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I'm not pregnant (thank gawd), but my baby sis (who I basically raised myself) is pregnant with her second.
She had an appointment this week and the baby is presenting breech at the moment. At previous appointments, he was in the correct position.

I'm so frightened for her, but trying not to show it when we chat. She's due in early to mid-March and has a appointment next week for an outpatient procedure where they try to turn the baby.

Does anyone have experience with this? Please keep her/us in your thoughts. Thanks!

DS28 (so this was a long time ago) was breech, and they attempted the turning procedure twice.

It was very unpleasant to watch. At that time, they said the success rate was low, and even if it worked, sometimes the baby turned breech again.

It didn't work, and he was ultimately born via emergency caesarian. Emergency because of the legal climate of the time, which led to them never scheduling a first caesarian, but rather waiting for labor to start.

I hope they have new procedures, less painful and more successful, and that your sister has the best possible outcome.

Thanks TrustedHer.
My baby is 18yrs old, so I'm hoping that things are very different from when I delivered him.

She's trying to put on a brave face, but I know she's worried. I haven't brought up C-section, but that's the elephant in the room right now...

[This message edited by GabyBaby at 10:29 PM, February 19th (Wednesday)]

Turing the baby is called an external version and I gotta be honest it is NOT pleasant.

If it doesn't work she will be set up for a c-section that are usually quite safe. She does NOT want a breech delivery.

Thanks Purplejacket.
She mentioned the term external version and how they will manually try to nudge and turn the baby.
Just knowing the kind of pressure that will be required to twist and turn the baby tells me that it wont be comfy for her.
I'm soooo hoping the baby turns on his own again or (at worst) this procedure works.

Hi GabyBaby. My First 2 deliveries were non- breech vaginal deliveries. My 3rd (my now 14-year-old son) was a breech pregnancy. The OB-GYN was bound and determined to turn him around. The perinatologist said he could try all he wanted, but with my narrow hips there was no way it would work. Well, he tried and tried and pushed and shoved, but to no avail. I remember it not being pleasant, but it wasn't horrible (and
I am a big weenie when it comes to pain). Finally, he just gave up and did a c-section. I found recovery from the c-section so much easier than recovery from the vaginal deliveries. Hope this helps! P.S. DS14 is a healthy happy wonderful kid--no ill effects from having a 200-pound man pushing him around in a futile attempt to get him to change positions! (Edited to correct typo)

[This message edited by happenedtome at 11:35 PM, February 19th (Wednesday)]

Thanks HTM!
I'm glad to hear your darling baby is hale and hearty!

My first son (now 21) was sideways during my pregnancy and didn't even start turning until about 12 hours before my labor. He was still mostly on his side at probably 45 degree angle when I got to the hospital. The nurses kept doing a push-turn-stop pushing-turn back thing with him for 6 hours. He kept getting snagged by my pelvic bone because he was all wrapped up in his cord. He eventually turned mere moments before birth, as the surgical team was prepping me for an emergency C-section. He was a last minute vaginal birth when, as the doctor was painting me with that stuff they use, the nurse screamed for the doctor to stop because he was crowning.

The lesson I learned from this was...stay on your feet as much as possible during your labor. A baby in a sideways presentation can turn naturally if the mother uses the force of gravity to help the contractions turn the baby.

My second son (now 19) was like his brother and also in sideways position that didn't start turning until I went into labor. I knew better than to lay down with him and pretty much refused to even stay in a single room during his labor, choosing instead to pace the hallway. His birth was fine with no issues because contractions and gravity put him into position.

I have no experience with any proceedures to turn the baby in-utero as mine did turn, just really, really late. I suspect my first OB-GYN didn't believe in any proceedure to turn a baby before labor. He was weird. My second OB was great and assumed correctly that my second son would follow his brother's pattern.

Tell her to try the "breech tilt":

http://www.naturallyfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Turning_a_Breech.jpg

My second was breech at 36 weeks. I was booked for a scan and appointment to talk about my options at 37 weeks but by that time he had turned and he was the easiest birth I have had. Hoping your sister has a similar experience.

Gaby, she can check out a website called Spinning Babies that has a lot of advice for encouraging a breech to turn. There are positions she can use that will help. I don't have personal experience with the site but have friends who use it.

Also, she could look into acupuncture, I seem to remember that moxibustion can be effective. Wishing her luck.

My first DS was born naturally - weighed 8lbs 13oz. Second DS was breach about 2 weeks before delivery. He was too big to turn - 9lbs 8oz. My stupid Dr. thought I could deliver him breach - this was 30 years ago, they were trying to cut down on C-sections. Well, I went 2 weeks past the due date - I was miserable - so I went to my Dr. and demanded a scheduled C-section.

The recovery from C-section took longer than the vaginal delivery, but it was not too bad. I'm so glad they didn't force me to try and deliver him breach - I'm sure that would have been hell.

Sending strength and peace to your sister!

NL

After 2 vaginal births, my water broke with the 3rd. As I arrived at the hospital, I was surprised to find out she was breech (i had been to the doctor earlier that day, and he said I'll see you in a week, if not before)! On my 2nd child's birth, the cord was wrapped around her 3 times, but the doctor was awesome and made sure it wasn't around her neck. So with my 3rd child, when they mentioned trying to turn her, I was afraid that something would happen and I just wanted her out safe, so I chose a c-section. Praying for a safe delivery for your baby sis.

Thanks everyone!
I've forwarded the links/websites mentioned to my sis and she sends her thanks as well.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Baby Boy will turn on his own and the procedure will not be necessary....

ONe of my good friends had a breech baby, and they turned him once, and while she was on her way home from the appointment he turned himself back to breech. A week later, they turned him again, he waited a whole 4 hours to flip himself upright again that time.

So they set her up for a Csection, then her water broke in the middle of the night, get to the hospital, and guess what. That smart guy had spun himself into position, and no C-section was needed. He started off as being a bit noncompliant and a bit different, and still is. Smart kid, does Par cour (?sp) and has a rock band, and is planning on going to U or OK for meterology.

Anyway, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. C sections are not a huge ordeal, in fact I know several people that opted for them with their second kiddos even though there really wasn't a need, just that the first was a c-sect.

no experience with breech at all. i had a very emergency C-section. Very scary at the time but very easy recovery and in the end not a big deal at all. if it comes to c-section, it will be OK

Thanks all!
I just talked to Baby Sis a little while ago and she seems a lot calmer today. She spoke with her midwife who gave her a lot of good info as well.
They're currently closing on their home, so of course packing up, keeping their 2yr old busy, AND just generally uncomfortable as we all were in those last few weeks of pregnancy.
Throw the news of a breech position on top of it all and she understandably had a nice, well-deserved meltdown.

My baby moved so much but was in the correct position ALL pregnancy. Until my water broke, then he decided to turn... the wrong way. I was so happy I was not feeling much pain this time around with the delivery and WHAM! I have to go have C-section with all the risks associated with surgery, blood clots, etc. I was crying and begged my doctors to give the baby time to maybe turn again (yea right without water they can't). They pitifully gave me an hour while they prepared the OR. Baby was fine and healthy and I made sure I did walk and kept aware of my body to make sure I was ok after the surgery.

Nurse made sure I had that device that compresses my legs and relaxes it and compresses again. It helps with preventing blood clots. A lot of hospitals use that now specially if you can't walk right away - please have her really slowly walk and able to fend for herself before leaving hospital. C-section aftermath needs to managed correctly hence women have died days later after one from blood clot or emboli.

Baby is now 4 years old and he seems to be on sugar all the time... moving and running and playing...

/sigh things we do for our kids.

[This message edited by Simple at 7:06 PM, February 20th (Thursday)]

/sigh things we do for our kids.

Amen Sista!

It's very, very common for babies who've been in the breech position to shift to the cephalic (head-down) position as delivery approaches. Babies like to do gymnastics in there :)

This one of those things that just isn't worth worrying about. Like the weather, there's not much anyone can do about it. The goal is a safe delivery, and no matter what occurs, this will be possible :)