Breech baby, what to do?

UKTigerlily

Jo, i've read a few of your posts & you seem to come across as wanting your own way on everything & fighting everyone on everything? Please just accept this baby will be better off born in hospital if still breech, it should be about the safety of you & the baby above where you want to be. I hope however & wherever you have the baby you have a quick & safe delivery & healthy baby x

3onitsway

UKTigerlily wrote: »

Jo, i've read a few of your posts & you seem to come across as wanting your own way on everything & fighting everyone on everything? Please just accept this baby will be better off born in hospital if still breech, it should be about the safety of you & the baby above where you want to be. I hope however & wherever you have the baby you have a quick & safe delivery & healthy baby x

I think you should see yourself as being lucky that you've been told baby is breech and can prepare for the safest possible delivery of him/her.

When I had DS, 11 years ago, all the way through at midwife appointments i was told he was head down and ready to go.
Waters broke at home at 38 weeks, and off we went to hospital. After what felt like hundreds of doctors/midwives/students having a feel, they all told me they could feel the head and after 24 hours i got to 8cm dilated.
Then, I stuck at 8cm for what felt like forever. After a shift change, a different midwife came in to see what was happening, and felt a bottom, rather than a head.
He was breech, and wedged bum first, unable to get out any further. They attached monitors to me and to him, and were preparing for an assisted forceps delivery - to pull him out.
Then his heart rate dropped, he became distressed with low oxygen, and I was rushed off for an emercency c-section.

I dread to think what would have happened if this happened at home without the medical facilities available.

DS is now 11, and has severe learning disabilities - we'll probably never know if this is because of his birth.

3 years later I had DD. As i was so paranoid about the doctors having the position wrong again, i had a few extra scans towards the end to convince me she was the right way round - and she was born, in hospital, after a lovely 4 hour labour. No complications and a perfectly healthy, 'normal' little girl.

I'm now expecting no.3 in February. Again, to me it feels she's the right way round but i'm having extra scans to reassure me. I wasn't offered the option of a home birth because of having a previous c-section - but I wouldn't have had it anyway. The thought of what could have happened if i'd had DS at home puts me off.

I'm planning on having this one in the midwife led unit - which is more homely and less hospital like - but if need be, i can be wheeled to the attached maternity unit. Does your hospital offer this kind of facility?

Although a home birth may be your ideal - you've got to put yours and your babys safety first.

Good luck.

izoomzoom

Jo

I had a HB [STRIKE]last [/STRIKE]year before last, and it was the very best birth experience ever (and I had had two very good ones prior to that too). However, during my labour when 'an emergency' presented itself, we immediately called an ambulance but unfortunately I was too far gone, and delivered DD whilst the ambulance crew waited down the passage. DD was declared fit and well and the ambulance were sent on their way BUT the emergency was meconium in my waters and although my DD was fine, she could very well have not been ....

Anyhow, the only other person I know who wanted a HB and had a breech presentation opted for an independent MW. The ONLY alternative offered by the NHS was a c-sec.

Someone who has never experienced a HB can never understand the difference it makes but every birth has its risks, in hospital or at home. I won't go into the pro's of HB as I am sure you know them well, but an independent MW may be your only option if you are determined to go with the HB.

Good luck

Jo_R_2

Thank you for all the replies.

I should have been clearer. Yes I would love to have a home birth, especially since this is what was planned with DD2 and didn't happen.

I am aware of the issues surrounding breech presentations, some of the research that has been done, but what I should have said is that I have an issue with the blanket opinion that a breech baby automatically = caesarean section.

I don't have an issue per se with birthing (and here I mean birthing as in giving birth myself rather than the kind of delivery where doctors interfere where there is no need) a breech baby in hospital. Yes I'd love a HB but I'm not going to completely disregard baby's health just for a HB!

What I DON'T WANT (LOL sorry feel very strongly) is the attitude from doctors I had when pg with DD2. I don't want the consultant to see breech and say "caesarean" just because it's a breech baby if it gets to that point. I want people to look at things as an indivudual case, consider the elements involved and judge it as it is, not as another number iyswim?

clairec79

If you want a copy of my dissertation surrounding breech babies and ways to be born then PM me your email.

If you do decide to go down the vaginal breech route I would suggest contacting some experienced midwives (independents are likely to be the best bet but they cost - Jane Evans and Mary Cronk are the pair who immediately spring to mind). Go the the UK midwifery list (just google) and post there and both of them hang around there - although I'm not sure Mary's back in practice after ill health)

elmer

My son was breech, and I was only offered a section, however after discussing it with my midwife, she said I should ask my consultant for a normal birth. He wasnt very happy at first, but I eventually persuaded him, after he had 3 painful attempts at turning him. He gave me a date to be induced, and although there were some serious complications, I had a two hour labour and a beautiful little boy afterwards, and he is now 13.

So decide your arguments and stick to them. As long as its safe for both of you, as what you want is a healthy baby not necesarily the best birth experince, although sometimes it can be possible to have both.

Good Luck

Elmer xxx

Ishtar

Just wanted to say there's a really good website - spinning babies - which focuses on optimal fetal positioning. It has a useful section on turning a breech presentation....

My baby is due in March, and this site was recommended to me as I had an extremely painful back to back labour with my DD.

Good luck
D

skintchick

A breech home birth is possible, see here

http://www.midwifery.org.uk/cantillo.htm

and as said you can also turn the baby, being on all fours is good or lying front first over an exercise ball is said to help turn the baby.

Also see here for info :http://www.homebirth.org.uk/
Extract below:


“Your baby is breech (feet- or bottom-first)”

- As with twins, breech birth at home is unusual, but it does happen, as Kathryn's, Bronwyn's, Anna's and Oddny's birth stories show. Nicky also had a breech birth at home, but sadly her baby died, although there was no proof that this was connected with the breech birth. Some women, like Sophie, choose to change to a hospital setting, but with the right midwife may still have a completely natural breech birth. In these cases the mothers booked with independent midwives who were experienced in attending natural breech births. Others stay with the NHS, eg Ruth changed her plans and went to hospital when her first baby decided to arrive breech, five weeks early. For more on breech birth, see Breech Birth Issues from the UK Midwifery mailing list, and Home Birth in the News.

UKTigerlily

Jo_R wrote: »

Thank you for all the replies.

I should have been clearer. Yes I would love to have a home birth, especially since this is what was planned with DD2 and didn't happen.

I am aware of the issues surrounding breech presentations, some of the research that has been done, but what I should have said is that I have an issue with the blanket opinion that a breech baby automatically = caesarean section.

I don't have an issue per se with birthing (and here I mean birthing as in giving birth myself rather than the kind of delivery where doctors interfere where there is no need) a breech baby in hospital. Yes I'd love a HB but I'm not going to completely disregard baby's health just for a HB!

What I DON'T WANT (LOL sorry feel very strongly) is the attitude from doctors I had when pg with DD2. I don't want the consultant to see breech and say "caesarean" just because it's a breech baby if it gets to that point. I want people to look at things as an indivudual case, consider the elements involved and judge it as it is, not as another number iyswim?

Ah in that case my apologies Jo! I agree, i'd be against the c section for that reason also. I agree they should take it case by case & not all breech are c sections! C sections terrify me lol never had one but was born by an emergency one.

Counting_Pennies_2

I haven't had a chance to read the other replies, so I might be repeating others.

You probably know all this already.

Breech presentation for a first baby near enough always means a c-section. This is because the head is the biggest part of the baby, and if born breech it will be unknown if it will fit through the pelvis successfully, by then it is very complicated and dangerous to do anything about it.

If you have successfully given birth before and the baby seems to be of a similar size, they tend to be able to measure baby's head then it is possible to presume the baby will fit through the canal and everything will be ok.

But what if it isn't, what if there is a complication. The baby pooing is very more probable.

I would always stay on the side of caution and just feel reassured you have the help available if you need it.

Good luck with the birth, hope it turns!