Breech Baby? - Silverdale,WA

Updated on November 17, 2010
L.L. asks from Summerville, SC
5 answers

I am 33 weeks pregnant and at my midwife apt yesterday, she told me that she thought my baby is breech based on her manual palpation of my abdomen and where the heart beat was located. I have a doctor's appointment on friday, and she told me to not worry about it, but start doing these pelvic tilting exercises and have the doctor check the baby's position with ultrasound on friday. Some other back ground: My baby is also currently measuring in the 10th percentile on the growth curve when measured via ultrasound, but my fundus height is measuring a week ahead of schedule. This is my second child, and my first one is a march '09 model, so they are less than 2 years apart (which I know can mean your body is not fully back to normal).

So my questions:

1) If the baby is small, could it just still have enough room to be rolling around and hasn't really "settled" on it's birth position yet? Should I be trying to "help" turn it at this point in the game or is it early enough that I should not be worried?

2) Mom's that have successfully helped their babies turn with out medical personel using manual inversion, what did you do?

At my ultrasound 2.5 weeks ago, the baby was in head down position and the doctor who did the ultrasound said they usually don't flip around mush more after that point and to expect the baby to stay head down. My midwife said I would know if a baby this far along flips over because it is big enough for me to distinctly feel this. But I did not feel it flip the first time. This kid is a mover, frequently holding all night dance parties in my uterus :) But I am not able to distinguish body parts. For instance, I am feeling movement as I type and I could not tell you if that is the arm, leg, head, bum, or any other part moving around. So I feel like I won't really be able to tell if the baby flips or doesn't.

This all makes me a bit nervious - I am really petrified of having to have a C-section (I am afraid of surgery - I realize this may not be rational, but we don't pick our fears) and I know breech babies are far more likely to need a C-section than babies in the head first position. Any words of wisdom or your own experiences with breech babies and or breech deliveries would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks ladies!!

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More Answers

V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

The only thing I can tell you is that if the baby doesn't turn on it's own, and you end up trying external version, it isn't the end of the world. It isn't always successful, but it can work. It did in our case (done around 36 or 37 weeks, if I remember correctly). It was not painful, only slightly uncomfortable. Complete success. Baby did not turn back (although that can happen too). She is 9 yrs old now. Once the version was done, she was born about a week ahead of her due date and we had a completely drug free natural delivery. Easy peasy.
Dont start worrying just yet.

1 mom found this helpful

K.A.

answers from San Diego on

My third was a little acrobat! She wouldn't settle until the very last minute. She liked to be sideways most of the time, would go head down for a day or so and flip again, she was breech at one point too. I think she finally stopped moving and stayed put at about 36 weeks. She was a pound less than her brothers and an inch of 2 smaller. WHen they'd do ultrasounds they'd say she has plenty of room and might very well do it again. It used to hurt like the dickens when she'd move and sitting sideways most of the time hurt in general.
I used this web site that was suggested to me by many mamas on this site:
http://spinningbabies.com/
Every time she'd turn I'd coax her back. I didn't want her to get stuck the one time I wasn't dilligent about it!
In my case if she hadn't turned I would have to had a hospital delivery instead of the birth center and of course a csection that I was more than not willing to deal with.
Since you've already had a child already you're "stretched out" and since they're so close togther even more so.
I was told that so long as they stay put by 36 weeks I was fine.
Good luck!

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K.G.

answers from Fort Wayne on

My dd was breach. and it saved mine and her life. If I had her vaginally she could have ruptured my blader and my colon. They had fused together during the pregnancy and my doc did not know this. the c-sec was a breeze. I took no pain meds except tylenol and motrin. I did not want heavy meds in my b-milk. nature has a reason for things to happen the way they do. gl. and god bless

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H.W.

answers from Portland on

One of the women I nannied for told me that her last child weighed 10 lbs at birth, was 'sunnyside up' (breech and anterior, I believe) and she had a vaginal, unmedicated birth. So, it does happen. I believe she delivered in a more upright squatting position, if my memory serves...

Check with your midwife and ask if she turns babies. If she doesn't, have her refer you to someone who does. Here in Portland, some chiropractors who care for pregnant women also turn babies, so that's another option.

Nonetheless, breech without cesarean birth is possible.

S.P.

answers from Nashville on

Dont know much about breech. But when i went into labor the nurse checked me and told me that my babys face was up when it should be in the down position. SO they had me lie on my side and she eventually turned her face the right way in those 12 hours of labor. I bet she will flip in time you still 6-7wks. When shes ready she will flip. Dont stress about it:) COngrats!!

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