What Does It Feel like When a Breech Baby Turns?

When my daughter turned, it woke me up and I could feel it. I'd been doing the elevated hips exercise and when I went to the OB a few days later she was head down.

I just love how this site keeps bringing back memories for me!
When I was pg with our daughter I had to lay on the floor, with pillows under my hips for 25 minutes, 3 times a day for the last 3 months trying to get her to turn. She refused. The week before she was due, I had my Dr check up. First the nurse came in and did the usual, weight, bp, listened to my heart, and then measured my belly, and listened to her heart. It was up higher than normal on me because she was breach. We knew that. Her head made me feel like I had a 3rd boob! Her feet kicked and stomped down so low I thought she'd stick one out and you'd see it. The nurse frowned and sorta said, it was time to talk about c-section since she just wasn't going to turn. She left the room and I sat up to wait for the Dr. All of a sudden my belly started to rock and roll and stretch this way and that, and darn near knocked me off the table! I pictured it like one of those motorcycles in the wire cage going around and around. The Dr came in and I laid back and he put his hands down low on my belly and sorta shook me back and forth. He smiled and said no problem here, it's head down. He could feel the head bounch on his hands he said! Well when I got up to leave all of a sudden I had no 3rd boob, and was darn near carrying this baby between my knees it was so low! Man had it turned around between the nurse and Dr exams and a week later, on her due date in about 20 minutes labor, all 9lbs 2 1/2 oz of her was born just fine, Head first, no problem!

I wish I could answer for you, but I can't. I just want to wish you the best!

My first turned when I was about 6-7 months pregnant. I was walking at the time and almost dropped to the ground it was so painful and so much pressure. I could distinctly feel a head on my right side and a rear end on my left when I touched my belly. I eventually prodded him to turn head down and he stayed that way the rest of the pregnancy.
My second was flip-flopping the whole pregnancy (very active the entire pregnancy) including moving during the day I went into labor with her. I simply couldn't keep track of which way she was facing and went in after only being in labor 2 hours because I couldn't tell which was she was and the last time I had been at the doctors she was sideways. Turns out she was head down, but I was glad the doctor made me come in early anyway just in case she was still sideways as I barely would have made it to the hospital in time if I'd waited longer.
So, I guess my answer is that what it feels like depends on the pregnancy.

One of my twins turned at around 30 weeks and I didn't know until an u/s. Didn't feel a thing! Hopefully the baby really has turned for you...your OB will figure it out for sure at your next appt. My singleton pregnancies were always head-down and I could really feel their heads down low and butts up high during that last month or two. Poke the baby a bit and see if things are where they should be if s/he is head down. I could definitely feel feet in my ribs, you might be able to get a sense of which end is up by feeling.

My third was really an acrobat at the end of my pregnancy. Her prefered position was sideways. She went breach at one point. She'd no sooner turn head down for an apt or the ultrasounds and turn right back the next day. Also, when she was breach she stopped at sideways before going head down.
The wonderful ladies here recommended spinning babies http://spinningbabies.com/
I did the exercises on that website as well as the ones on the handout my midwife gave me.
She kept twisting up until 36 weeks when she went head down and stayed until she was born. I was so relieved! If she didn't it would have meant a hospital birth instead of the birth center and sideways is 100% c-section. My midwife said that 36 weeks was the "end point" for them as they can not take me as a patient at that point if she wasn't going to move and stay. You have some time :)
How it felt..I was in the most pain with her! My first 2 went head down and stayed there like they're supposed to. When she shifted my whole stomach would go tight and she pushed like crazy. My husband and I would joke that it looked like when one of those chest bursters from Alien popped out. When she'd move I could sit better, I wasn't feeling her feet on my bladder and a few other things.
One thing I had to do was relax. I would do the exercises close to bedtime and take a couple tylenol and curl up as comfy as you can when super pregnant. That's when she'd turn most often.
She was born at the birth center, head down in the end just as we planned :)
Best of luck! Congratulations!

I didn't get any pain when my daughter turned but I definitely felt her doing the flip flop. I was about 35 weeks when she finally turned.

I believe my second child turned on his own and it hurt like hell when he was turning...I was scheduled for a C and went with the C to find out he came out head first!!!!! Just two weeks prior he turned into position ugh....While it may be more difficult for a baby to flip flop it is still possible up until the very end :)

It feels like an alien trying to burst out. Really. It's incredibly painful. My first didn't turn until 34 weeks and he was born at 35 weeks. I definitely knew when he turned.

On a more pleasant note, congratulations on your pregnancy! I hope your baby does turn (painlessly), and that you have an easy delivery. :)

I felt more pressure down low, and could breathe easier. It felt strange when I walked, because there was a heaviness. When I had braxton hicks, it felt just like you describe. Drink a lot of water and it could release the tightness and tension.

My son was head down to the end. He was a scheduled c for other reasons. I had no idea he was breach until the doctor started to pull him out and said, "Oh my gosh, there's a butt!"

A friend of mine was having a scheduled c because her son was breach. Less than a week before, she found out he had moved and was head down.

Neither one of us felt a thing. I guess your best bet is to ask your OB at your next appointment. Good luck! Hope it all works out for you and you have a healthy delivery!!!