure baby is healthy and still breach. I think some will deliver breach but this probably would happen if its your 1st and agagin im sure you would have a say in this especially if its your 1st. Babys can turn anytime even on day of delivery so they will scan you 1st just to check.

I have been breech for as long as anyone can tell... (probably at least 16 weeks, bless his stubborn little cotton booties... ). He is comfortable where he is and no amount of encouragement (swimming, pre-natal yoga, crawling on all fours, various yoga inversions...) has got him to turn yet... so I am scheduled for a C Section on Monday.

Try the "natural" things first:
- swimming is supposed to give a baby more room to turn.
- crawling around on all fours.
- various yoga inversions (rather than repeat myself again, I have talked about it here - Anyone else got a breech? ).
- acupuncture/Moxibustion.

Have a look here - http://pregnancy.about.com/od/breech...ningbreech.htm

If your baby is still breech at 36 weeks, then (assuming you and baby are suitable candidates) you will be offered a ECV (http://www.sdhct.nhs.uk/patientcare/pil/23660.pdf). Consider this carefully and quiz your practioner on their personal success rates (some Consultants are a lot more successful than others) and how they rate your personal chances (looking at baby's exact position, your physique, your mental approach to it etc). This is a serious procedure, undertaken only in hospitals (because of the small risk of complications and needing an emergency CS) and can be painful or VEY uncomfortable. My Consultant was very honest with me and said to expect 20/40 minutes of considerable discomfort/pain and that she still rated my chances of success as low (about 20% - the average success rate is about 40/50% ). She said that most of her successes were with women who were 110% DETERMINED to have the ECV work (and would beg her to continue through their tears...). If you go in uncertain, then your success rate is low.

Personally I declined ECV: baby is a "footling" breech, he head is pretty well wedges and I have unusually tight/firm abdominal muscles (great for some things, not so great for turning a breech baby!). So my Consultant's assessment (at about 20% success rate) combined with my doubts made me decide to decline... BUT, by declining, I basically signed up for a C Section

Some hospitals WILL deliver a breech baby vaginally, but mine will not (they consider it too risky). Again, it depends on your baby's EXACT position: footling breech babies (like mine) are definitely too dangerous to attempt to deliver vaginally. The thing to remember - if looking at a breech vaginal birth - is that virtually all breech deliveries in the UK are done by Caesarean. All midwives are trained to deliver breech babies vaginally, but VERY FEW get the opportunity to practice that training... Personally that doesn't give me a lot of conifdence (you like people to have considerable practice in it...). So a vaginal breech delivery is not unheard of, but you need to find out if it is an option at your chosen hospital and carefully weigh up the risks of attempting it...

There is still a chance that my baby may turn (before the C Section on Monday) - in which case the operation would be cancelled.

So you need to think carefully about what you are prepared to do and what you are prepared not to do...

Good luck.
QT

oh my, thank you sooo much. it seems like my midwives are afraid to talk to me about it and im not sure why but it upsets me that they arent being open. i really hope u c-section goes perfectly on monday.i just have to wait until friday to see if my little man has moved yet, although i know he hasnt, i can still feel his head under my ribs.im being breech is causing ALOT of strain on my pubic and hip bones also. it is extremely painful. not sure how i am going to cope with 7weeks left.im sick of not being able to sleep.can hardly walk, get stuck on the floor most of the time. yesterday for over an hour!!!

That would be absolutely fantastic if you could message me and let me know what happened with you. im sick of not being told anything. its my baby in my bodyand yet its like they are keeping a secret from me !! grr lol. thanks again. look forward to hearing back

Hi Honey

Will share a little hindsight...

I THINK (but could be wrong), that your MWs are not "afraid to talk to you about it", just that they "do not see the point yet". This is because of a mixture of firstly that your baby may VERY WELL still turn by himself (only 3% of babies remain in breech at term ), secondly that MWs tend to be very tight on resources and time (so they see talking about something that "may very well not happen" - like your baby remaining breech - as a bit pointless at this stage). I have abserved this throughout pregnancy... MWs deal with the "here and now" and not with the "what might be".

So, in the mean time, your best bet is places like this and books... AS SOON AS YOU HIT 36 weeks - if baby hasn't turned - it will be all go...

I understand your frustration - I have felt it through the earlier part of my pregnancy too. Being my first pregnancy, I didn't know what to expect. I am also highly educated and always forward thinking - so I always want to know what is around the corner. But actually (unless you are high risk) pregnancy isn't treated like that: it is very much a "everything is normal - take one week at a time" thing. Very frustrating, but you sort of understand why as you get closer to the end.

Re the hips/pelvic pain - this may VERY WELL be unrelated to the breech birth... actually you are MUCH LESS LIKELY to get these problems with breech (we get more rib pressure and less pelvic pressure - because you have no head engaged). It sounds as though you could have SPD to me and that you could get treatment (and some relief) for this. Speak to your midwife about it - she should be able to refer you to a NHS Physio (but it can take 3/4 weeks to get an appointment through). To be completely honest, if you have the money spare, seeing a private (pregnancy qualified) Physio/Osteo/Chiro (whilst awaiting your referral through the NHS) is money VERY well spent. I developed mild SPD when I was about 22 weeks pregnant and it has stayed mainly mild BECAUSE I seeked out good care early on. I am sure that you could get some relief for this

If you do try swimming (to turn the baby) then COMPLETELY AVOID breaststroke legs (breast stroke arms are fantastic, but normal - front crawl - kicks). Breastroke legs will hugely irritate any pelvic/hip pain.

Hope that helps.
QT