36 Weeks and I Think Baby Is Transverse??

Updated on August 26, 2008
H.B. asks from Hillsboro, OR
21 answers

I had an appointment last week and the doctor did all the usual stuff, but after measuring me, she listened to the heartbeat with the doppler just to the upper side of my belly button. I can definitley tell the baby has moved position, she was kicking me way up high near my ribs and putting a lot of pressure down low. Now, it is all from side to side.

The doctor I saw wasn't my usual doctor, but when I said I didn't have an appointment next week she said that I needed to come in to see my doctor.

Anyone have experience with this? A lot of the stuff I read online say the baby can turn any time.

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J.C.

answers from Anchorage on

After the 36th week they usually have you start coming in every week anyway regardless of babies position. Try not to worry.

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L.Z.

answers from Anchorage on

1. You can see a chiropractic who practices the Webster technique. I recommend this and pulsatilla (herb). It worked for me.

2. Doing handstands under water and somersaults in a pool.

3. See spinningbabies.com

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D.R.

answers from Portland on

Don't worry, your baby can still move back. You can also get on your hands and knees and then rock back and forth. This works to help turn JR. around.
:-)
D.

1 mom found this helpful
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V.B.

answers from Portland on

My baby kept changing positions during the last few weeks, and was transverse at about 38 weeks, but just for a day. I ended up with a scheduled c-section due to the baby's size (which was estimated correctly at over 9lbs) and was glad that I went with my doctor's suggestion about the c-section (although I had originally been planning to do hypno-birthing!) In the end, the most important thing to me was that my baby was delivered safely, so although I had wanted a more natural hypnobirth, given my baby's size and position I think it all worked out for the best. Best of luck... (PS - I did try the underwater techniques when the baby was breech... if nothing else, getting in a pool at that point felt great.)

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J.B.

answers from Seattle on

I was 37 weeks along when my doctor discovered that my baby was breech. I did all the research that it sounds like you're doing, I listened to my doctor, and I consulted a doula. They all said that the baby could turn at any time, and I know women whose babies have turned at the last minute, but mine didn't. And if you're baby stays transverse up until delivery, they're going to want to get her out early because trying to deliver a transverse baby can be dangerous for both baby and mother.

Here is a website with some turning techniques: http://www.mother-care.ca/breech.htm#deep. You might also ask your doctor about the possibility of a version, which is when they try to turn the baby from the outside. It's reported to work fifty percent of the time.

I ended up having a c-section, which really scared me beforehand but went smoothly and healed quickly by God's grace. It was hard to give up my dreams of natural childbirth, butI honestly believe that everything turned out for the best.

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J.A.

answers from Seattle on

My son (now 10 weeks old) was breech until 36 weeks. I was facing a possible external version (which I didn't want to do) but, he decided on his own to turn head down and we had an uncomplicated natural birth, instead of a c-section. I've read that acupuncture and chiropractic care can help turn a stubborn baby. Thankfully I didn't have to go that route. I did spend a lot of time with my head down and bottom up! I think that helped in our case. The baby's head is heavy and tilting yourself upside down (for short periods of time, a few times a day) can help gravity do the turning for you. Good luck to you.

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K.R.

answers from Portland on

anytime, yes: the baby can even turn during labor; I have friends who had this happen (I've also had friends, of course, for whom this didn't happen). One of my mom's friends went into labor with the baby transverse ... she's a born-again Christian, and it was all about the power of prayer in her case ... she went in sure it would turn.

If you get onto midwifery webpages, you are likely to find links to positions to encourage the baby to turn ... and lots of other ideas, from acupucture to herbs to direct manipulation by the birth-attendant ... but I mostly like the clearly physical stuff: spending time on hands-and-knees so the baby's backbone naturally drifts with gravity to the front of your uterus, that sort of thing. Midwifery is WAYYYY less standardized than AMA obstetrics, so there isn't 'a midwifery page' ... you kind of have to cruise through a lot of individual pages ... and I'm not even going to try to recommend any, because it depends on which styles you resonate with what will work for you/what you are ready to work with/etc. Doula webpages will also have some of this information. Midwifery Today (a quarterly magazine, I pick it up at New Seasons) sometimes has practical hints like this (it's $13? an issue, but packed full of solid birth information).

My babies moved around so much a couple I was sure were going to wind themselves up in the umbilical cord ... but none of them did, thank God :). They often were one side and then the other, but I think by 36 weeks they were all head-down ...

Give a listen to your intuition ... 'inside,' do you feel 'right'? (Is the fear from the outside--the stranger doctor--or from your inside--your body telling you to take concern?)

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R.M.

answers from Portland on

My son didn't turn from breech until 35 weeks, I think and we did an external version with my daughter at 34 weeks from which she turned back to breech within four hours and at 37 weeks we got a chiropractic adjustment called the Webster technique and she turned right away. This baby actually turned on its own at about 35 weeks. I know that my babies take their own sweet time , but eventually turn. I think you are supposed to be seeing a doctor once a week from now on anyway.

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M.G.

answers from Seattle on

As others have said, you should go weekly after 36 weeks anyways, so I'd wait and see.

If he is really transverse, he will probably turn either way (head up or down) before the birth. Only a minute number of babies stay in transverse until the end.

My daughter had turned breech by 34 weeks and I was devastated, since I did not want a c-section.

I had an external version at 37 weeks and my baby was born in a super easy, all natural, vaginal birth 5 days later. I was the best experience of my life and I am so happy I didn't go with a scheduled C/S.

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B.W.

answers from Portland on

Thirty six weeks? You should be seeing your doctor each week by then, so if some of your concern has to do with the fact that your doctor told you that you need to come in, that's normal.

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W.C.

answers from Seattle on

My son was head up until 2 weeks before birth and he was big--ten lbs. The also the placenta was very close to being over the birth canal. So I was facing cesarean. Then the week before the birth (in the middle of the night no less) he flipped. (And I rose two inches off the bed when he did.

So all is not lost. Give nature a chance to right your baby. Nature does work wonders.

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A.L.

answers from Portland on

Hey H.,

I had this happen with my son. He had turned overnight and before I knew it his little bum was sticking out right under my ribs. Are you expecting a big baby? I could always feel when my son moved because he was huge! I'm only 5'1 and I had a 10lb 5oz baby. I wanted to be induced early because I knew he was big but my doctor kept saying, "oh no, you'll be fine" which totally pissed me off. Then when I had my C-section and had 10 pounder, I was relieved because I knew what was happening and my doctor didnt. Anyways, I went off on a tangent but the point of it was that mom's always know whats going on with their bodies and the doctors aren't always right! Hope that helps:)

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H.B.

answers from Seattle on

My baby was transverse too, I found out at my 34 week appt (you could probably find my post on here a few months ago asking for suggestions to turn him). In my case I did everything I could do to encourage him to turn, and he turned, and turned back, and kept on turning. We ended up concluding that I had so much fluid and because he was my third, that even getting him to go head down didn't guarantee he'd stay there. He was head down on the day I went in to be induced, but then turned transverse again during labor. We decided to do the c-section and my doc checked one last time before cutting and he'd flipped from one side to the other (still transverse) just while we walked from the delivery room to the OR. Go figure. Anyway, he was born 3 weeks ago and is here, and healthy, the most important thing!

BUT I think my situation was extremely rare, my doc had never seen anything like it, most babies that are transverse do not stay that way until delivery, and most transverse babies can be successfully turned head down by external version.

I thought chiropractic (Webster method) was probably the most helpful thing I did. I couldn't spend too much time tipped upside down because of heartburn and acid reflux, but I did the shoulders on the floor/hips and butt in the air position every night. Fun!

Good luck, I hope your little one gets in the right position!

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Z.A.

answers from Seattle on

Babies sure can turn at any time....but that's probably not the most important thing to remember. The most important thing is to listen to your body. If something feels wrong hop in the car and drive yourself to your Doc. Call on the way if you like, but 5 minutes in the office is something that's ALWAYS arrangeable. Never worry about imposing on the medical staff: they wouldn't be in OB (or shouldn't be)if they can't go with the flow...& OB/GYN office staff are some of the most flexible medical admin on the block. Trust me, whatever it is, they're used to it. Even if it's only giving a little peace of mind.

Every clinic I've ever come across wants expectant mothers in weekly for weeks 37-8-9-40...so your substitute Dr. was PROBABLY just trying to remind you to set and appt. AND to comfort you that you'd see your regular doc next week.

Lastly(and the most fun!), is also the simplest: There's no way to go from upside-down to rightside-up without being sideways at least once!!!

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T.J.

answers from Seattle on

Babies can turn on their own up until delivery. I've heard of people whose baby turned during labor! My baby was breech at 36 weeks, no maybe about it. I decided against having an external version done, I didn't feel right about it (the success rate is fairly low or the baby just turns back afterward, and it can result in an emergency c-section due to the cord getting wrapped around the baby's neck). I also heard about two babies dying during the procedure, from people I know not strangers!

I tried acupuncture with moxa and the webster technique (chiropractic), shining a light and talking down low, and lying almost upside down on a board, but it turned out that my baby was too big to turn on her own at that point, and my placenta was in a funny place.

I had a vaginal birth with my first baby, then ended up having a c-section with #2 because of her breech position. I actually preferred the c-section, I have to say! I was more worried about trying the external version than the actual c-section. It doesn't matter how your baby gets here, just that they do and they're healthy! The worst thing for me was laughing, sneezing, and coughing after surgery, had to remember to hold a pillow against my stomach or risk worse pain than ever! Good luck, let me know if you have any more questions.

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R.A.

answers from Portland on

when I went in for my 37 week appointment with my second baby (she is now 3 months old) they determiend that she was breech.

At 38 weeks we were going to start to talk about trying an external version (physical manipulation to turn the baby). Fortunately between 37 and 38 weeks she turned on her own.

good luck
hopefully everything will turn out all right

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S.S.

answers from Portland on

My first baby was also transverse at 35 weeks. I was given the option to have a Doctor try to turn him (called eversion). I decided to try this procedure because I wanted to increase my odds for a vaginal birth. I was told that it is easier to have the baby turn around 36 weeks than later due to the baby getting bigger. Well, my experience with eversion was incredibly painful and it didnt work. In the end I opted for a scheduled c-section. But I did talk with the doctor about coming in for the csection, getting an epidural and having her try to turn the baby then (cause then i wouldnt feel the pain and it might be more successful) and if he turned i would just get induced. I thought at the time this was a good idea! However, I kept my hopes up that my baby would turn on his own in the meantime. I did all of the exercises and acupuncture remedies but to no avail. I decided to just go ahead with the csection as I did not want to try to turn him again for various reasons (the disappointment if he didnt turn and then trying to heal a csection incision AND a painful abdomen from the eversion procedure, and the risk of getting the cord wrapped around his neck, and the problems than can ensue from being induced....the list goes on and on). He was born c-section at 39 weeks and it was a wonderful experience.

Every woman's story is different so I encourage you to try everything you can if you really want a vaginal birth. You never know what could work for you. But my only advice is to get started with these things immediately since you are already 36 weeks and their chances for turning are less the further along you are (so they say anyway). I wish you luck!

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K.V.

answers from Portland on

hi there. i was 35 weeks with my TWINS when i found out they were BOTH transverse. of course, i was bummed, thinking immediately it'd be a c-section. well, 3 weeks later when i went into labor both girls were head down and ready to go. don't sweat it until you get closer.

my doctor suggested getting on all fours and gently rock back and forth. he said that helps the baby to reposition itself when things get tight. good luck to you!

M.B.

answers from Seattle on

H.,

To this day I swear that both my kids were doing cartwheels and flips with twists inside me up until the day they were delivered. My son tried to go through my birth canal face up (don't know what it's called). He was looking at my belly botton, not my backside. My daughter I don't know about, she was a planned C-section after complications with her brother turned into a (nearly) emergency C-section.

Ask your doctor, at 36 week you should be seeing doc either every week or every other week. Take a deep breath and remember that we women have been having kids for years uncounted.

Best wishes,
Melissa

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L.G.

answers from Anchorage on

I went into my 34 or 36 week appt. with my son who is now 6, and I thought he was breach, but the doctor I saw was not my usual doctor and he was unsure, and did not have the equipment in his office to check. I was sent to another doctor and he checked and sure enough he was. Well they sent me home with the list of exercises and things to consider if they do not work. At 38 weeks I was laying there in bed and I felt this horrible stretching and kicking from him. I sat up and had to stretch my back to give him more room. I was pretty sure he had turned over, and the doctor confirmed it at my appt. that week. They were surprised, but everything went ahead just fine. I did a lot of nugging to try to get him to turn, but who knows what worked. I think he just decided last minute, which fits him.

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