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Concerned with Baby Breech Position


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As of my 32 week appointment last week my baby is still breech. The doctor said that they usually don't get too concerned until around week 36, but that's easy for them to say since I am an obsessive compulsive worrier even under normal circumstances. I have been doing all of the suggested exercises, positions and techniques to try to get it to turn but not such luck. I can feel it's head right in the middle of my abdomen and the feet dancing low down in my pelvis. I don't want to obsess about it but I kind of am. Then stupid me Googles breech:glare: and comes up with all new paranoid explanations why it is in this position. Has anyone else have had a breech baby that can reassure me (or make me more paranoid).

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A good friend of mine JUST had her baby turn earlier this week - she's either 34 or 35 weeks. She didn't 'do' anything either, but then, she also had the luxury of knowing her mw would attend a breech birth.

 

Repeat this to yourself: breech is a variation of normal. Breech is a variation of normal. The *majority* of breech babies (especially at 32 weeks!) are just content hanging out right-side up a little longer.

 

If you must get the baby to turn, I'd recommend seeking out an acupuncturist to do moxibustion (huge success rate), or a chiropractor trained in Websters.

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I was breach and went to a chiropractor (my BIL). He told me that is it because you have a ligament that is too tight to allow the baby to turn. He adjusted a ligament near my groin (it HURT very bad). By my next appointment, the next week, my baby had turned.:D

 

I did all the positions and such, but they didn't work. The adjustment worked and worked fast!

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Thanks for helping to lift the load ladies. I know a lot of babies are breech for awhile. It just doesn't seem to be talked about as being a normal occurrence so I jump to the worst conclusions. That's a very bad habit of mine. I don't have a chiropractor, so I will start doing some asking around for recommendations in case it's stubborn and needs some extra prompting to turn. Thanks again, I appreciate it.

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Get thee to a chiropractor who is experienced in the Webster Technique. When I was teaching, we had a local chiro who was 59 for 61 in turning breech babies. None of these are invasive to the abdomen. It may take a couple visits.

 

Yep:iagree:

 

That is what my BIL chiropractor did. I just couldn't remember the name of the technique.

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my second daughter was breech and of course i freaked out because i didn't want to get a c section. i did exercises and even looked up acupuncture procedures. then at 37 weeks my doctor did a procedure called external version... where she manually moved the baby into the right position. you still have some time so don't worry. the baby could still turn on it's own. i hope everything works out and you're blessed with a healthy baby.

 

:)

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My youngest ds turned at 38 weeks!

 

The things I did that seemed to help:

 

Swimming

Couch inversion walking (ala spinning babies)

drinking juice, then lying on left side

Open knees and shoulders pose (on a bed with my head on the pillow, swaying)

Massaging my pinky toes

Watching my posture... sitting backwards on chairs, not putting my feet up. (see spinning babies)

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My babies seem to enjoy torturing me by hanging out transverse for a long time. #4 moved somewhere around 34 weeks. #5 was transverse last week, but I think he may have shifted down a bit (I'm at 33+). I'm a big fan of spinning babies!

 

I have a mw appointment on Monday. If Baby isn't in a decent position, they have a chiro to recommend to me. If he still isn't better positioned by 36/37 weeks, we're trying the external version. If THAT doesn't work, we'll try to wait until 39+ weeks to see if he wises up.

 

Not that I have any reason to believe he won't. I'm just a planner who insists on looking ahead. ;)

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Check out www.spinningbabies.com Also, if anyone in your area has the book Optimal Foetal Positioning, it has good information on getting baby into position.

 

This is the site I used as well. Our 4 yr old didn't turn until the last few weeks as well. I read suggestions on these "exercises" and visited the website for ideas as well. I did it every day between OB visits and from one week to the next, he turned. He had spent every single bit of the previous part of the pregnancy turned left to right until then.

 

I don't have a chiropractor in town who was familiar with Webster not an acupuncturist who could help. What I did at home worked. :)

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My twins flipped and flopped up until they were born at 36wks 6days. Seriously, they were both transverse at 35+ weeks, and they scheduled me for a C. Then on my last appointment before the C (2 days before) they had flipped into position, so they scheduled my induction instead of my C. Of course they had to check by u/s to make sure the buggers were still in position two days later (they were).

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I had a baby who was breech at 37 weeks. He turned by 38 weeks and was born shortly thereafter. (That was baby #3.) I did very little because the exercises made me feel like I was going to pass out. :tongue_smilie: Baby #4 was breech and transverse (flipped between the two), so I got chiropractic help (the Webster method), and she turned head down. I highly recommend finding a good chiropractor trained in the Webster method.

Edited by texasmama
clarity
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My second DD was transverse as late as maybe week 35 or so. I was already headed for a necessary C-section with her, but transverse would have complicated it. Luckily, she moved (on her own). I was amazed she could still flip around so much so late! Try not to freak out too much (though I can relate!). :grouphug:

Edited by Mommy22alyns
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I don't recall it being mentioned but....talk to your little one. :) Spend some quiet time each day relaxing and talking to her.

 

If she doesn't turn try not to be discouraged. Babies are smart. Sometimes being breech is the safest way for them to be born (whether vaginal breech or arriving via c/s) and they know it.

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If she doesn't turn try not to be discouraged. Babies are smart. Sometimes being breech is the safest way for them to be born (whether vaginal breech or arriving via c/s) and they know it.

 

Why is this, Heather? When would a breech birth be safer than a head-down birth? :)

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I am sure I have told this story before. Although it is increasingly less likely after 37 weeks, babies do turn up to the time of labor and even during labor. My brother was breech going into labor (they didn't do automatic c-sections 50 some years ago.) The nurse felt my mom's abdomen and said he was head down. The doc came in, checked and he was breech. Later the nurse checked and charted that he was head down. Later the doc came to check and he was breech. While he was chewing out the nurse for not knowing breech from vertex, my mom's abdomen did this wild bloopy thing and, wha da ya know ... the baby was head down again. He had flip-flopped 4 times in labor. Not common but it can happen. Now, these days, very few docs would wait for this.

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One of my twins was breech until 36 weeks. He flipped the night before he was born and it hurt worse than my c-section. My 5mo was breech/transverse at 36 weeks and I tried everything to flip her because I wanted a vaginal birth. They could get her flipped but she just wouldn't stay head down. I ended up with another c-section at 38.5 weeks. That section was because her fluid level had gotten dangerously low. I was told the low fluid level had nothing to do with her being breech. Now I wonder if all the manipulation to turn her had something to do with her low fluid level. Oh well, both kids got here safe and sound so I guess it didn't really matter.

Good Luck!

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I am sure I have told this story before. Although it is increasingly less likely after 37 weeks, babies do turn up to the time of labor and even during labor. My brother was breech going into labor (they didn't do automatic c-sections 50 some years ago.) The nurse felt my mom's abdomen and said he was head down. The doc came in, checked and he was breech. Later the nurse checked and charted that he was head down. Later the doc came to check and he was breech. While he was chewing out the nurse for not knowing breech from vertex, my mom's abdomen did this wild bloopy thing and, wha da ya know ... the baby was head down again. He had flip-flopped 4 times in labor. Not common but it can happen. Now, these days, very few docs would wait for this.

 

That's amazing! The OB that delivered DD2 told me that she has done ultrasounds immediately before a c-section to confirm that a baby was breech only to have the baby turn head down by the time she got s/he out.

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Why is this, Heather? When would a breech birth be safer than a head-down birth? :)

Breech is simply a variation of normal. Some babies need to be born vaginally this way. The problem is there aren't many care providers who are trained or who are able to do vaginal breech so the only option for many women is c/s. But that said, sometimes babies go breech because c/s is the safest way he/she needs to be born. Like Ellen said, cord issues are usually the culprit. Other times it's unexplainable but we just have to trust that the baby knows why.

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Breech is simply a variation of normal. Some babies need to be born vaginally this way. The problem is there aren't many care providers who are trained or who are able to do vaginal breech so the only option for many women is c/s. But that said, sometimes babies go breech because c/s is the safest way he/she needs to be born. Like Ellen said, cord issues are usually the culprit. Other times it's unexplainable but we just have to trust that the baby knows why.

 

Thank you, Ellen and Heather, for explaining. :001_smile:

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Silly Sara, don't you know you aren't supposed to google anything medical???

 

:lol:

 

Seriously, :grouphug: from one worrier to another. He/she will be ok, no matter how he/she is presenting right now.

 

I know, I'm shame faced about it :blushing:. I swear I get it from my mother. I'm a pessimistic person who always assumes the worst possible scenario in every situation. I think I need an intervention :tongue_smilie:.....or at least someone to come in and shut off the computer.

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