Breech Baby Blues

September 14, 2008

So far, in all of my later monthly check-ups, including my 33 week appointment this past Friday, Binary Boy has been transferse (side-to-side) or breech. If he does not move head-down within the 3 weeks, measures will have to be taken to manually turn him from the outside or, if that doesn’t work, the midwives have told me that I will have to schedule a c-section at 39 weeks.

Serious bummer. 🙁

I know that there’s still time, and I know that only 3% of babies are breech at term, but it’s really making me stressed and antsy to know that most babies are head down by this time in most pregnancies.

The midwives are being very supportive and have given me several things to do. I’ve been doing special exercises and various other “tricks” to try and persuade him to flip around. I will find out at my next appointment, which is in two weeks, if he has moved at all. I’m hoping and praying that he does.

I can tell where his little head is just my feeling now, and in all the things I’ve tried so far, he’s moved a little, only to float right back to where he’s been the entire time.

He’s done everything right up until now: gaining weight at the perfect pace, staying active.. Basically, doing everything a growing baby should. So, I’m hoping that at the last minute, he’ll flip and make things a whole lot easier on both him and I.

In the meantime, anyone know any other ways to get a breech baby to turn around? I’ll try pretty much anything at this point.

{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }

Jessica Gottlieb September 15, 2008 at 12:57 pm

So not my business but it’s not too late for a second opinion.

Guess when my daughter turned? At 41 weeks. Yes, 41. Each of my kids were just shy of 3 weeks late and no one UTTERED the word C section to me.

39 weeks on a first child just because he’s breech?

Sounds really wrong to me. But what do I know? I’m just a mother of two kids.

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Binary Blonde September 15, 2008 at 1:18 pm

@Jessica Gottlieb – Wow. See, this is exactly what I needed to hear. I thought it was a bit strange to schedule a c-section so early when I know I’ve heard stories of babies turning a day or two before they are born.

Thank you for this. I will stick to my gut instinct and let him do it in his own time. My instinct was to wait him out and not go along with the 39 week c-section, unless the midwives insisted on it. So, your comment just confirms that I’m not crazy for wanting to wait it out. Babies do turn at the last minute!

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Victoria Pavelko December 26, 2010 at 12:49 am

THANK YOU for your words!!! I was 38 weeks at my last OB visit with a breech baby boy…I had a serious argument with my OB as she insisted on a scheduled C-section on 39 weeks exactly. She just couldn’t understand WHY I would want to wait?!?!? So much for letting nature run its course, heh?? I stood my ground – telling her that a breech presentation is not enough of a strong medical indication to schedule a surgery. I simple want to go into labor and see if the kid has turned. If not, then I’ll have a C-section, but scheduling a week before a due date seems ridiculous when I feel great. So, once again…thank you!! People have been having babies for centuries without all this medical hub-bub!

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katelin September 15, 2008 at 3:17 pm

i don’t know any baby de-breeching techniques but i hope whatever you do works and that you and little binary boy is okay 🙂

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Binary Blonde September 15, 2008 at 3:28 pm

@katelin – Thanks for the support. 🙂 It’s okay that he’s breech now, but when 40 weeks rolls around and it’s about time for him to start breathing air, being breech is not okay. I have a good feeling he’ll turn around by that time, but it’s the stress of having to worry about it that is not fun.

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Carlota September 16, 2008 at 5:50 pm

I found your blog through facebook after I joined as a fan of Jessica’s blog. I am currently training to be a yoga teacher and I have 7 weeks to go before I have my second baby. One of my teachers told me that doing bridge pose, in sanskrit Setu Bandha, especially a supportive one where you have a yoga block (or you can try using a really big dictionary or something along those lines) placed under your sacrum area, can help with getting a baby to turn head down. I don’t know the success rate or anything but it is a very nice easy pose that you can give a try. I wish you good luck!

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Rebecca (Ramblings by Reba) September 16, 2008 at 7:00 pm

I’m with Jessica… a C-section early JUST because they baby’s breach? I don’t think so. It sounds like your midwife doesn’t want to deliver a breech baby. Maybe the transverse breech is one of the potentially dangerous positions. (I don’t know.) But I’d be really hesitant to have major surgery simply because the baby hadn’t turned early…

For what it’s worth, I have an aunt whose baby turned from feet down to feet up two weeks before her due date… so doing an external version might result in nothing but uncomfortableness for you and a baby who still flips back the way he wants to anyway…

I hope this is encouraging, rather than discouraging. That’s my intent. Trust your instincts…

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Binary Blonde September 17, 2008 at 12:44 am

@ Carlota – I know exactly what pose you’re talking about and I know how to do it. I will try it tomorrow. Thanks!

@Rebecca (Ramblings by Reba) – Yeah.. :-/ I guess they want to avoid me actually going into labor with a breech baby, only to have an emergency c-section. I just found out last night at my birthing class that here in Texas, midwives just aren’t trained to attend breech births. Which is why the recommended 39 week c-section if he’s still breech by then.

And I guess there are only 3 doctors in Austin who I may have a slight chance of getting them to deliver a breech baby vaginally, but they normally just don’t do them. So, I’m left with little choice if he doesn’t flip by 39 weeks.

Still, I am going to follow my instincts and just keep doing what I’m doing to persuade him to turn.

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Kellie September 21, 2008 at 12:50 am

Here’s an old technique.
Mom lays on something like an ironing board (or several large pillows) with one end on the floor and the other end propped up on a couch, with her head on the floor side
o Done three times a day for 10-15 minutes at a time
o Best done on an empty stomach and when baby is active

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Binary Blonde October 3, 2008 at 10:10 am

@Kellie – Thanks, Kellie! I’ve been doing this for a few weeks now with the ironing board propped up on the couch. I guess we’ll see if it works in the next week or so!

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raquel April 4, 2009 at 2:46 pm

hi…”i have a breech baby” with 39 weeks….almost 40!…she´s going around from 2 or 3 weeks ago…she´s having all the possibles breech positions… i´m living in norway and here it looks like that it´s just the nature who will decide…to have an operation is the last option for them…i´m coming from spain and there they do a c-section almost for everything…the best for me now…to accept what´s happening, to be brave and don´t resist to the reallity…i wish the best for all the womens that are having the same situation that me…big hug!!

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