Seeking Any Moms Who "Externally Turned" a Breech Baby

T.,
What a stressful situation. I'm so sorry that you're having to deal with this.

First of all, you do have a lot of options & some time available to you.
The first would be to refuse a c/section. In most countries, Frank Breeches are standardly birthed vaginally & it is extremely sucessful. It's probably the best presentation for a breech, in fact. Even in many birth centers & homes in the US (with midwives) they're birthed vaginally.

Your next option would be to try some natural, less intrusive ways of turning baby. Have you looked on www.SpinningBabies.com for info yet? It's a wonderful site! Also, www.ChildbirthConnection.org is a great evidence-based site that is frequently used by birth professionals. You could even contact some midwives. Christy Santoro is a great one who I know personally & professionally--her site is www.MotherlandMidwifery.com

You can also try chiropractic adjustments. They have been proven to be extremely effective (especially if used in combination w/ accupuncture) in turning babies. If you live in the Easton area, I have a wonderful one to refer you to.

An ECV is a great option too, but personally, I would try a few other things in the next 1-2 weeks first & then re-visit that idea.

Don't forget to talk to your baby a lot too & tell him or her that you need them to flip over and put their head down. You can try to use headphones toward the bottom of your belly to encourage it, using a very bright flashlight on the bottom of your belly, etc... to encourage curiosity from him/her too.

Swimming, NOT reclining (instead, sitting on a birth ball/exercise ball w/ legs wide & leaning forward is a great way to encourage a good position), laying on an incline, doing cat/cow stretches, hula hoop hips, laying on your bed/floor on hands & knees with your butt way up in the air for 20 min or so at a time several times a day can also be very effective.

Be sure to check out that www.SpinningBabies.com if you haven't already though! It's like the Bible of breech sites! :-)

Lastly, do yourself & your baby a huge favor & ignore all of the negative stories & so forth that people so gladly pass on to you. That's the last thing that you need to hear & be focusing on right now! Think positively & talk with your baby!

I truly with you the best of luck & a wonderful, beautiful birth!!!
Hugs,
A.

T., I had to have my daughter who was extremely comfortable breech baby turned!!! I was really nervous about the procedure but it wasn't as painful as I thought it would be. I was 39 weeks and it took my doctor 4 tries to get Adeline to stay head done, she is still pretty stubborn at 14 months!!!! I was induced the same day, it was alot of work delivering a baby with such a beautiful round head! I have 4 other children and run a family day care so c-section was a very scare thought for me!! I know there are couple of differnet ways to help turn the baby. My doctor first gave me medicine to stop my uterus from contracting, then she greased my belly with bottle of baby oil and used her hands to move the baby. Like I said it took few tries but my daughter finially stayed head done. My doctor did tell me delivery would be hard because the baby's head hadn't formed to being in birth canal, but I am so thankful I didn't have to have a c-section! Good luck and remember you are one in control, don't let your doctor say c-section just because it would be easier. Babies are turned sucessfully all the time!

Find a chiropractor certified in the Webster technique this is what they use for turning babies

My sister in law's son was breech. She went through the turning - said it was very painful - and he turned breech again in a few days and she had a scheduled c-section. My other sister in law had both her children c-section (not b/c breech) and they are 2 years apart and I can't recall her saying she was unable to care for her oldest while recovering from the second c-section. Ask you dr specifically how long it takes to recover and what you can expect.

good luck

T.,

Both my children were delivered outside of a hospital setting in a birthcenter and weeks before my due date, the midwives suggested that to try to get the baby into a head down position I kneel on the floor with my pelvis higher than my head so I would watch TV on the floor kneeling with my head down low on the floor resting on my folded hands. You might also look on the internet for natural ways to move the baby out of a breech position before trying the more painful and hard-edged medical interventions. Good luck!

ann m.

My oldest son was breech and turning him was mentioned. Fortunately he ended up turning himself before my next appointment. Maybe trying some of the natural methods to get him to turn will work. Just wanted to let you know it is possible he will turn himself.

Yes, my doctor did perform a 'version' on my third baby at 36 weeks. It was not the most pleasant thing in the world- the doctor will explain the details of the procedure for you- mine only took a minute or two. You will want to make your decision soon since the baby is growing so fast during this time; there needs to be a little extra space in order for the turn to be successful. Let me know what you decide and how it turns out!

Hi T.,

My daughter was transverse breech, and when my midwife determined this he scheduled an inversion (I think that is what the "turing" procedure is called, not sure) but also referred me to a chiropractor. There is a chiropractic technique that can "flip" breech babies. I visited the chiropractor three times over the period of a week and a half to receive the adjustmet. It was painless: I think the only side effect I experienced was achey muscles in my lower back the next day.

My inversion was scheduled for a Monday, but my water broke late Saturday night. When we got to the hospital, the midwife determined that my daughter was head-down: no longer breech! I can't say that it works for for everyone, but it may be worth a try for you. I did pay the chiropractor out of pocket, but it was not expensive -- maybe $25 in 2003.

Best of luck to you and both of your little ones!

C.

My best friend's baby was in the breech position and her doctors suggested manually turning him. She opted to not try to manually turn him and have a c-section and it was a good thing she did. His cord was wrapped around his neck and if they would have tried to move him things could have ended in disaster.

While every situation is different and everyone has to ultimately make their own decision I would highly recommend having a c-section before trying to turn the baby. I have also had 2 c-sections with no problems.

I wish you the best of luck with whatever you decide to do.

When you are relaxed on your back in bed, have your husband lay his arm under the small of your back.
The baby will not like it at all, so get ready for a lot of movement.
When we are pregnant we naturally give in to the position of the baby because it is easier for us.
When you use this maneuver you are taking away the comfy place that the baby is favoring.
Remember babies will move throughout the pregnancy until the head is engaged.
God Bless

When I was expecting my son, I went to the chiropractor a lot due to tension headaches (I have gotten them for years, so it wasn't pregnancy related). But my chiropractor told me that if my son was breach, to let her know and she would help get him in the right direction. I wasn't breached, so I didn't need her services but I am still curious as to what she would have done. I would be happy to give you her information- she's in the Uniontown area.

My daughter was breech & a friend told me to sit quietly & comfortably with a radio playing soft classical music between my knees. The baby turned naturally to hear the music & I gave birth naturaly.

Hi T.,

Accupuncture is very effective!

L.

When we see a breech baby later in pregnancy (after 34 weeks), we talk about version. This is the process of turning the baby by pushing on your belly to get it to turn around. That can be very uncomfortable, and sometimes very painful, but is sometimes the only way to avoid the higher risk cesarean birth. It can be done with or without sedation or medications to decrease contractions. Sometimes it is attempted with an epidural. The attempt is usually made around 36 to 37 weeks (that is far enough along to do an emergency cesarean if needed) and is successful about half of the time. Risks can include fetal distress requiring an emergency cesarean, labor or ruptured membranes. If the baby stays breech, most doctors would suggest a cesarean birth.If you meet certain criteria, a breech delivery can be very safe, though it is not done much these days. If your pelvis, on X-ray or CT, is normal sized, if your baby is not too big and if your baby is in the right position and labor progresses well you may be a good candidate for a vaginal breech birth. About 75 percent of all pregnant women meet those criteria. But you also need a doctor that has had adequate training in breech deliveries. This is becoming more and more rare these days. Finally, there are positions that you can try, which some claim to help the baby turn. A knee-chest position (on your hands and knees, with your butt raised in the air) and rocking your pelvis several times a day has been tried, as has lying on a slant board (like your ironing board leaning up against your couch), with your head down and feet slanted uphill. Do that several times a day and it may help the baby turn (as well as giving you a runny nose from the increased swelling in your face). At this time there is no solid evidence to support that these positions actually work, but again you face no risk in trying them. Good luck.

My child was breached and the Dr. turned her and she turned right back around so i had a c-section. It really hurt to get her turned but if you can do it then do it instead of a C-section.
tamy

When I was pregnant with my second baby, the doctor said it was turned the wrong way. So he carefully turned it the right way (externally) and I had a normal birth and healthy baby.
E. B

My last baby was turned externally. I was in a similar situation...I had 3 kids under 6yo at home and a self employed husband who couldn't take the time off from work. The last thing I wanted was a c section. I'm expecting our 5th and the dr told me they'll be keeping an eye in case it happens again.

My son was actually head down and an hour into my induction turned breech. Since he was early they sent me home (they were expecting a 10.5 lb baby). A few days later I went to the hospital. I was given an IV in case something happened and I had to be rushed for a c section (always a possibility). My turning was very uneventful due to extra fluid aiding in the moving of my son, but I was prepared for the intense pain I could have experienced. With an ultrasound tech keeping watch on my son, 3 male doctors came into the room and with their hands surrounding my son counted to 3 and shifted him. I was lucky...I didn't feel a thing due to the 3 extra pockets of fluid surrounding him.

I've heard the pain can be worse than labor, but I was prepared to do it because the thought of a c section was even more daunting. There is always a risk with something like this, but if you feel it's worth the try, do it.

I don't believe I had the 'typical' experience when turning the baby, but it was a good experience for me. I wish you luck in whatever you decide and in the birth of your new baby!!

Hi T.,
My son was transverse breech- meaning he was laying across, so there was no way I would have even been able to have a breech birth. I listened to my doctors reccomendations and had ECV. They gave me medication to relax my uterus and monitored me and used ultrasound to turn the baby. The medication made me feel very jittery. I think you have to be prepared that the process can be very painful as mine was. I was also VERY bruised afterwards which added to the discomfort of already being 9 months pregnant. By the time I got back for my check up a week later my son had turned back sideways.

So I was scheduled for a c-section a week later which was 3 days prior to my due date since they did not want me to go into labor and have an emergency c-section. When I got all checked into the hospital, right before going in for the c-section they did an ultra sound and my son was head down. This then propelled my doctors to induce me and I ended going through 4 very stressful days of induced labor which was harmful for myself and my son. I ended up having a c-section after the fourth day.

I tell you my story not to scare you, but if I could go back I wish I had been much more informed about alternative methods and natural methods to help my son turn on his own. If this were to happen to me again I will try any of the things suggested by the other members- chiropractic, acupuncture, body possitioning. My son ended up having a seizure condition that can be related to a traumatic birth process. I don't know how much of a factor his birth experience was but I HATE having that question in my mind.

I do not think the ECV harmed him because at that point he was still surrounded by fluid, so if you do make that choice I think it is relatively safe for the baby. I just think trying anything before hand is the way to go. Also I had an easy recovery from my c-section... maybe it was only easy compared to everything else I went through so if you end up having to have a c-section it may not be terrible, although I understand why natural is the first choice if possible.

I regret that I did not ask more questions and have more input in the course my birth process took, you obviously are already a leg up because you are getting informed ahead of time, so good for you! Just remember no choice is the wrong choice since it is a personal descision. You make the best guess on what will work for you with the knowledge you have at the time. If somthing does not feel right to you, even if a doctor is telling you... you have every right to ask questions until you feel you have as much info as you can to make the best choice for yourself and your family. I hope all goes well for you and you can enjoy your birth process!

I don't know where you are at but I just saw a mom that went down to Pittsburg where the do versions all the time. I'm not trained to do them. but there is alot of thngs you can do to encourage babies to turn south. e-mail me privetly and I will send you the hand out I give to my clients.
V. M. CPM